Big Tech: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 17:00, 10 August 2025

Latest revision as of 17:22, 29 August 2025

(11 intermediate revisions by 2 users not shown)

Line 119:

{{see|Social media censorship controversy}}

In the United States, conservatives and Republican politicians frequently allege censorship of their viewpoints and ideas,<ref name="Fung">{{Cite news |last=Fung |first=Brian |date=October 21, 2024 |title=How Republicans pushed social media companies to stop fighting election misinformation |work=CNN |url=https://www.cnn.com/2024/10/21/politics/election-social-media-misinformation-republicans |access-date=May 13, 2025 }}</ref> however, research has not supported the allegation that social media companies are biased against conservative viewpoints.<ref name="Izaguirre">{{Cite web |last=Izaguirre |first=Anthony |date=2021-03-07 |title=GOP Pushes Bills to Allow Social Media 'Censorship' Lawsuits |url=https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/politics/gop-pushes-bills-to-allow-social-media-censorship-lawsuits/2455807/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211219222438/https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/politics/gop-pushes-bills-to-allow-social-media-censorship-lawsuits/2455807/ |archive-date=2021-12-19 |access-date=2024-12-25 |website=[[WMAQ-TV|NBC Chicago]]|quote=Researchers have not found widespread evidence that social media companies are biased against conservative news, posts or materials.}}</ref> The practice of banning [[hate speech]] has also received criticism from [[Conservatism in the United States|conservatives]].<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=McCullagh |first=Declan |date=February 2019 |title=Deplatforming Is a Dangerous Game |url=https://reason.com/archives/2019/01/20/deplatforming |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190331055502/https://reason.com/archives/2019/01/20/deplatforming |archive-date=March 31, 2019 |magazine=[[Reason (magazine)|Reason]]}}</ref> Following the [[2020 United States presidential election]], CNN described a "yearslong intimidation campaign led by Republican attorneys general and state and federal lawmakers" to make social media companies "platform falsehoods and hate speech" and thwart those "working to study or limit the spread" of it.<ref name="Fung"/> According to a February 2021 report by [[New York University]] researchers, conservative claims of social media censorship could be considered [[disinformation]] and [[false statement|false]]. The report also recommended that social media platforms should increase their [[transparency (behavior)|transparency]] to push back against claims of censorship.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Analysis {{!}} The Technology 202: New report calls conservative claims of social media censorship 'a form of disinformation' |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/02/01/technology-202-new-report-calls-conservative-claims-social-media-censorship-a-form-disinformation/ |access-date=August 28, 2021 |newspaper=Washington Post |issn=0190-8286}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Tech – Bias Report 2021 |url=https://bhr.stern.nyu.edu/bias-report-release-page |access-date=August 28, 2021 |website=NYU Stern Center for Business and Human Rights}}</ref> Republican-introduced bills in many states have allowed for civil lawsuits against social media companies over perceived "censorship" of posts, especially those related to politics or religion.<ref name="Izaguirre"/> During the [[2024 United States presidential election]], ''[[The New York Times]]'' described social media as being predominantly right-leaning despite claims of conservative censorship,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Frenkel |first=Sheera |date=November 17, 2024 |title=Liberals Are Left Out in the Cold as Social Media Veers Right |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/17/technology/election-right-wing-social-media.html |url-access=subscription |access-date=May 13, 2025}}</ref> and the [[Pew Research Center]] found that a majority ofmore social media influencers leaned toconservative (27%) than theliberal right(21%).<ref>{{Cite news |last=Reilly |first=Liam |date=November 18, 2024 |title=Nearly 40% of young Americans get their news from influencers. Many of them lean to the right, study finds |work=CNN |url=https://www.cnn.com/2024/11/18/media/news-influencers-social-media-conservative-study/ |access-date=November 21, 2024 |archive-date=2024-11-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241119002802/https://www.cnn.com/2024/11/18/media/news-influencers-social-media-conservative-study/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

