2026-04-10 –, Münzenbergsaal Language: Deutsch
Big Tech companies are not merely large corporations; they are political actors and economic planners. Their deep pockets and control over social media and personal data are only the surface of what truly explains their dominance. Their power lies in their dominance over today's control technologies deployed within and beyond the tech sector.
Big Tech companies are not merely large corporations; they are political actors and economic planners. Their deep pockets and control over social media and personal data are only the surface of what truly explains their dominance. Their power lies in their dominance over today's control technologies deployed within and beyond the tech sector. Digital technologies are produced, exchanged and consumed on their clouds offering them a unique panopticon of the global economy. Their power grows as artificial intelligence becomes widely adopted and emerges as the mainstream method of invention and creation, one that undermines people's capacity to think. The US government has strengthened its ties and support to Big Tech since Trump's second term, with direct effects for digital peripheries, including Europe. Against this backdrop, attempts to expand digital sovereignty should not only be seen as an alternative to Big Tech's ruling power but also as an international and democratic strategy aimed at putting technology at the service of people and the planet.
Dr. Cecilia Rikap is an Associate Professor in Economics and the Head of Research at the University College London’s Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose. She has authored Capitalism, Power and Innovation: Intellectual Monopoly Capitalism Uncovered, the recently published Teoría de la Dependencia Digital and co-authored the book The Digital Innovation Race. Her forthcoming book, “The Rulers: Corporate Power in the Age of AI and the Cloud” will be published by Verso Books in 2026.