The Rise of Big Tech

The Rise of Big Tech explores the meteoric rise and dominance of the world’s largest technology companies over the past two decades. It traces the origins and business models of tech giants like Amazon, Google, Facebook, and Apple, and examines how they have amassed unprecedented power and influence.

The film begins by looking at the foundational events and innovations that enabled the rise of big tech, such as the commercialization of the internet in the 1990s, the proliferation of smartphones, and the explosion of online data and digital advertising. It highlights how companies like Google and Amazon pioneered new technology platforms and business models that allowed them to rapidly scale and disrupt traditional industries.

The documentary then delves into the aggressive expansion strategies and winner-take-all dynamics that have fueled the ascent of big tech. It analyzes how these companies have used acquisitions, data mining, and network effects to entrench their market positions and eliminate competition. The film also scrutinizes the tax avoidance schemes, labor practices, and regulatory loopholes that have enabled big tech to accumulate wealth and power.

A major focus of The Rise of Big Tech is the growing societal impact of these tech behemoths. It examines how the concentration of power in the hands of a few Silicon Valley giants has led to the erosion of privacy, the spread of misinformation, and the disruption of industries ranging from retail to media to transportation. The documentary also explores the political influence wielded by big tech through lobbying, data collection, and the use of digital platforms to sway public opinion.

Featuring interviews with industry insiders, policy experts, and tech critics, the film offers a comprehensive and thought-provoking look at one of the most transformative economic phenomena of the 21st century. It raises crucial questions about the regulation, accountability, and long-term societal implications of the tech industry’s rapid ascent. Ultimately, it paints a complex and sobering portrait of the concentrated power and influence of big tech, and its far-reaching consequences for consumers, workers, and democracy.