Efforts to rein in the social media giant’s power have followed the same script: dialogue, then attempts at self-regulation, then a bitter dispute over legislation, followed by compromise.
It has happened with software, computing and entertainment, but we’re still waiting for the platform needed for mobility as a service to reach its full potential.
It would be useful for China’s big tech firms to toe the party line. But the once mutually-beneficial relationship between these companies and the government is becoming increasingly strained.
Uber has been forced by the UK courts to treat its British drivers as workers. It will probably require legislative change for Uber’s Australian drivers to be treated as employees.
Google, Facebook, TikTok and Twitter have all agreed to a voluntary code of conduct targeting misinformation. But the only real commitment is to appear as though they’re taking action.
It may have seemed the platforms were taking a confident stance by appealing to Australian users directly. But really, it was a delayed and panic-based reaction.
Fast fashion is far from green. But the rapid expansion of online clothing resale platforms could help shrink the garment industry’s negative impact on the environment.
Services like cleaning are increasingly outsourced via online platforms.
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Over the past decade, news media companies have been at the mercy of big tech platforms’ algorithms in delivering them readers. But with no guarantee of sustained revenue, media firms are looking elsewhere.