The Reason Roundtable Reason Vs. Breaking Points: Does Big Tech Do More Good Than Harm?
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Dec 17, 2025 
Robby Soave, a journalist championing tech's benefits, and Elizabeth Nolan Brown, a writer focusing on personal freedoms, argue that big tech enriches daily life. They highlight advances in remote work and alternative media that enhance opportunities. Countering their claims, Emily Jashinsky raises alarms about surveillance and state power linked to big tech, while Ryan Grim emphasizes its military uses and ethical implications. The debate dives into the complexities of regulation, gig economy impacts, and the nuanced relationship between corporate and governmental power.
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Broad Everyday Benefits Of Big Tech
- Big tech tools broadly increase access to information, commerce, and remote work, improving daily life for many.
- Robby Soave argues these benefits outweigh specific corporate bad behavior and abuses of platform power.
Everyday Personal Examples Of Tech Value
- Elizabeth Nolan Brown recounts ordering headphones on Amazon mid-flight and getting ride-sharing, Facetiming kids, and buying a music toy cheaply.
- She uses these everyday examples to show how tech enriches family, work, and culture.
Public–Private Surveillance Partnership
- Emily Jashinsky warns big tech and government have merged into a public-private surveillance partnership.
- She argues that mass surveillance and cooperation with state security make big tech's harms existential.