Without Big Tech, Europe falls behind
It is needless to say that developments in the world are increasingly determined by digital progress. This encompasses a wide range of different aspects, from rapid developments in digital services and products to the significant influence of social media on society, from large-scale transformations in almost every industry to spectacular developments such as bitcoins and AI, as well as widespread cybercrime and other related matters.
The parties that stand out the most in this regard are the so-called Big Tech companies, predominantly based and originated in the United States. However, there are now also significant Big Tech giants in Asian countries, particularly China. Whereas classical industrial developments largely owed their growth and prosperity to the extensive physical infrastructure built in the previous century (transportation infrastructure, power grids, telecommunications), the digital world thrives and flourishes primarily thanks to the global internet and the services operating on it. The Big Tech companies dominate this world like digital utilities, and no organization or citizen can bypass their services. Furthermore, every new technology invented further emphasizes the importance of good internet connections with cloud services, as well as the dependence on Big Tech that controls them.
The world is grappling with the power that Big Tech has acquired as a result. On one hand, there are complaints and proposals to break up or otherwise restrain these companies. They are also accused of not caring enough about the interests, particularly the privacy, of their customers. On the other hand, everyone continues to use their mostly free services. But what do people really want? They don’t want to pay for services, but they still demand certain standards of service. One thing has become clear: Big Tech companies should be considered as utilities of the digital world and treated and regulated as such. This may mean that payment will be required for services, while digital utilities will have to comply with rules regarding privacy and service quality.
