It’s been a tough few weeks — months, actually make that years — for the tech world. Facebook and several other major players are testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee over the role tech played in the 2016 election, including how Russia was able to buy fake ads and create fake content viewed by more than 150 million people on Facebook. Twitter is flailing its arms, running in circles, and trying — emphasis on trying — to change its rules to make the platform less of a hotbed for abuse and literal Nazis. Equifax happened. Amazon wants you to buy a wireless lock and a camera and to let delivery people into your home while you’re not there. Google shipped a number of new smart speakers that were actually recording and sending every word their new owners said to the company. (This glitch has since been patched.) Scary stuff. The kind of stuff that should maybe make us all take a step back and question tech’s role in our lives and how much we need it there. Or at the very least, why we need it there. Comedian and actor Kumail Nanjiani addressed some of these issues on Twitter yesterday in a surprisingly insightful ten-tweet thread. Turns out the guy on Silicon Valley (show) might know a thing or two about Silicon Valley (real).
Kumail. Thank you.
