Big Tech corporations like Google started out in much the same way. Originally conceived as a free internet search engine for the masses, Google quickly set up a programmatic advertising platform that promised a more targeted and effective promotional channel for corporations, and a more rewarding experience for consumers. But growth and profit considerations forced Google to maximise scale by integrating vertically into every aspect of the business, by forging exclusive deals to manipulate choice and preference, and by using predatory algorithms to influence the cognitive and behavioural processes that guide free markets.
