Democracy and Big Tech: Problems of Transnational Domination

Abstract

The political power exercised by Big Tech companies is increasingly seen as a cause for concern. Whether in the form of close ties to rulers, as was emblematically demonstrated by the presence of several tech billionaires at Trump’s second inauguration, or by shaping the preconditions of political processes, such as the infrastructure of public deliberation, Big Tech seems to exert influence in ways that are not sufficiently subject to democratic control. While the largest tech companies are all based in the United States, their political power extends beyond national borders. This is reflected, in particular, in the conflicts between these corporations and the European Union about regulatory frameworks around digitalization and AI. This panel examines this transnational relation between Big Tech and democracies worldwide, with a focus on the EU. What motives guide Big Tech’s activities in the political arena? Does the political influence of tech companies on other countries constitute a form of transnational domination, and in what specific ways does this manifest itself? What strategies could democratic governments and publics pursue to maintain or restore democratic control?

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