by Josh Hawley
First published 2021
Digital giants now wield unprecedented control over American life. Senator Josh Hawley examines how Google, Facebook, Amazon, and Apple transformed from symbols of innovation into a techno-oligarchy that threatens constitutional freedoms. These corporations collect vast amounts of personal data, giving them more influence over citizens than any previous company or government. Hawley identifies these tech titans as modern robber barons who represent the most serious challenge to American liberty in generations. He traces how decades of unrestricted data gathering created this concentration of economic and political power. The senator proposes solutions that involve reconnecting liberty with democratic engagement, strengthening working class independence, and reducing elite corporate influence. Hawley draws from his own confrontations with Big Tech to illustrate how these companies respond to opposition. He argues the moment has arrived to dismantle their dominance by restructuring digital business practices and legal frameworks. The book offers a path to restore balance between technological progress and democratic values.
Genres: business, political-science, economics, non-fiction, 21st-century, current-affairs
Vibes: thought-provoking
Tropes: investigative-journalism
200 pages · Hardcover · Regnery