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Cecilia Rikap @ceciliarikap.bsky.social · 1d

A must read paper on how Big Tech uses start-ups from Spain and Brazil to advance their political interests

👇👇👇

Sidney Rothstein @sidneyrothstein.bsky.social · 2d

Out now in Competition & Change
@compchange.bsky.social

“Dependent development in digital
capitalism: The politics of startup
policies in the new periphery”

@journals.sagepub.com
#polisky
journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1...

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first page of "Dependent development in digital capitalism: The politics of startup policies in the new periphery." abstract: As digital technology’s economic importance increases, policymakers pivot to supporting startups – new, small, high-risk firms that produce technological innovation. Tracing the passage of startup policies in Brazil and Spain between 2014 – 2022, this article argues that startup policies do little to reduce peripheral countries’ dependence on the core. In each case, startups advocated for these policies by relying on financial and organizational resources from the giant US-based technology firms known as “Big Tech.” The article makes three contributions to the framework of dependent development. First, it reinforces existing observations that dependence on Big Tech extends beyond the Global South. Second, it revives political analysis of dependency, exploring the political conditions for economic development in the periphery. Lastly, it shows how startups’ political dependence on Big Tech implies important limits on startups’ ability to lead peripheral economies out of dependence on the core.

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Cecilia Rikap @ceciliarikap.bsky.social · 5d

Want to know how Big Tech uses the need for an ecological transition for their own benefits? & How they govern us all?

The @intercept.com.br interviewed me about these issues based on my latest paper w @silviaweko.bsky.social

Read: www.intercept.com.br/2025/10/03/e...

www.intercept.com.br

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Reposted by Cecilia Rikap

Common Wealth @cmmonwealth.bsky.social · 8d

“There’s no doubt that without decent bus services you get loneliness & social exclusion, so the impact is quite severe.”

We estimate that since the pandemic, buses in Shropshire alone have been cut by 60%.

Findings from our new project — Who Owns Britain? — on BBC Radio 4 🔈👇

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Reposted by Cecilia Rikap

UCL Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose @iipp-ucl.bsky.social · 10d

✍️ These datacentres are the equivalent of “American military bases on British soil”

IIPP Prof. @ceciliarikap.bsky.social warns of the dangers of “hyperscale” datacentres built across Britain and owned by US tech giants in Aditya Chakrabortty's recent article.

🔗 Read it here: buff.ly/t0Nfn8v

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Cecilia Rikap @ceciliarikap.bsky.social · 11d

Some ideas for those speaking Italian here: fondazionefeltrinelli.it/pubblico/big...

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Cecilia Rikap @ceciliarikap.bsky.social · 13d

Great @theguardian.com piece by Aditya Chakrabortty on UK deepening its dependency on the US and its #TechGiants

I was featured saying “American military bases on British soil”. Strong, I know, but I find it a pertinent analogy

www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Special relationship? There can be no such thing with a snake like Trump | Aditya Chakrabortty

Keir Starmer has spent the best part of a year cosying up to the US president. It will be no surprise when he gets bitten, says Guardian columnist Aditya Chakrabortty

www.theguardian.com

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Reposted by Cecilia Rikap

UCL Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose @iipp-ucl.bsky.social · 16d

⚡️How the US tech industry is shaping the transition to green energy.

IIPP Professor @ceciliarikap.bsky.social 's research into #BigTech’s role in the energy transition was featured in @markpeplow.bsky.social 's article for @nature.com.

✍️ Read the article here: buff.ly/Hq4GRnK

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Reposted by Cecilia Rikap

Women Against Fascism @wafeurope.bsky.social · 16d

👏👏 @lobbycontrol.bsky.social for today's action calling for Break Up of Big Tech, starting with Google at the EU's Headquarters.

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Cecilia Rikap @ceciliarikap.bsky.social · 21d

Is it possible to design a world where production is organised according to social, #community #needs and respecting #planetary #boundaries?

