A recent article in the Atlantic discusses how some tech companies are pretending to be government entities.
Checkout this video:
Introduction
In recent years, a number of tech companies have taken on an increasingly active role in solving social and political problems. From Alphabet’s Loon project to provide internet access via high-altitude balloons, to Amazon’s drones delivering packages, to Microsoft’s contention for the JEDI contract to build the Pentagon’s cloud infrastructure, it seems that no problem is too big or too difficult for these companies to take on.
But why are tech companies getting into the business of solving social and political problems? What motivates them to do so?
There are a number of possible explanations. Firstly, it could simply be that these companies have a genuine desire to make the world a better place. With their immense resources and talents, they are uniquely positioned to make a difference in areas where governments have traditionally struggled.
Alternatively, it could be that these companies are looking to expand their reach and influence. By taking on projects with global significance, they can increase their brand awareness and burnish their reputation. This can be beneficial not only in terms of attracting customers and talent, but also in terms of influencing policymakers.
Finally, it could be that these companies are trying to pre-empt regulation by getting ahead of the issue themselves. By demonstrating that they can self-regulate effectively, they hope to ward off calls for more stringent governmental oversight.
Of course, it is likely that all of these factors play a role in motivating tech companies to take on social and political problems. Whatever the reasons may be, it is clear that these companies are having an increasingly significant impact on the world around us.
What is the problem?
The problem is that many tech companies are pretending to be something they’re not: namely, governments. Of course, these companies are not sovereign nations. They are not elected by the people, they do not have legislatures, they do not have judiciaries, and they are not held accountable to the public in the way that governments are. In other words, they lack legitimacy.
And yet, these companies often act as if they were legitimate governments. They make decisions about what speech is allowed and what isn’t. They prosecute people for violating their rules. They jail people who refuse to comply with their edicts. They even go so far as to kill people when they deem it necessary.
This is a dangerous situation for a number of reasons. First, it Concentrates power in the hands of a few unaccountable actors. Second, it threatens to undermine the legitimacy of actual governments. Third, it risks creating a two-tiered system of justice in which the rich and powerful are subject to one set of rules and everyone else is subject to another.
Fourth and finally, it sets a dangerous precedent for other companies who might want to emulate the tech companies’ example. After all, if Facebook can pretend to be a government, why can’t Walmart? Or ExxonMobil? Or any other large corporation?
Who is to blame?
The trend of tech companies pretending to be governments has been on the rise in recent years. From Facebook’s proposed “global currency” to Google’s “city of the future,” it seems that every major tech company is now trying to get in on the act of governing. But why are they doing this? And who is to blame?
There are a few possible reasons for this trend. First, as tech companies have grown larger and more powerful, they have increasingly begun to see themselves as having a responsibility to society at large. This may be due to a genuine desire to do good, or it may simply be a way of burnishing their image and making themselves seem more important.
Second, many tech companies are based in countries with weak or nonexistent governments. This leaves them feeling that they need to step in and fill the void.
Finally, it could simply be that pretensions of grandeur are built into the DNA of the tech industry After all, these are companies that are constantly coming up with new ways to change the world; it’s only natural that they would start to believe that they can run it better than anyone else.
Regardless of the reasons, there is no doubt that the trend of tech companies pretending to be governments is a dangerous one. For one thing, it creates an enormous amount of power and influence in the hands of a few corporations. It also legitimizes their increasingly intrusive and manipulative activities. And it erodes public trust in government by giving people the impression that government is unnecessary or incompetent.
So who is to blame for this trend? That’s hard to say. But one thing is certain: we all have a responsibility to push back against it whenever we see it happening.
What are the consequences?
The trend towards tech companies pretending to be governments is a worrying one, and it has a number of consequences.
First, it blurs the lines between state and corporate power. This is dangerous because it gives corporations more power and influence than they deserve or should have.
Second, it means that these companies are not accountable to anyone. They are not elected, they are not transparent, and they do not have to listen to public opinion. This makes them unaccountable and dangerous.
Third, it gives these companies too much control over our lives. They know intimate details about our lives and they can use this information to manipulate us in ways that we may not even be aware of.
Fourth, it means that we are gradually losing our sovereignty as citizens. We are handing over power to unelected, unaccountable corporations who answer to no one but themselves.
We must be vigilant against this trend and make sure that our elected representatives are doing everything they can to protect our democracy from the encroachment of corporate power.
What can be done?
At the end of the day, the government should be the only entity with the power to enact change on a large scale. But it’s clear that our current system is broken, and that something needs to be done to fix it.
We need to find a way to make our government more responsive to the needs of its citizens. We need to find a way to make our government more efficient and more effective. And we need to find a way to hold our government accountable when it fails us.
Fortunately, there are a number of things that can be done to fix our broken system. We can start by reforming the way we elect our representatives. We can create new methods of voting that allow for more direct democracy. We can pass laws that require transparency and accountability from our government officials. And we can use technology to make our government more efficient and more effective.
But whatever solution we ultimately choose, we need to act now. Our country is in desperate need of reform, and it’s up to us to make it happen.
