[thosewhoteach]

It is actually quite easy to make Big Tech implode from within. Declare a moratorium on issuing green cards to all big tech employees for the next 25 years. Sweeten the deal further: expedited green card processing for employees who come forward as whistleblowers.

[bilbo0s]

It's much easier than that even, make a law that no one can use personal information for commercial reasons any longer.

All that tracking based web economy nonsense collapses overnight and you don't need to wait 25 years.

[TomMarius]

Or Google and Facebook turn off their sites with an explanatory message, starting worldwide riots and revolutions.

[throwaway2048]

If you really think anyone is going to start riots and revolutions because Facebook and google cant stalk them online, I think you have a skewed perspective.

[TomMarius]

I said Facebook and Google would turn off their websites - they have zero obligation to keep it running - not that people would like them to breach their privacy and start rioting for that.

I think you don't realize how many people absolutely depend on social media, how many companies are built on income allowed by advertising, etc. Even music events are organized through Facebook around me!

And still, all Facebook and Google needs to do is remind the politicians who gets their advertising done.

[afterburner]

> zero obligation

Except to those pesky shareholders. Which includes employees. Peoples' wealth is tied up in those stocks.

But regardless... maybe try email or something. The internet existed before Google and Facebook. Plenty of competitors would rise to the top in the extremely unlikely event Google and Facebook shut down.

[TomMarius]

You don't need to tell me, I am on HN with you. It's the people out of HN that I am talking about, and they often have no idea Facebook is in fact not the internet. I am not kidding - I used to be a computer teacher for adults (as in "what is mouse?"). Facebook is trying to make it seem so really hard. BTW people today often don't even have email or know how to use it correctly - you can use your phone number for FB/Instagram/Whatsapp, so why bother.

> Except to those pesky shareholders. Which includes employees. Peoples' wealth is tied up in those stocks.

That stock is dead anyways if they forbid ad targeting. And no, the company does not have any such obligation to its shareholders - it only has to make profit for its shareholders as best as it can, which may very well include turning the site off for a few days (the public/gov does not need to know for how long it is turned off and/or whether indefinitely).