In July 2020, the [[United States House Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Commercial and Administrative Law]] interviewed the CEOs of [[Alphabet Inc.|Alphabet]], [[Amazon (company)|Amazon]], [[Apple Inc.|Apple]], and [[Meta Platforms|Facebook]]. During the hearings, some members of [[United States Congress|Congress]] alleged bias against conservatives on social media.<ref>{{Cite news |date=July 29, 2020 |title=Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google grilled on Capitol Hill over their market power |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2020/07/29/apple-google-facebook-amazon-congress-hearing/ |access-date=August 28, 2021 |newspaper=Washington Post}}</ref> [[Matt Gaetz]] protested Amazon's ban on donations to [[hate group]]s, stating that [[Jeff Bezos]] should "divorce from the [[Southern Poverty Law Center|SPLC]]".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Breland |first=Ali |title=In attacking Amazon, Matt Gaetz boosts a terrorist organization |url=https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2020/07/matt-gaetz-jeff-bezos-jewish-defense-league/ |access-date=August 28, 2021 |website=Mother Jones}}</ref>

Line 149:

===Privacy concerns===

{{Main|Privacy concerns withFurther Facebook|Privacy concerns with Googleinformation|Privacy concerns with social networking services|CriticismPrivacy ofconcerns Amazon#Userwith privacyGoogle|Criticism of Apple Inc.#Data privacy, transparency, and fair use|l3=Privacy concerns with Apple|Criticism of Microsoft#Privacy issues|l4=Privacy concerns with Microsoft|Criticism of Tesla, Inc.#Data privacy concerns|l5=Privacy concerns with Tesla|Artificial intelligence#Privacy and copyright|l6=Privacy concerns with artificial intelligence}}

In September 2024, the [[Federal Trade Commission]] (FTC) released a report summarizing company responses from [[Criticism of Amazon#User (company)privacy|Amazon]], [[Privacy concerns with Facebook|Facebook]], [[YouTube and privacy|YouTube]], [[Twitter#Privacy|Twitter]], [[Snap Inc.|Snap]], [[ByteDance#Censorship, surveillance, and data privacy concerns|ByteDance]], [[Discord]], [[Reddit]], and [[Reception and criticism of WhatsApp security and privacy features|WhatsApp]] to orders made by the agency pursuant to Section 6(b) of the [[Federal Trade Commission Act of 1914]] to provide information about [[User (computing)|user]] and non-user data collection (including of children and teenagers) and data use by the companies that found that the companies' user and non-user data practices putof individualsthe companies made users and non-users vulnerable to [[identity theft]], [[stalking]], unlawful discrimination, emotional distress and [[Digital media use and mental health|mental health issues]], social stigma, and reputational harm.<ref name="NBC">{{cite news|last=Tolentino|first=Daysia|date=September 19, 2024|title=Social media companies engaged in 'vast surveillance,' FTC finds, calling status quo 'unacceptable'|publisher=NBC News|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/security/social-media-companies-engaged-vast-surveillance-ftc-finds-calling-sta-rcna171814|access-date=September 21, 2024}}</ref><ref name="The Verge">{{cite news|last=Del Valle|first=Gaby|date=September 19, 2024|title=The FTC says social media companies can't be trusted to regulate themselves|website=The Verge|publisher=Vox Media|url=https://www.theverge.com/2024/9/19/24249073/ftc-data-retention-privacy-report-facebook-meta-youtube-reddit|access-date=September 21, 2024}}</ref><ref name="FTC">{{cite report|title=A Look Behind the Screens: Examining the Data Practices of Social Media and Video Streaming Services|year=2024|publisher=Federal Trade Commission|url=https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/ftc_gov/pdf/Social-Media-6b-Report-9-11-2024.pdf|access-date=September 21, 2024}}</ref> Based upon the report's findings, the FTC recommended that Congress pass a comprehensive federal [[Information privacy law|data privacy]] law]].<ref name="NBC" /><ref name="The Verge" /><ref name="FTC" />

== Antitrust efforts ==

Line 174:

In June 2020, the European Union opened two investigations into [[Apple Inc.|Apple]]. The first investigation focused on whether Apple uses [[Dominance (economics)|market dominance]] to stifle competition in music and book [[streaming media|streaming]]. The second investigation focused on [[Apple Pay]]. Apple limits the use of the [[iPhone]]'s [[near-field communication|NFC]] technology by [[financial institution]]s, including banks.<ref>The Verge, June 16, 2020 [https://www.theverge.com/2020/6/16/21292651/apple-eu-antitrust-investigation-app-store-apple-pay EU Opens Apple Antitrust Investigations into App Store and Apple Pay practices]</ref><ref>Open Markets Institute, The Corner Newsletter, June 25, 2020, [https://www.openmarketsinstitute.org/publications/corner-newsletter-june-25-2020 Open Markets Examines the European Commission's Newly Announced Investigation into Potentially Anti-competitive Practices by Apple]</ref>