What are the techno-political basics needed for #democratically building such an alternative?

Join us in Geneva at a once in a lifetime workshop 👇👇

Cédric Durand @cedricdurand.bsky.social · 21d

"Economic Planning in the Anthropocene" 24-26 september,
UNIGE
Program : => shorturl.at/fuFbA
@dehes.bsky.social @danielagabor.bsky.social @ceciliarikap.bsky.social @louisoncf.bsky.social @jksteinberger.bsky.social @rosiecollington.bsky.social @cornelban.bsky.social @edouardmorena.bsky.social

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Cecilia Rikap @ceciliarikap.bsky.social · 28d

We know that #BigTech consumes tons of energy & water. What was missed is that they are also attempting to control ecological transition paths turning govs & societies even more dependent on them

This is the main finding of my new paper w @silviaweko.bsky.social

www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

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Cecilia Rikap @ceciliarikap.bsky.social · Sep 8

You can now watch the recording of HM Paris's plenary session "At the heart of the storm, thinking of capitalism and infrastructures" where I had the pleasure of speaking about digital technologies, corporate and political power.

Sandro Mezzadra and I spoke in English: youtu.be/RQnoKUZJATc?...

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Reposted by Cecilia Rikap

Common Wealth @cmmonwealth.bsky.social · Sep 4

As @ceciliarikap.bsky.social explains, Big Tech controls much of the AI market behind the scenes, through venture capital investments, deals for access to cloud computing & influencing the overall direction of AI research toward large-scale language models.

www.common-wealth.org/publications...

Dynamics of Corporate Governance Beyond Ownership in AI

Big Tech dominates investment in AI technology; a public strategy for regulation is crucial to challenge uneven distributions of economic power.

www.common-wealth.org

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Reposted by Cecilia Rikap

FEPS Europe @feps-europe.eu · Sep 2

💔It’s time to break up Big Tech’s “broligarchy” - we need European digital sovereignty.

Launched at the European Parliament, read the latest policy brief “A progressive roadmap for expanding European digital sovereignty”.
📕https://bit.ly/ProgressiveRoadmapDigitalPB

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Cecilia Rikap @ceciliarikap.bsky.social · Sep 2

Today, I will be presenting my new policy brief on #Digital #Sovereignty to S&D MEPs at the #European #Parliament in Brussels

Here is a preview of one of my slides to set the scene and the invite to the event

feps-europe.eu/event/a-prog...

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Reposted by Cecilia Rikap

UCL Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose @iipp-ucl.bsky.social · Aug 24

☁️ South America’s sovereignty is being lost in Big Tech’s cloud

IIPP Prof. @ceciliarikap.bsky.social calls for South American governments to stand up to #BigTech firms extracting data, knowledge and natural resources from the region.

✍️ Read her new @opendemocracy.net article here: buff.ly/jsB2Bgm

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Reposted by Cecilia Rikap

Tech Won’t Save Us @techwontsave.us · Aug 21

For years, countries accepted their dependence on US tech companies. That needs to change.

This week @ceciliarikap.bsky.social joins @parismarx.com to discuss why it’s so important for governments to champion digital sovereignty that puts people first.

Full ep: techwontsave.us/episode/290_...

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Reposted by Cecilia Rikap

Paris Marx @parismarx.com · Aug 21

We need our countries to get serious about abandoning US tech and putting serious resources behind developing more public-oriented alternatives their citizens can use instead.

Always great to get @ceciliarikap.bsky.social’s insights on these topics. Don’t miss our chat!

Tech Won’t Save Us @techwontsave.us · Aug 21

For years, countries accepted their dependence on US tech companies. That needs to change.

This week @ceciliarikap.bsky.social joins @parismarx.com to discuss why it’s so important for governments to champion digital sovereignty that puts people first.

Full ep: techwontsave.us/episode/290_...

