How can news media wean themselves off the Big Tech drip?…

How can news media wean themselves off the Big Tech drip?

Reading news online without the intermediation of US tech firms has become almost impossible. We email via their systems, search with their engines and scroll through their social media. Dutch news media also lean heavily on these companies. That is risky, says Hannes Cools, Assistant Professor of Communication Science. ‘News media are hooked up to a digital drip,’ he says. ‘And if that drip is in foreign hands, it affects not just the sector itself, but our democracy too.’ That is why Cools, to

Research #University of Amsterdam

Trump’s 2024 return to the White House sharpened Dutch media’s awareness of their dependence on US tech companies, according to Cools. Much of their work is interwoven with companies such as Microsoft, Google, Meta (owner of Instagram and WhatsApp) and OpenAI (maker of ChatGPT). A more independent digital future is vital. Dependence on US Big Tech entails both democratic and economic risks.

Risk to our democracy

Much of organisations’ digital infrastructure—servers, cloud systems and software—is controlled by a small number of US companies. External commercial parties such as Google, Microsoft, Meta and OpenAI can therefore influence access to information. This leaves organisations with little control of their own.

One of the judges there suddenly lost access to his email account because Microsoft had blocked him.’

Source: https://www.uva.nl/en/shared-content/faculteiten/en/faculteit-der-maatschappij-en-gedragswetenschappen/news/2026/08/ai-and-journalism-hannes-cools.html