The big question is why we assign a social function to a commercial platform. Why do we let Big Tech watch over democratic values? email data We must not forget that we made Big Tech Big . Now it is also up to us to break this monopoly position.
Decentralized alternatives: a different future?
What if we do it differently? Platforms like Mastodon show that there is an alternative. Instead of centralizing everything under one big company, these platforms work with independent communities. Users decide for themselves which servers they want to be active on and keep control over their own data. This makes them less dependent on advertising and gives the user more freedom.
You can compare it to a market square and a department store. In the department store, the owner decides what is sold, how everything is arranged and at what price. Everything is tightly organized, but the choice is limited to what the owner approves. In a market square, each stall has its own entrepreneur. You can walk around, compare and choose what suits you. And if you don’t think the offer is good enough, you can even start your own stall.
should remain accessible to everyone. This requires support, for example from governments or social organizations. tech follows the political wind Commercial companies can also play a role, but only by developing products and services that match what users really want, instead of manipulating them with advertisements.
The Problem with Big Tech
The biggest problem with Big Tech is its business model: the attention economy. Companies earn money from the time you spend on their china numbers platform and sell your attention to advertisers. The famous example of the two pigs in the barn is striking: one pig says it’s great that they don’t pay for their stay, to which the other pig replies that even the food is free. The lesson is clear: if you don’t pay, you are the product.