Laura Kalbag

Is a Tech Company Ever Neutral?

Written by April Glaser on Slate.

“Yes, all markets require a level of privacy in order to operate. You can’t know the political leaning of everyone you buy a sandwich from. Vendors can decide what they do or don’t want to disclose or ask of their customers. But when they do know, they have no obligation to proceed with that business. Activists and tech critics sometimes use the word complicit when talking about companies that look the other way when their inventions are causing harm. Assistive might be more accurate. Providing database and web services—even just email—to a cruel immigration regime assists in the cruelty.”

“These companies can do what they want with the software they sell. But they should stop pretending that what they sell is neutral.”

Read ‘Is a Tech Company Ever Neutral?’ on the Slate site.

Tagged with: neutrality, censorship, government.