In today’s digital age, a small group of technology giants – Alphabet (Google), Meta, Microsoft, Amazon, and Apple – wield extraordinary influence over the infrastructure, services, and norms that shape our online lives. These companies dominate key sectors of the internet: from search and social media to cloud computing, e-commerce, and mobile operating systems. While not all their market positions constitute illegal monopolies, their collective market power enables them to set the terms of digital engagement for billions of people worldwide. Their reach is so extensive that some experts have even likened them to utility providers. This concentration of power has profound implications for human rights, particularly the rights to privacy, non-discrimination, and access to information.
