America's Trust In Big Tech Is Seriously Misplaced

According to a January 2020 report from the Morning Consult, trust is a scarce resource in our nation. Only a measly 8 percent of those surveyed stated they trust the news media “a lot” to do the right thing. For the government, the number is even lower—a paltry 7 percent—while Wall Street and Hollywood rank even worse. But those figures beg the question: what do Americans trust? Is it our social institutions, our police, our leaders? The issue cuts to the core of the American psyche, revealing the things our society values, and what we don't. But more than that, it shows who we believe will do the right thing. The answer, as it turns out, is certainly alarming. More than our teachers, religious leaders, and even the President of the United States, Americans place their faith in Big Tech.

Big Tech businesses have done little to earn America's trust

The study revealed that Google, one of the largest tech firms in the world, commands a great deal of respect. In fact, only the U.S. military, one's own primary care doctor, and Amazon (another tech behemoth) ranked higher in terms of public trust. Nearly 40 percent of Americans proclaimed that, when push came to shove, search engine company would to do the right thing. The problem, however, is that America's confidence in Big Tech—and Google more specifically—is dangerously misplaced.  The unfortunate truth is that Big Tech businesses have done little to earn America's trust. This is particularly the case when it comes to Google. A company that feeds off of the ad revenue generated by aggregating user data, Google has long engaged in a number of underhanded activities to gain an edge in the market for information. Despite what the many people apparently think, the Big Tech search engine frequently doesn't have the public's best interest at heart. And when brought to light, Google's behavior is enough to give even the most trusting individual pause.  For instance, Google consistently denies the accusation that it manipulates its search engine's algorithms. Its search results, the company claims, remain uninfluenced by human bias, and it certainly would never attempt to influence public opinion or perception. But according to a November 2019 report from The Wall Street Journal, that's not even close to true.  According to the investigation, “Over time, Google has increasingly re-engineered and interfered with search results to a far greater degree than the company and its executives have acknowledged … Google engineers regularly make behind-the-scenes adjustments to other information the company is increasingly layering on top of its basic search results.” The Big Tech company, it would seem, has  a propensity of misleading the public as to the true nature of its operation. And yet, despite this dirty habit, this company is one that the American people—per the January report—trust more than teachers and religious leaders.

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Google's sins against the American people don't end there, either. According to a separate investigation, again conducted in late 2019 by The Wall Street Journal, the search engine giant silently collected the private, personal health information of millions of Americans—failing to notify both the patients in question as well as their attending doctors.  Google's lax approach to private, protected information is troubling, and this behavior has become a recurring trend for the company. Over the years, the Big Tech company has also faced innumerable lawsuits from various firms, content creators, and innovators, all leveling the same accusation: intellectual property theft. In fact, Google's stealing of proprietary data is so pronounced that it is currently involved in litigation at the Supreme Court over this same issue. The Supreme Court will soon hear Google v. Oracle, a case in which Google was sued for infringing upon the copyright protection of Oracle's Java program. According to the facts of the case, Google swiped a large portion of Java's programing language—which, according to Oracle, cost Java's owner $8.8 billion—after failing to reach a favorable negotiation regarding the program's licensing. Then, disregarding the legal and moral ramifications, Google used the copied code to form the basis of its Android cell phone operating system. Oracle, of course, sued for copyright infringement, and after years of litigation, the Supreme Court finally agreed to rule on the suit.  The case, perhaps the highest-profile copyright lawsuit in years, illustrates two things about Google. First, the search engine is doggedly determined to look out for its own business interests. And second, Google cannot be trusted. The Big Tech company has consistently shown its willingness to put ambition above all else.  Whether it's misleading the public about its search algorithms, secretly collecting private healthcare information, or stealing intellectual property, Google isn't nearly as above reproach as so many perceive it to be. The Big Tech company hasn't earned the trust the public has bestowed upon it—and its due time Americans wake up to that fact.