Anyone who has read the comic Alan Ford will remember the legendary antihero Superciuk, whose modus operandi and street activism ironically reflect the image of contemporary society. Superciuk, this self-proclaimed “fighter against the system,” actually acts in direct contrast to what one would expect from a “good” hero – he steals from the poor to make the rich even richer. He is like the antithesis of Robin Hood, the outlaw from Sherwood Forest.

In a similar vein, but in the digital age, operates the powerful tech sector – its ambitions and ability to accumulate power and wealth know no bounds, while at the same time, in a society of massive social inequalities, the vast majority of people live increasingly difficult lives.

THE PARADOX OF THE SYSTEM

Leading tech companies, such as Google, Apple, and Facebook, not only dominate the market but also shape our everyday lives. Their role in accelerating technological development and creating new economic opportunities is undeniable, but their global influence also brings numerous controversies that cannot be ignored.

Through business practices such as tax avoidance, resource appropriation, manipulation of laws, and data concentration, internet giants achieve extraordinary profits and power. Their methods include monopolistic behavior, acquisition of competitors, favoring their own products and services, and implementing policies that threaten user privacy and security.

The term “Big Tech” generally refers to the five largest American tech companies: Google (Alphabet), Apple, Amazon, Meta (Facebook), and Microsoft. Together, these companies are worth more than $12.6 trillion. The Cupertino giant, Apple alone, with a market value exceeding $3.6 trillion, has more capital than the gross domestic product of the United Kingdom, the sixth-largest economy in the world.

Although the global tech sector generates immense wealth, it is unevenly distributed and threatens the economic balance of modern society. Reports from organizations like Oxfam reveal a concerning picture of reality: in the last four years, the five richest people on the planet, including Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos, have doubled their wealth, while in the same period, as many as five billion people worldwide have become poorer. The owner of Tesla and the world’s richest man recently became the first person whose net worth surpassed $400 billion.

MONOPOLY AND TAXES

Big Tech companies face growing criticism for monopolistic practices, including aggressive takeovers of competitors and market control. For example, Google lost an important antitrust case in the U.S. this year, with the court ruling that the company unlawfully monopolized the internet search and advertising market. The outcome of these decisions could have serious consequences for Google, potentially leading to its breakup or significant changes in its business model to comply with U.S. antitrust regulations. Like Google, Apple has long been under scrutiny for how it manages its digital app stores, abusing its market position to the detriment of developers and users.

One of the most active institutions in the fight against internet giants is the European Commission, which has introduced the Digital Markets Act (DMA), a package of regulations aimed at balancing the market dominance of large tech companies. This law sets rules to prevent monopolistic practices by large firms, enabling smaller competitors to have a fairer access to the market.

Big Tech players often use numerous tax havens to avoid paying taxes in the countries where they earn enormous profits. The policy of redirecting money and profits to tax oases has led to the largest global economies, as reports show, losing at least $32 billion annually in taxes from the five largest tech companies in Silicon Valley.

Based on this experience, an initiative has been proposed for the introduction of a global minimum tax of 15% for internet giants, requiring these large corporations to pay taxes not only in the countries where they are registered but also in the countries where they generate revenues.

FAKE NEWS

In addition to market dominance, Big Tech companies have been accused of spreading misinformation. Social media algorithms often favor sensationalist content that polarizes the public, including the spread of fake news. Platforms like Twitter (now X) have faced criticism for their role in political manipulation and spreading conspiracy theories. In an attempt to address this issue, tech companies have formed an industry alliance to develop tools that detect and remove manipulative content, such as “deepfake” videos and false information.

Tech giants have also been increasingly criticized for poor working conditions for employees, particularly those in positions that do not require specialized skills. On the other hand, the CEOs of these companies enjoy enormous salaries and bonuses, creating a contradiction in relation to working conditions at lower levels. This pay gap raises concerns about business ethics and corporate social responsibility. For example, in the U.S. in 2023, the average salary of executives was 340 times higher than that of ordinary workers, an imbalance not seen in modern history.

Large internet giants, which support initiatives for diversity and gender equality, have faced criticism for promoting and effectively imposing “woke” and “cancel” cultures. Due to their content moderation policies and enforcement of “mainstream” discourse in the digital and media sphere, they have been accused of censorship and suppressing free speech. These practices, which include the exclusion of individuals or organizations for disagreeing with liberal norms, raise questions about freedom of speech and the impact these companies have on social dialogue.