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Reposted by Cecilia Rikap

Surplus | Das Wirtschaftsmagazin @surplusmagazin.bsky.social · Aug 18

Wenn wir die großen Techkonzerne nicht demokratisieren, werden sie uns unterwerfen, meint die Ökonomin @ceciliarikap.bsky.social im Interview mit @maxinefowe.bsky.social

Cecilia Rikap: »Wir alle produzieren KI, aber nur einige Wenige profitieren«

Wenn wir die großen Techkonzerne nicht demokratisieren, werden sie uns unterwerfen, meint die Ökonomin Cecilia Rikap im Interview.

www.surplusmagazin.de

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Reposted by Cecilia Rikap

UCL Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose @iipp-ucl.bsky.social · Aug 16

✍️"Innovation is produced jointly, but only the intellectual monopolies benefit from it."

IIPP Prof @ceciliarikap.bsky.social spoke with @surplusmagazin.bsky.social about the dangers of cloud & #AI services remaining under the control of a select few #BigTech companies.

🔗 Read more: buff.ly/pyUX75h

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Cecilia Rikap @ceciliarikap.bsky.social · Aug 14

For German speakers, I strongly recommend the new number of @surplusmagazin.bsky.social

It includes an interview where I answer a bit of everything, incl why I don't speak of techno-feudalism

More importantly, a lot of extremely interesting articles from a #critical #economics perspective

Surplus | Das Wirtschaftsmagazin @surplusmagazin.bsky.social · Aug 14

🚨 Out now: Die vierte Surplus-Ausgabe »Kampf um Zeit« ist da.

Freizeit ist kein Luxus. Merz, Reiche und Co. greifen sie an – und gefährden damit Wohlstand und Freiheit.

In den nächsten Tagen im Briefkasten, am Kiosk oder sofort online auf:
👉 www.surplusmagazin.de/surplus-4-ka...

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Reposted by Cecilia Rikap

UCL Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose @iipp-ucl.bsky.social · Aug 14

☁️ South America’s sovereignty is being lost in Big Tech’s cloud

IIPP Prof. @ceciliarikap.bsky.social calls for South American governments to stand up to #BigTech firms extracting data, knowledge and natural resources from the region.

✍️ Read her new @opendemocracy.net article here: buff.ly/IS0QC51

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Reposted by Cecilia Rikap

UCL Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose @iipp-ucl.bsky.social · Aug 7

☁️ South America’s sovereignty is being lost in Big Tech’s cloud

IIPP Prof. @ceciliarikap.bsky.social calls for South American governments to stand up to #BigTech firms extracting data, knowledge and natural resources from the region.

✍️ Read her new @opendemocracy.net article here: buff.ly/9UFbU8L

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Cecilia Rikap @ceciliarikap.bsky.social · Aug 7

It's always a pleasure to talk to @parismarx.com and this was no exception.

This time, why and what it means to expand #digital #sovereignty for people and the planet, what different governments are doing and why it is not enough

podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/d...

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Cecilia Rikap @ceciliarikap.bsky.social · Aug 6

More on #BigTech 's complicit role in #Gaza 's #genocide

On top of known stories like Amazon and Google's #ProjectNimbus, #Microsoft 's cloud was used for the largest #surveillance experiment: Israel recorded every Palestinian phone call

www.theguardian.com/world/2025/a...

‘A million calls an hour’: Israel relying on Microsoft cloud for expansive surveillance of Palestinians

Revealed: The Israeli military undertook an ambitious project to store a giant trove of Palestinians’ phone calls on Microsoft’s servers in Europe

www.theguardian.com

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Reposted by Cecilia Rikap

UCL Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose @iipp-ucl.bsky.social · Aug 4

🌎 Promoting Digital Sovereignty in Latin America

In a session with public servants from Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Uruguay, IIPP Professor @ceciliarikap.bsky.social‬ argued for regional cooperation between governments to prevent digital capitalism.

🔗 Read more here: buff.ly/ZW5g6s5

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