What is Big Tech?
The dominant technology companies — primarily Google, Apple, Meta, Amazon, and Microsoft — whose products and services collect unprecedented amounts of personal data.
Also known as: GAFAM, FAANG, Tech Giants
Big Tech companies have become the largest collectors of personal data in human history.
Data Collection by Company
- Google: Search history, location (Maps), email (Gmail), browsing (Chrome), voice (Assistant), files (Drive), videos watched (YouTube)
- Meta: Social graph, messages, photos, location, browsing (Pixel tracking on millions of sites), WhatsApp metadata
- Amazon: Purchases, browsing, voice (Alexa), home video (Ring), reading habits (Kindle)
- Apple: Location, app usage, Siri recordings, health data, iCloud contents
- Microsoft: Documents (Office), email (Outlook), browsing (Edge), OS telemetry (Windows)
The Business Model
Except for Apple (which sells hardware), Big Tech's primary business is converting your data into advertising revenue or behavioral predictions.
Alternatives
| Big Tech | Privacy Alternative |
|---|---|
| Google Search | DuckDuckGo, Brave Search, Kagi |
| Gmail | Proton Mail, Tuta |
| Chrome | Brave, Firefox, Tor Browser |
| Google Drive | Proton Drive, Tresorit |
| Google Maps | Organic Maps, OsmAnd |
| Signal | |
| Windows | Linux (Fedora, Ubuntu) |
| iCloud | Self-hosted Nextcloud |
Default Privacy's tools directory catalogs hundreds of alternatives to Big Tech services.
Related Terms
Advertising ID
A unique identifier assigned to your mobile device by the operating system, used by apps and advertisers to track your behavior across applications.
Surveillance Capitalism
An economic system where personal data is systematically collected, analyzed, and sold to predict and influence human behavior for profit.
Third-Party Tracking
The practice of monitoring user behavior across multiple websites using embedded scripts, pixels, cookies, and fingerprinting techniques.
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