Why big tech firms should be criticised?

BBC’s tech podcast “Tech Tent” this week brought an interesting debate about “big brand admiration” and how this can cloud our minds when thinking about these big companies. Companies like Amazon, Apple and Google. We are consistently in awe of their innovative products and creativity but often don’t question or look at the ethics behind the company. You only have to attend a tech product launch to see the adoration with which these big brands are viewed by many. The question is why they don’t invite people who have the really burning questions for example Amazon’s treatment of factory workers.

Amazon is a company that is recently becoming involved in almost every aspect of your life. From e-commerce, phones, smart home technology to pharmaceuticals. All brought to you at an affordable price. However Amazon has often been criticised for its working conditions. As of recently Amazon has paid an army of staff to defend its reputation. This army is said to reply to negative tweets regarding Amazons working conditions. Amazon have came out and said these were real people who were paid to send these tweets at their fulfilment centres but they are sharing “honest experiences”.

A company I have had much respect for with their conglomerate approach to business. Their ability to adapt and react to any market they try their hand at is a credit to them. However this “success” story and humble beginnings narrative of coming from an online bookstore to the mega giant it is today masks the reality of the situation. There is even a campaign against Amazon called Make Amazon Pay. Which heavily criticises and actively campaigns against in their mail-order centres. Their slogan “We are humans, not robots!” Again the irony of amazon having to pay employees to defend themselves makes the situation more laughable.

https://makeamazonpay.org/

Facebook and the Cambridge analytical scandal marks the first time a Tech Company has come under major public scrutiny. In fact even when these big Tech companies are put under the microscope they tend to not be transparent or honest with consumers. The main issue is that often as consumers we feel like we can align our values with these Tech companies as they are “consumer brands”. When Facebook first started out it was a “hot or not game” for Harvard students. Consumers felt they were with Facebook in this almost rebellious change in the way we consume and use the internet. However the reality is now that Facebook is a corporate company designed to make money and also has a huge political influence on users.

From a personal point of view I started a Facebook page around 2011, around this time Facebooks’ timeline posts was based on what pages you liked and who you were friends with. Around 2015/2016, Facebook completely monetised their Facebook page features and changed their algorithm in such a way that basically forced you in to paying for promoted posts. This has the potential to completely ruin small businesses who rely on free social media exposure. This is an example of just one way that the power is in the hands of the Company not the consumer. Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat can almost create this illusion of consumer power. However the reality is Tech giants can decide to make a change in their policy at any point which can have detrimental effects on users and businesses.

In conclusion the likes of Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg and Jeff Bezos are often plastered on the front copies of magazines and held up as superstars. However the reality is a lot of these companies have more power than governments. Social media is now becoming the media and becoming a trustworthy news source In a world of fake news which can alter people’s opinions on elections the severity of Tech companies influence is becoming more apparent. The worrying thing about all this is that as progressively Tech giants become more and more involved in things like healthcare, education, payment systems and - increasingly – politics. In my opinion Tech companies should be receiving more scrutiny. However it is hard to get close to them, a Tech company would much rather give their game to a YouTuber who will give a glowing review as opposed to Tech journalist.

You can also check out the podcast here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3cswnln

 

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