Is the Government Failing Us on Big Tech?
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Big Tech firms bristle at the mention of regulation, and unlike major industries including finance, energy, and pharmaceuticals, tech has so far managed to avoid the strong arm of governmental control. But companies like Facebook, Google, and Amazon wield an out-sized amount of influence over how we shop, communicate, and get the news. Just in case these companies don’t have our best interests at heart, what is the government’s role in protecting society from monopolies? As scathing headlines ask “Have Big Tech Companies Become the Bad Guys?,” some lawmakers are pushing for stronger accountability. What can we learn from our European neighbors as they enact the GDPR?
- 2018 Festival
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