Putin: Attempts by tech platforms to usurp political or state functions were short-lived, they’ve been put in their place

‘Global digital platforms’ are unable to ‘usurp’ any government functions despite all of their might, Russian President Vladimir Putin told the Valdai forum amid political scandals surrounding companies like Facebook and Google.

Big Tech has sought to acquire some functions rivaling those of governments, the Russian leader said, adding that such attempts were “fleeting.” Still, with all the power the companies have accumulated over the years, they remain unable to compete with the state authorities in this field, he believes.

“In the US, the owners of these platforms were taken down a peg or two as it was in Europe as well,” he told the forum, referring to what he called “de-monopolization measures.”

The president’s remarks come as US technology majors like Google, Apple, Amazon, and Facebook face scrutiny at home and in in the EU over their alleged monopolistic behavior. Most recently, Facebook also faced calls for it to be broken up in light of the revelations made by its former employee, Frances Haugen, who described the company as putting “profit over safety” and making “choices that go against the common good.”

Watch the Russian president’s full speech below:

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