Society is troubled. Beware those who blame it all on big tech

The push for online regulation risks absolving the right of responsibility for the toxicity they continually stoke, writes Nesrine Malik

Former President Donald Trump plans to launch a new social media network to 'stand up to the tyranny of big tech'.

Every time a dramatic, unforeseen political event happens, there follows a left-field fixation that some out-of-control technology created it. 

Whenever this fear about big tech comes around we are told that something new, even more toxic, has infiltrated our public discourse, triggering hatred towards politicians and public figures, conspiracy theories about Covid and even major political events like Brexit. The concern over anonymity online becomes a particular worry – as if ending it will somehow, like throwing a blanket at a raging house fire, subdue our fevered state.