Opinion: COVID-19 response will end all the Big Tech bashing
(WorldNews Environment)

In February, The Economist magazine had a clear message for Big Tech: When the economy slows down expect more anger from the public and policymakers and more hunger for antimonopoly regulation. Fast forward to today: The economy has slowed down and so, too, has the criticism of Big Tech. Since the COVID-19 outbreak, the world is learning that far from being inefficient, predatory and privacy-invasive monopolies, Big Tech firms are responsive, consumer-centric, dynamic organizations. They are hiring like no other firms in the economy; and researchers, pharmaceutical firms and government agencies are using big data and artificial intelligence to track the pandemic and to assist in clinical...