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We need to nationalise Google, Facebook and Amazon. Here’s why (www.theguardian.com)

submitted 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) by [email protected] to c/technology

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With Google's recent monopoly status being a topic a discussion recently. This article from 2017 argues that we should nationalize these platforms in the age of platform capitalism. Ahead of its time, in fact the author predicted the downfall of Ello.

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[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 months ago (1 children)

They wouldn't need to run the ad business. Downsize and replace it with taxpayer dollars.

The reason to nationalize something existing in these spheres rather than build something new is because the network effects of these platforms make it near impossible for something competing to get a foothold. And if anyone could fail to compete against big tech, no one could fail better than the government.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

I'm still unsure. That's certainly a possibility and something that happens in the actual world... Buy a company just for the userbase and throw out everything it consists of. Except for a really tiny portion of the software assets and a few hundred employees. And the database with the user accounts. It'd be super hard to keep the users, though. As they're then on a platform that's not anymore what they originally signed up for. If it doesn't go smoothly, they'll go someplace else and everything was in vain. Maybe prohibit other private companies from offering competing online services. Or it has to be perfect and stay like that indefinitely.

And I mean the network effect is there. But it can be overcome. Or we'd still use MySpace, ICQ, Facebook, Friendster... I've changed instant messenger services like 4 times in my life. Similar for social media platforms and pretty much everything. Just my email is still with the same company.

I'm not entirely sure if that still holds true because companies like Meta and Google are so big these days. But as one example I'd like to mention TikTok which was able to attract like all the young people and get them away from Google and Meta's grip. And they were able to do that by competing and offering a better(?) service. And it's pretty much ran by a government. So I'd say it can be done that way. You just need a good product and a lot of money.

But eventually, yeah we should all end up on FOSS services that aren't paid for in private data.