Is Big Tech Out of Control?
Are big technology companies out of control, as their rapid growth and influence has made them too big to fail?
Are big technology companies out of control, as their rapid growth and influence has made them too big to fail?
David Aaronovitch asks if companies such as Facebook, Google and Amazon can be reined in and explores a range of issues including innovation, data, privacy, competition and security.
Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has said his company will hand over to US investigators more than 3,000 advertisements bought by groups with links to Russia 鈥 and the Washington Post reported that President Obama had previously warned Mr Zuckerberg about the threat of fake news and political disinformation.
On this side of the Atlantic, another tech company - Uber 鈥 is now in big trouble with Transport For London over its license to operate in the capital, claiming the company was not 鈥渇it and proper鈥, citing major concerns about its approach to reporting criminal offences and carrying out background checks on drivers.
Both cases, and a plethora of others, have raised questions about the way big technology firms operate, and while they arguably bring immeasurable benefits to us in our everyday lives, governments have struggled to keep up with what they鈥檙e up to.
CONTRIBUTORS
Jamie Bartlett, technology writer and author of Radicals: Outsiders Changing the World
Jonathan Taplin, author of Move Fast and Break Things
Eileen Burbidge, Chair of Tech City UK
Rana Foroohar, Financial Times columnist and author of Makers and Takers
Last on
More episodes
Next
The A.I Revolution
How will artificial intelligence shape our lives and what should we do to prepare for it?
The North Korean Missile Threat
Do the United States and its allies have the technology to stop incoming missiles?
Broadcast
- Thu 28 Sep 2017 20:00成人论坛 Radio 4
Podcast
-
The Briefing Room
David Aaronovitch presents in-depth explainers on big issues in the news.