Big Tech's Increasing Power

The economic crisis caused by COVID-19 will further strengthen big tech’s hold over the economy and society, without intervention. Already, small businesses and retail outlets across the country are in a free fall as the result of social distancing measures, leaving Amazon to gain an even larger share of the marketplace. Meanwhile, local restaurants struggling to stay in business are now turning to online ordering and delivery apps, like Grubhub, that charge excessive fees and face little to no regulation. Journalism and news outlets also face increasing financial difficulties as ad dollars and subscriptions both decrease, further diminishing revenues, and making them even more dependent upon Facebook, Google, and Apple to provide financial support for their content. Further, platform companies’ decisions regarding election misinformation and incitements to violence on their platforms continue to reveal their disproportionate power and control.

This webinar will explore how the influence of big tech and digital platforms in the economy and our society is expanding in the wake of COVID-19, and what governments should do to preserve competition in our markets and protect the public interest in this moment of significant disruption.

Speakers

• Gene Kimmelman, Public Knowledge
• Stacy Mitchell, Institute for Local Self-Reliance
• Jade Magnus Ogunnaike, Color Of Change
• David Segal, Demand Progress

Moderator
Amber French, Media Democracy Fund

Co-sponsored by Ariadne Network, Human Rights Funders Network, Neighborhood Funders Group, and Rockefeller Brothers Fund.