Keir Starmer and the Labour Party have struggled to address the challenges posed by big tech, failing to uphold commitments related to workers' rights and online privacy. This ongoing failure raises concerns about the influence of the tech lobby over government policies.
Labour's Promises to Tackle Big Tech
Labour came to power with a promise to confront the dominance of Silicon Valley. However, as highlighted during a recent discussion in the House of Lords, the party's efforts have not materialized into effective policy changes.
A former senior US government official remarked that “democracy was broken,” emphasizing that governments tend to favor the wealthy rather than the electorate. This sentiment reflects the ongoing struggle to hold tech companies accountable.
The Influence of the Tech Lobby
The tech lobby has been remarkably successful in thwarting efforts to regulate its operations. Beeban Kidron, a crossbench peer and author of How Big Tech Took Control and How to Fight Back, points out that the sector has embedded its services into the fabric of both state and personal life.
