The Big Tech oligarchy: Privacy and Protecting the Flow of Information
The Big Tech oligarchy controls the stream of information available to the public. Algorithms dictate what content is seen or suppressed, and the companies that control these systems hold immense power over how information is organized, amplified, or buried. Whether it’s the monopoly of Google, the influence of Elon Musk’s X, or the reach of Facebook, this concentration of power threatens the free exchange of ideas and public discourse.
The reason TikTok is seen as a unique threat is not because of something it does differently from American Big Tech—it’s because Big Tech doesn’t yet control TikTok’s algorithm. However, if we are honest, anything TikTok can do, American tech giants can do too—and at an almost unimaginable scale. For example, when you post something on X, those keywords can be sold to advertisers almost instantly. Google can then use that data to target your YouTube recommendations and search results with tailored ads. This unchecked practice shows how deeply data mining and surveillance are embedded in the current Big Tech model.
The American people deserve robust personal privacy protections as a fundamental right under the 14th Amendment. This right must be extended to cover interactions with corporations as well as government entities. Your data—your posts, your habits, your preferences—should not be for sale.
Data Ownership and Consent:
Implement a universal data privacy law that gives individuals full ownership of their personal data.
Require explicit opt-in consent for data collection, ensuring that companies cannot use or sell user data without clear permission.
Transparency and Algorithm Accountability:
Require Big Tech companies to provide transparency reports that explain how their algorithms prioritize, suppress, or amplify content.
Create an independent oversight body to audit algorithmic practices and ensure that information streams remain unbiased and free from manipulation.
Prohibiting Data Brokerage:
Ban the sale of personal user data to third-party advertisers or brokers. Instead, users should have the choice to opt out of data-driven advertising entirely.
Promoting Competition and Decentralization:
Implement stronger antitrust regulations to break up monopolistic practices in Big Tech and encourage the growth of decentralized platforms that foster genuine competition and innovation.
When a handful of corporations control the flow of information, they gain disproportionate influence over public opinion, commerce, and democracy itself. The power to curate content, target ads, and suppress certain narratives must not reside in the hands of a few unelected billionaires. Privacy is not a privilege—it’s a right.
The American people have a right to digital privacy and control over their own information. By implementing policies that promote transparency, protect data ownership, and hold Big Tech accountable, we can restore balance, preserve individual freedoms, and protect democracy from unchecked corporate power.
