Is the Government Failing Us on Big Tech?
Setup
Big Tech firms bristle at the mention of regulation, and unlike major industries including finance, energy, and pharmaceuticals, tech has so far managed to avoid the strong arm of governmental control. But companies like Facebook, Google, and Amazon wield an out-sized amount of influence over how we shop, communicate, and get the news. Just in case these companies don’t have our best interests at heart, what is the government’s role in protecting society from monopolies? As scathing headlines ask “Have Big Tech Companies Become the Bad Guys?,” some lawmakers are pushing for stronger accountability. What can we learn from our European neighbors as they enact the GDPR?
- 2018 Festival
- Technology
- USA
- Economy
Explore More
Technology





The pandemic put into stark relief deeply-ingrained gender roles in society, as the burden of unpaid care fell to millions of women who left the workforce. Yet the past years...

Of course, Black history shouldn’t just be a month-long nod on our yearly calendar — it is inextricable from American history and fundamental to the very soul of our nation an...





Politics are a frenzy right now, with bombshell headlines dropping so often that it’s hard to know what to focus on. Even when you can cut through the noise, what you hear is...





Tony Fadell, creator of the iPod and the smart thermostat Nest, shares advice for inventing things that change the world.

From the Supreme Court's ruling on abortion rights to public health's role in addressing gun violence to the devastating human toll of the war in Ukraine, this year's Aspen Id...






While the workforce is still adapting to the changing economic landscape, one thing is certain — the traditional blueprints for education and the workplace have been ripped up...



While the workforce is still adapting to the changing economic landscape, one thing is certain — the traditional blueprints for education and the workplace have been ripped up...


From blockchain to back to school and virus-hunting to bridging divides, speakers at the 2021 Aspen Ideas Festival addressed issues in a new kind of world—one touched, and cha...

The highest court often seems distanced from our day-to-day lives, but the rulings that come out of the Supreme Court are woven into the fabric of the nation. Though it aims t...

Gen-Z for Change's Aidan Kohn-Murphy on youth-led movements, his advice for young activists, and why it's impossible to lose hope.

