Elizabeth Warren and Rupert Murdoch on the same side? Big tech should be afraid

Either it’s proof that we are indeed living in a surreal dystopian sci-fi show on Netflix, or this is an idea whose time has come

Elizabeth Warrren: the Democratic senator with presidential aspirations who wants to break up ‘big tech’ (AP)

Elizabeth Warren, the liberal Democratic senator, and Rupert Murdoch? If you asked one about the other they’d probably use some variation on “the devil incarnate”.

Trying to put them on the same team? It’s a bit like suggesting Liverpool and Manchester United field a joint entry into the Premier League for a season.

Yet, on the subject of big tech, if nothing else, it’s happened.

Warren’s opposition to the likes of Amazon, Google, Facebook and Apple you’ve probably heard about. It’s one of the centrepieces of her run at the 2020 Democratic presidential ticket.

Last week she unveiled a plan to prevent big companies like these from owning both an online marketplace, exchange or platform and any of the companies competing on it.

The ambitious Massachusetts senator is just one of several candidates in an increasingly crowded field to take on Donald Trump. A bid to break up big tech is one way of keeping her very much in the public’s – and critically the media’s – eye.

Facebook could scarcely have been more helpful with that on Monday. It briefly blocked some of her campaign ads.

“Curious why I think FB has too much power? Let’s start with their ability to shut down a debate over why FB has too much power,” she tweeted in response. “Thanks for restoring my posts. But I want a social media marketplace that isn’t dominated by a single censor. #BreakUpBigTech"

For the record, Facebook explained that the ads in question violated its policies over the use of its corporate logo and said it had restored them in the “interests of robust debate”.

It has also been pointed out that other Warren anti-tech ads were active during the period when they were suspended. But the PR damage was done.

A matters of hours later, big tech faced a second attack when Murdoch’s News Corp joined the party, focussing its fire on Google.

The media group’s Australian division said in a submission to that nation's Competition & Consumer Commission’s inquiry into digital platforms that Google owner Alphabet should be forced to divest its search function from its other businesses. It has also lobbied for tougher controls on Facebook, the other digital ad kingpin.

This rather puts it at odds with Murdoch’s Fox Business Network, owned by the rump broadcasting part of the empire. The latter has often taken shots at Warren, who has repeatedly sparred with Trump, its hero. In the latest, courtesy of an opinion piece on its website, her plan was described as “an attack on innovation and consumer choice".

It’ll be most interesting to see how its coverage of the issue develops from hereon out. It does rather looks like the broadcaster has missed the way the wind is blowing.

Notwithstanding the efforts of Margrethe Vestager, Europe's chief competition watchdog, the US is crucial to resolving the debate over the way these companies operate and we’re some way out from anything actually happening.

However, it’s notable that chants of “break them up” with a similar rhythm to the way Trumpkins chant “build the wall” were reportedly heard at the live recording of a podcast at a US tech event at which Warren appeared.

I doubt it will be the last time we hear that.

Rupert Murdoch on the same side as Liz Warren is either confirmation that we are indeed living in a surreal dystopian sci-fi show on Netflix, or this is an idea whose time has come.