Technology and Politics
A look at influence, impact and implications
As the world becomes increasingly connected through technology, independent information could be accessed in the most remote parts of the world. It is hard to imagine a society where access to information, most notably the internet, is restricted.
Leveraging Technology for Politics
The tech world of today is becoming increasingly political, battling over the control of data, privacy and security. In this “borderless cyber world”, tech tools are being used by tech companies and governments to achieve their goals.
Thanks to today’s tech capabilities, any and all information now moves at the speed of light. Additionally, any political narrative is crowdsourced to be constructed and documented quickly, adding incredible power in terms of manipulating audiences to align with a political agenda.
Technology and Politics: an example of global impact
This hard-to-imagine scenario is the reality that the people of Russia now face as the country has become a walled-off state in many ways, spanning access to digital information from foreign news sources to social media platforms.
As the Russian war on Ukraine continues, a digital barricade together with economic sanctions has gone up, cutting Russia off from the rest of the world. Russian censorship of foreign websites and platforms in turn shape perceptions and minimize communication.
Digital becomes more political
Technology companies are increasingly becoming more political as they seek to push their own agendas on their tech platforms. From tech giants like Google, Facebook and YouTube to the smaller tech companies, tech is now used to decide what the dominant social narrative is and control what other tech companies can do in terms of affecting public opinion.
This has resulted in tech becoming a powerful tool for politics to influence decision-making. The rise of tech politics has highlighted how important it is for tech companies to be aware of their power and use it responsibly.
With a continuing expansion, tech companies can increasingly dictate what is permissible, making tech take on a role within politics. Although tech has always had some degree of political influence through advertising, technology companies now directly engage with societal norms through their digital products.
Tech and Politics – the Impact on Tech Startups
Politics and world events have always had an undeniable influence on organizations, particularly tech startups. The way we can hire and how we build our tech companies is determined largely by the current markets, public opinion, and the changing landscape of geopolitics.
Even small to medium tech companies must now recognize that they no longer make decisions in a void – tech is becoming more intertwined with politics than ever before. Companies need to pay attention to the news of the day and develop strategies across departments from HR to sales to keep from backsliding as local shifts can create global change.
How can tech startups navigate the new reality?
Startups have to remain agile and responsive as tech increasingly becomes intertwined with political events. This means that tech-focused startups, from medium to small size, need to pay close attention, because these events can decide the course of their entire business strategy.
Instead of following their own goals and objectives, they must take into consideration the potential impacts of external factors such as geopolitical changes and tech-related policies. Remaining aware of global events is crucial for successful decision making when it comes to hiring and building businesses today.
Recruiting – building resilient startups
As we’ve seen, technology and politics mixed with world events can be a curve ball for startups and more mature companies. They have a significant impact on the way companies hire and build their organizations. From economic policies to social unrest and geopolitical instability, these factors can influence, if not determine, the available talent pool and the skills and expertise most needed.
For small to medium startups, the market often plays a critical role in determining how the organization is built and which engineering roles are needed to scale. Startups must be agile and responsive to changing market conditions and world events.
Regardless of the size or industry of the startup, it is important to recognize that the global and national political and social context in which we operate can have a profound impact on the way we build teams in organizations.
By remaining aware of and willing to adapt to changing circumstances, it is possible to build resilient organizations that are set up for success as they navigate changing political and economic situations in an ever-changing world.