Why Do We Trust Tech Companies With Everything But Distrust Governments?

[Hollow Tiger]

Interesting paradox nobody talks about. We give Google Facebook Amazon access to our data location history shopping habits. We trust them with our money through Stripe PayPal. We run their software on our phones computers. Yet the moment government wants similar data for public health or security everyone loses their mind about Big Brother. Both have power over us. Both can abuse it. Yet we treat them completely differently. Is it because tech companies feel distant and optional while government feels mandatory? Or is it because we actually believe corporate profit motive is less dangerous than government power? The inconsistency bugs me.

[Olivia78]

Tech companies can't arrest you. That's the difference. Government has a monopoly on violence. Data privacy matters less than not being jailed

[Blake_32]

We trust tech because we choose them. If Facebook is terrible you delete it. If government is terrible you can't just leave

[ShadowPilot83]

Both are bad actually. Tech companies are optimizing for profit which means extracting value from you. Government extracts through taxes and policy. Neither has your interests at heart

[NeutrinoX56]

Scale matters though. Google tracking me is creepy. Government tracking me is scary. One's invasive the other's oppressive

[Teal Shannon]

I don't actually trust tech companies I'm just resigned to using them. Different thing than trust

[Caitlin_69]

Tech regulation should exist the same way government regulation exists. But we don't have equivalent checks and balances on corporate power

[BankHolidayBlues87]

The government distrust is earned historically. Tech distrust is growing but hasn't reached parity yet

[Candle]

This assumes government and tech are separate. They increasingly aren't. Government uses tech company data. Tech uses government infrastructure