In a previous post, I wrote about ATEAC (Google’s external advisory board for AI projects) and the mysterious circumstances behind it being dismantled. In somewhat related (and unprecedented) news, two employees at Google just announced Alphabet Workers Union (AWU)— their attempt at holding the company more ethically accountable. In an Op-Ed via the New York Times, this union was formallyContinue reading “(Google) Unionizing: A resurging trend?”
Category Archives: PoliTechs
The race to trace: How Big Tech raced to develop Coronavirus tracing apps
For years policymakers and privacy watchdogs have feared the power Big Tech wields with its vast collection of user data. Yet, these tech giants were given the go-ahead to spearhead the contact tracing apps that many government predominantly use to identify and notify all those who come in contact with a carrier. At a timeContinue reading “The race to trace: How Big Tech raced to develop Coronavirus tracing apps”
Deplatforming: Big Tech’s gag order
Ever since the likes of Alex Jones and Milo Yiannopoulos were kicked out of their dominant platforms, debate has begun on whether tech companies should be armed with the power of deplatforming.
Facebook: Company profile
The social networking service behemoth Facebook has grown from a forum purely meant for connections to an all-encompassing platform that has, as of late, found itself embroiled in the midst of many serious controversies.
Cambridge Analytica: Political hijacking
When news broke that a firm was able to illegally harvest, analyse and use our own data against us, we were horrified. We couldn’t believe that a scheme like this could run for so long undetected. It wasn’t just terrifying but infuriating. The bodies to which we had entrusted power i.e Big Tech had failed us. It was becoming increasingly apparent that these tech gods couldn’t handle such a responsibility. This was the tipping point. People finally had enough. The whole Cambridge Analytica data scandal pointed to a larger issue – corporate accountability.