Control of companies - Online consumer trend 2019

The largest Dutch company Shell makes a profit of 13 billion euros but has not paid taxes for years. Now talk politics about restrictions on tax breaks for multinationals. The one so fervently advocated by Rutte abolition of the dividend tax it ultimately did not make it. Ryanair must keep kites flying from Eindhoven working in Eindhoven. The EU explained Google in March imposed a fine of 1.49 billion euros for abuse of power and Apple paid his 14.3 billion fine in anticipation of a further European lawsuit. Just a few examples of how large companies are put back in their place. This is also an important one trend, considering how companies are growing in terms of size, turnover and impact on our daily lives. Example? Director Omar Najam added another soundtrack to this Amazon ad, turning the festive mood into a technological dystopia:

I replaced the Amazon you can feel it commercial music with the theme from Winter Soldier pic.twitter.com/rXMcDGoWcJ

- Omar Najam (@OmarNajam) November 24, 2018

A key argument for that growth of companies is that technology goes faster than legislation can keep up with. Uber is a classic example, and now the electric scooters change the street scene, if local legislation permits. It sounds great: rent an electric scooter for 30 minutes via an app. But an international social network via the internet also sounded great until we learned that Facebook does not take our privacy so accurately and we release so much data that our personality can be fully understood. As a consumer we can no longer blindly choose more convenience, there is always a downside.

The other way around can also break through. Now internet companies in Europe have to be within an hour terrorism propaganda take it offline if the competent authorities so instruct. If they systematically ignore this, it can cost 4% of their worldwide sales. Rightly so, you might think, but it does open the door for European censorship. Because who determines what terrorist propaganda is and who will become the competent authorities? There is no judge involved. And the result is that our messages on social media are deleted without any rebuttal.

This is one of nine online consumer trends 2019. Read all nine consumer trends here: The year of Standardization.