According to former [[European Commissioner for Competition]] [[Margrethe Vestager]], [[fine (penalty)|fines]] are insufficient to deter anticompetitive practices. Vestager stated, "Fines are not doing the trick. And fines are not enough because fines are a punishment for illegal behaviour in the past. What is also in our decision is that you have to change for the future. You have to stop what you're doing."<ref>Parliament of the European Union, [https://www.europarl.europa.eu/resources/library/media/20191009RES63801/20191009RES63801.pdf Hearing of Margrethe Vestager 8 Oct. 2019] p. 28</ref>

In September 2021, the United States and European Union began negotiating a joint approach to Big Tech regulation.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Bose |first=Nandita |date=September 23, 2021 |title=EXCLUSIVE Big Tech targeted by U.S. and EU in draft memo ahead of tech and trade meeting |url=https://www.reuters.com/technology/exclusive-us-eu-look-work-more-closely-regulating-big-tech-summit-2021-09-23/ |access-date=September 29, 2021 |work=Reuters}}</ref> The European Parliament passed the [[Digital Markets Act]] (DMA) in March 2022 to restrict data collection from European users, require social media interoperability, and allow alternative [[application software|app]] stores and payment systems for Apple and Google [[smartphone]]s.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Satariano |first=Adam |date=March 24, 2022 |title=E.U. Takes Aim at Big Tech's Power With Landmark Digital Act |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/24/technology/eu-regulation-apple-meta-google.html |access-date=March 24, 2022 |website=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Bell |first=Karissa |date=March 24, 2022 |title=European Union reaches provisional agreement on antitrust law targeting tech giants |url=https://www.engadget.com/europe-digital-markets-act-005742387.html |access-date=March 24, 2022 |website=[[Engadget]]}}</ref> The EU also passed the [[Digital Services Act]] (DSA) in April 2022, which requires tech companies to take down [[hate speech]] and [[child sexual abuse]], and ban advertising targeting [[gender]], [[race (human categorization)|race]], religion, and childhood.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Browne |first=Ryan |date=April 22, 2022 |title=EU agrees on landmark law aimed at forcing Big Tech firms to tackle illegal content |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2022/04/22/digital-services-act-eu-agrees-new-rules-for-tackling-illegal-content.html |access-date=April 22, 2022 |website=[[CNBC]]}}</ref> Both the Digital Markets Act and Digital Services Act were enacted by the EU in July 2022.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Chee |first=Foo Yun |date=July 5, 2022 |title=EU lawmakers pass landmark tech rules, but enforcement a worry |url=https://www.reuters.com/technology/eu-lawmakers-pass-landmark-tech-rules-enforcement-worry-2022-07-05/ |access-date=July 5, 2022 |work=[[Reuters]]}}</ref> The EU defined Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, ByteDance, Meta, and Microsoft as "gatekeepers" under the DMA in September 2023, and required them to comply by March 2024.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Holt |first=Kris |date=September 7, 2023 |title=EU confirms the six tech giants subject to its strict new competition laws |url=https://www.engadget.com/eu-confirms-the-six-tech-giants-subject-to-its-strict-new-competition-laws-161917822.html |work=Engadget}}</ref> On June 24, 2024, the European Union charged Apple with breaching the Digital Markets Act, potentially resulting in a significant fine. A final decision is expected by March 2025. The EU is also investigating Apple's new terms and fees for app developers, criticizing the company's restrictions and handling of AI-powered features in the EU.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Yun Chee |first=Foo |date=June 24, 2024 |title=Apple charged with breaching EU tech rules, faces another probe |url=https://www.reuters.com/technology/apples-app-store-rules-breach-eu-tech-rules-eu-regulators-say-2024-06-24/ |access-date=June 24, 2024 |work=Reuters}}</ref>