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Reposted by Sidney Rothstein

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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Sidney Rothstein @sidneyrothstein.bsky.social · 1d

Thanks! Your work was a big help!

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Sidney Rothstein @sidneyrothstein.bsky.social · 2d

@the-syllabus.bsky.social
@davey.bsky.social

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Sidney Rothstein @sidneyrothstein.bsky.social · 2d

And if you’re interested in dependent development, you’ll love the recent special issue published by @compchange.bsky.social (and guest edited by @aritassinari.bsky.social, @fbulfone.bsky.social, and Aldo Madariaga)

doi.org/10.1177/1024...

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Sidney Rothstein @sidneyrothstein.bsky.social · 2d

Speaking of other research, the article builds directly on existing research on Big Tech’s power and political influence. See especially:

@lobbycontrol.bsky.social
@corporateeurope.org
@somoamsterdam.bsky.social
@margaridasilva.bsky.social
@maxheermann.bsky.social
@maximilianiras.bsky.social

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Sidney Rothstein @sidneyrothstein.bsky.social · 2d

(In ongoing research, I am exploring the character of this dependence – what exactly do the *economic* aspects of dependent development look like in digital capitalism?)

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Sidney Rothstein @sidneyrothstein.bsky.social · 2d

But given startups’ economic/technological dependence on Big Tech, it seems unlikely they would ever propose policies that would threaten Big Tech – because doing so would also threaten their own interests.

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Sidney Rothstein @sidneyrothstein.bsky.social · 2d

… because Big Tech can revoke support whenever their “clients” even think about threatening Big Tech’s interests.

(See the case of the EDRi)
www.ft.com/content/7427...

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"But Joe McNamee, director of European Digital Rights (EDRi), a group that promotes tighter privacy rules, disputes that they have been able to muster the same firepower as US tech groups. Mr. McNamee occupies a unique position. EDRi used to be supported by Google when it campaigned for net neutrality. But when his group started lobbying on tougher privacy rights, it lost Google's financial backing."

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Sidney Rothstein @sidneyrothstein.bsky.social · 2d

(3) given that startups’ political advocacy depends on Big Tech’s resources, it is extremely unlikely that startups will promote policies that reduce dependence on Big Tech…

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Sidney Rothstein @sidneyrothstein.bsky.social · 2d

(2) reviving analysis of the *political* character of dependency,

this isn’t just about economic relationships or access to certain technologies. Instead, in many contexts, startups’ ability to even constitute a political actor depends on Big Tech’s largesse – which leads to the 3rd upshot 👇

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Sidney Rothstein @sidneyrothstein.bsky.social · 2d

There are 3 important upshots for dependent development and the politics of digital capitalism

(1) echoing research by @ceciliarikap.bsky.social and others, digital capitalism implies a broader periphery than in past eras – one that includes countries in the historical periphery, like Spain.

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Sidney Rothstein @sidneyrothstein.bsky.social · 2d

In short, the Big Tech/startup relationship resembles the asymmetric reciprocity characterizing that between patron and client

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GIF of the godfather saying, "I'm going to make him an offer he can't refuse."

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Sidney Rothstein @sidneyrothstein.bsky.social · 2d

Two detailed case studies (Brazil and Spain) show how Big Tech sponsors startup associations, giving them the resources to lobby national policymakers.

I diagnose the Big Tech/startup relationship as patron/client, since the relationship is:
- Dyadic
- Iterative
- Contingent
- Hierarchical

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Sidney Rothstein @sidneyrothstein.bsky.social · 2d

Where do startup policies come from?

Probably not from startups.

Most can hardly afford to keep the lights on, so how do they afford to lobby for changing national policy?

Answer: Big Tech’s money

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Sidney Rothstein @sidneyrothstein.bsky.social · 2d

Have you noticed the recent wave of startup policies?

See: Argentina, Bahrain, Brazil, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, Estonia, India, Malaysia, Mexico, the Philippines, Thailand... also in the historical core: Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain – and more!

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List of countries and their recent startup laws 1/2

List of countries and their recent startup laws 2/2

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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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Reposted by Sidney Rothstein

Rafael Grohmann @grohmannrafael.bsky.social · Sep 2

Workers Governing Technologies: Collective Strategies Across Contexts. In-person workshop in Toronto on Sep 25 and 26 with 20 speakers from Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Spain and US

Registration link and full schedule: www.eventbrite.ca/e/workers-go...

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Sidney Rothstein @sidneyrothstein.bsky.social · Aug 31

Find a correlation with something, publish a political science paper

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Reposted by Sidney Rothstein

Artologica aka Michele Banks @artologica.net · May 7

A few things cooler than AI by Andy J. Pizza

Drawings of a few things cooler than AI such as owls, clouds, Stars, dreams, birds, snails, a child's drawing, peanut butter and jelly a hug, the ocean and a cool rock

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Reposted by Sidney Rothstein

UC Berkeley Labor Center @ucblaborcenter.bsky.social · Aug 5

"UC Berkeley’s Labor Center launches a new data tool, an inventory of union contracts, to empower labor in negotiating AI and emerging technologies. It provides crucial insights for unions to secure worker protections and shape the future of work." lngfrm.net/uc-berkeley-...

UC Berkeley Unveils AI Labor Bargaining Tool - LNGFRM

UC Berkeley's Labor Center launches a new data tool, an inventory of union contracts, to empower labor in negotiating AI and emerging technologies. It provides crucial insights for unions to secure wo...

lngfrm.net

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Sidney Rothstein @sidneyrothstein.bsky.social · Jul 21

The UK gov or the car?

Reposted by Sidney Rothstein

Arianna Tassinari @aritassinari.bsky.social · Jul 18

We are delighted that our Special Issue on "The Politics of Growth, Stagnation and Upgrading in Peripheral Economies" coedited w/ @fbulfone.bsky.social & Aldo Madariaga is now out in Competition & Change @compchange.bsky.social, Vol. 29(3–4).
🔗 doi.org/10.1177/1024...

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Sidney Rothstein @sidneyrothstein.bsky.social · Jul 9

I am!

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Sidney Rothstein @sidneyrothstein.bsky.social · Jun 27

Congratulations, Ben! Looking forward to the work from this

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Sidney Rothstein @sidneyrothstein.bsky.social · Jun 27

Good week to re-up this report by @ocampomar.bsky.social and @ips-dc.org:

Following Massachusetts' Fair Share Amendment (tax on millionaires), did the millionaires leave en masse as they had threatened? No, the millionaires stayed -- and tax revenue increased!

ips-dc.org/report-wealt...

Wealth Expands After Higher State Taxes on High-Income Earners - Institute for Policy Studies

Wealth Expands After Higher State Taxes on High-Income Earners

ips-dc.org

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