Tide turns against tech giants

The no-holds-barred run of tech giants may be coming to an end as governments and consumers push back against their growth and behaviour.

Up until this year, it seemed tech companies could do no wrong. They create services we loved and devices we coveted.

The fact they avoided paying tax, undermined workers’ rights, were reckless with our personal data and ignored laws were mostly overlooked. But no more. The tide appears to be turning as their behaviour catches up with them.

Uber is bearing the brunt of this pushback. London recently told the company it was no longer welcome in the city and thousands of users deleted the app earlier this year after its former chief executive Travis Kalanick joined President Donald Trump’s economic advisory council.

The company is being investigated for allegedly offering bribes, using illicit software, and theft of intellectual property.

Facebook has been under fire too. It ran political ads linked to Russia leading up to the US election. There’s also all the cyberbullying and livestreaming of deaths happening on the site.

Google and Twitter have also revealed Russian agents used the site to spread disinformation.

Uber is bearing the brunt of this pushback.

All three companies have played a role in spreading fake news, and despite having the traits of a media organisation, the three firms are not subject to laws which would force them to take action.

The other two tech giants, Apple and Amazon, are also under fire. Amazon’s workplace practices have been criticised and both companies, along with Google and Facebook, are accused of avoiding tax. A recent European Union report showed tech companies paid less than half the tax of bricks-and-mortar businesses.

No wonder the often-repeated mantra used by tech companies about wanting to use tech to make the world a better place is now widely mocked.

Unfortunately, this discontent is unlikely to dent their ambition or profits. They will push on, attempting to flout laws and claiming regulation will limit their ability to innovate. But as we become more dependent on technology and they get bigger, it’ll get harder to control them.

It’s time for those companies to be treated the same as any other, to be subject to the same laws, and for governments to stop acting like giddy tech fans when dealing with them.