For the sake of democracy, it’s time for politicians to get tough on tech

Scandals and years of spin, allied to the rise of social media and shifting public attitudes, have changed the political landscape. Andrew Grice asks whether the dominance of big tech is now imperilling our democratic system and considers what can be done about it

Allegations of state-sponsored interference in foreign elections have changed the game (Reuters)

When Theresa May called a surprise election last year Labour rushed out a manifesto which proved remarkably popular. There was, however, a hole at its heart. Plans to renationalise the rail, water and parts of the energy industry had a backward-looking feel, and Labour had nothing to say about the new oligopolies such as Facebook, Google, Amazon and Netflix.

That is one reason why Jeremy Corbyn was keen to take on the digital giants in his speech to the Edinburgh Television Festival in August, proposing that the BBC receive a “digital licence fee” funded by a tax on tech companies or internet service providers. The Labour leader, who said his party faces “greater hostility from the mainstream media than we’ve probably ever had before”, inevitably faced media criticism for some of his ideas – not least in respect of a proposed expansion of “public service journalism”, funded by tech firms, which sceptics doubted would be free from political interference.

But Corbyn’s proposals on the tech multinationals were well timed and reflect a changing public and political mood. In July, Facebook was fined the maximum £500,000 by the UK Information Commissioner after its data was harvested by Cambridge Analytica. Meanwhile, Vote Leave was fined £61,000 and referred to the police after the Electoral Commission ruled that it exceeded its £7m spending limit by channelling £675,000 through pro-Brexit youth group BeLeave. It must be added that it denies the claim.