The digital industry is increasingly facing challenges related to the development of artificial intelligence, including legal, security, and energy concerns. Large tech companies are rapidly expanding the use of AI, which surpasses existing regulations. Experts emphasize the need for a more responsible approach to ensure that AI truly benefits society, while balancing progress with sustainability.

FICTION IS REALITY

And to return to the beginning. The paradoxical principle of our hero Superciuk from the opening parts of this text represents a key satire in the Alan Ford comic, as he – despite being acutely aware of social and economic injustices – ironically supports and reinforces the status quo, making the system even more unjust.

Although in the comic, Superciuk’s fight is comedic and surreal, it actually reflects a real dynamic in which the rich and powerful use the system to deepen inequality and maintain the system that helps them become even more powerful, influential, and wealthy. In the real world, therefore, the major tech giants hold a prominent place in preserving this hyper-connected, post-industrial order based on (global) injustice.

To reduce the negative impact of Big Tech companies, serious legislative and regulatory reforms are needed. A few years ago, the U.S. Congress attempted to “discipline” the largest tech giants by holding public hearings with their CEOs and owners, accusing them of abusing their power and market influence. The result? Four years later, the five largest tech companies in the U.S. have doubled their wealth, and aside from sporadic attempts to regulate their business practices, nothing significant has changed.

Therefore, states and supranational organizations must make greater efforts to reduce the power of large corporations and ensure a fairer distribution of wealth. Additionally, supporting small businesses and developing decentralized technologies can help reduce the dominance of large digital players. Educating users about their rights can also play an important role in creating a fairer society and a more sustainable global economy.

Leading global corporations, in their quest to achieve digital marketing goals, are increasingly using interactive video as a new form of creative engagement with their consumers and users. Interactive video represents a special type of digital video that supports a unique capability for viewer interaction, allowing the viewer to influence the content they are watching in real-time. This medium provides an immediate user experience and is equally exciting for viewers as it is for the marketers and experts who designed and executed it.

Regardless of whether users are viewing content on a computer, tablet, or mobile phone, interactive video enables them to interact with and influence the video content through various tools. Several different functions can be integrated into interactive videos, with some of the most commonly used being the option to choose how the video continues, the ability to view a 360° panoramic video, personalization of the content displayed on the screen, and answering predefined quiz questions, among others. An important element is also the selection of characters (heroes) who possess specific skills and advantages over other characters in the video.

Given that consumers in interactive videos “navigate” the digital space similarly to video games—often from a “first-person” or “third-person” perspective—they have the opportunity to click on so-called hotspots to explore content, move and drag elements in space, and initiate various digital actions to directly interact with what the video offers.

One of the fundamental classifications of interactive videos is based on linear and multiple choice/multiple ending navigation through the content. In a linear video, the user progresses by selecting answers to questions until reaching one single, predetermined end of the video. On the other hand, a multiple choice interactive video guides the participant down different paths depending on their answers, and the combination of all responses ultimately creates a unique experience and ending that differs based on the answers previously chosen by the user.

Recently, M2Communications designed and implemented the first interactive video digital campaign in the region for Porsche SCG and the automotive brand CUPRA. The key medium of the campaign was the microsite cuprahero.rs, which featured an interactive video competition based on the convergence of gaming and video technology. It was aimed at promoting the innovative CUPRA Formentor SUV coupe.

With the striking slogan “For all the brave who choose a different path,” this interactive adventure aimed to provide players with a fun and engaging way to select characteristics defining the unique CUPRA DNA—speed, agility, or power—and to make the right choices to reach their goal in record time. Users competed for attractive prizes, with several of the fastest winning test drives of the CUPRA Formentor with a professional driver.

The story accompanying the interactive video also highlights certain values that each individual should nurture in their life, regardless of their circumstances. Sometimes, the fastest route and shortcuts are not the best path. Thus, the CUPRA Hero story is intended for those everyday heroes, ordinary people who act in accordance with their own code and true values and know how to choose their path.

From a marketing perspective, the tools used in designing interactive video content provide a more enjoyable and engaging user experience that captures and retains viewers’ attention. In a short time, this new digital medium has become a widely used marketing tool, and recent data from a study by Spiel Creative shows that nearly 90% of surveyed marketing professionals noticed an increase in their online sales after incorporating interactive video, while over 85% said they would create more interactive video content in the future. Therefore, it is reasonable to consider that a significant perspective in online advertising lies in so-called video content marketing.

Interactive video records are becoming one of the most effective marketing tools that can enhance consumer engagement and revitalize brand-user relationships. Considering the trends, it is highly likely that the strengthening of these digital media contents will be significantly noticeable in the future.