A research paper co-authored by Professor Jukka Mäkinen has been recognized with the 2024 Best Paper Award by the highly regarded Journal of Information Technology. The article, Big Tech’s Power, Political Corporate Social Responsibility, and Regulation, examines the complex relationship between the economic dominance of technology giants and the principles of liberal democracy.
Collaborating with Juho Lindman and Eero Kasanen for a special issue on technology regulation, Professor Mäkinen explores how the business practices of major tech firms—often referred to as “Big Tech”—pose challenges to societal fairness and democratic integrity. In their thorough mapping of the field, the scholars outline how the growing influence of these companies necessitates stronger regulatory frameworks to safeguard fundamental rights and democratic processes.
“Liberal democratic society requires a level playing field and background justice, yet the business models of these firms are undermining both,” Mäkinen explains. “Our basic citizenship rights increasingly depend on platforms controlled by private companies.”
The paper addresses critical issues, such as the role of surveillance capitalism in shaping public and political life. Mäkinen highlights the trade-offs inherent in Big Tech’s services: “There are no free lunches. The low prices of these services come with a flip side—a system of surveillance that puts free elections and political activities at risk, as seen in recent events such as elections in Romania.” The Carpathian country recently annulled the first round of its presidential elections a few days before the run-off under allegations of undue foreign interference in its elections through massive social media campaigns.
The study also draws attention to global efforts to regulate major tech firms, acknowledging the European Union’s efforts in taking significant steps to address these challenges. “It seems the EU is moving in a direction similar to the approaches we discuss in our paper to curb Big Tech’s power,” Mäkinen notes.
Professor Jukka Mäkinen teaches business ethics, corporate social responsibility, and philosophy of social sciences at EBS. His work focuses on the political and socio-economic roles of businesses in society from the perspectives of political and ethical theory.
Read the award-winning paper here.
