Containing Big Tech: How to Protect Our Civil Rights, Economy, and Democracy

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Technology is a gift and a curse. The five Big Tech companies—Meta, Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, and Google—have built innovative products that improve many aspects of our lives. But their intrusiveness and our dependence on them have created pressing threats to our civil rights, economy, and democracy.

Coming from an extensive background building Silicon Valley–based tech startups, Tom Kemp eloquently and precisely weaves together the threats posed by Big Tech:

• the overcollection and weaponization of our most sensitive data
• the problematic ways Big Tech uses AI to process and act upon our data
• the stifling of competition and entrepreneurship due to Big Tech’s dominant market position

This richly detailed book exposes the consequences of Big Tech’s digital surveillance, exploitative use of AI, and monopolistic and anticompetitive practices. It offers actionable solutions to these problems and a clear path forward for individuals and policymakers to advocate for change. By containing the excesses of Big Tech, we will ensure our civil rights are respected and preserved, our economy is competitive, and our democracy is protected.

About the Author

Tom Kemp is a Silicon Valley–based CEO, entrepreneur, and investor. Tom was the founder and CEO of Centrify (renamed Delinea in 2022), a leading cybersecurity cloud provider that amassed over two thousand enterprise customers, including over 60 percent of the Fortune 50. For his leadership, Tom was named by Ernst & Young as a finalist for Entrepreneur of the Year in Northern California. Tom is also an active Silicon Valley angel investor, with seed investments in over a dozen tech start-ups. In addition, Tom has served as a technology policy advisor for political campaigns and advocacy groups, including leading the campaign marketing efforts in 2020 to pass California Proposition 24—the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA)—and co-drafting bills such as the California Delete Act of 2023. Tom writes extensively on technology policy on his blog (tomkemp.ai) and has been interviewed by the Guardian, Politico, the Washington Post, CNBC, Fox News, and others. Tom holds a bachelor of science degree in computer science and in history from the University of Michigan. 

We have 20 copies available, provided by Fast Company Press. The giveaway will end on Monday, August 28th.