Platforms: The Power of GAFAM (Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon and Microsoft)

Digital platforms like Google, Amazon, Facebook, Apple, and Microsoft provide us access to a wide range of information, entertainment, and different online services. In the meantime, these platforms invisibly track us, collect a lot of data about us, and algorithmically control what information we will see there. These processes are complex and mostly not transparent to users, which is why it is difficult for us to comprehend their influence on our lives. The owners of platforms are interested in doing this for their own commercial gain to profit from their services and to make money off of our time and attention. To be more wise consumers of services and users of platforms, we need to think critically about how platforms are produced, how they function, how they represent the world and how they make money.

Let’s try to learn about it together! 🤯