The most spectacular bad guys

Governments seem to be in a regulatory arms race to punish tech companies, as the Silicon Valley darlings have become the perfect bad guys for our hyperbolic, artificial age.

The Australian government wants to make tech companies pay for news content, tech CEOs are again being dragged before a US Senate committee to answer for their crimes against the Internet, and Google is facing an antitrust lawsuit.

At the best of times, regulation has unintended consequences. But given people keep trying to digitally horn new business models into outdated categories such as publisher, platform, or telecommunications provider — the outcomes will be far worse.

Tech companies have already threatened to withdraw services from Australia if they are not satisfied with the ACCC’s agreement.

But consequences do not seem to matter because everyone would rather blame tech companies for … well, everything.

The furore over the social media blackout of the New York Post’s Hunter Biden scoop prompted howls of too much and not enough censorship.

Conservatives allege social media is censoring them, shadow-banning, or unfairly demonetising their content. Whereas the left claims they are the real victims of censorious moderators.

The cacophony of complaints against social media fulfils our desire to create goodies and baddies in our political debates.

Claiming social media is unfair plays to conservatives’ fear all institutions have been captured and are against them. Conversely, the left can bleat about evil corporations and modern-day robber barons.

Every interpretation is seductive because evidence exists to support all sides. And it is even more alluring that we can put a face to this evil.

Tech CEOs have become the pawns in the spectacle they created. As they are hauled before committees and asked to explain themselves, their pale, nervous faces are recorded, clips are chopped up and replayed ad infinitum.

Commentators, YouTubers, and anonymous Twitter eggs can then use whatever clip supports their digital beef and reinforce the view Zuckerberg and co. are the enemy.

It is the perfect drama for our tech-addicted society — we now want to slay the t-shirt wearing dragons who gave us so much.