How did the coronavirus impact the tech industry? Look back at not only how remote working tech flourished during the crisis, but how Silicon Valley reacted by supporting contact tracing and steps protecting the general public.
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Tech's 2020 Year in Review
The coronavirus pandemic and battles with Washington, D.C. politicians and regulators defined the tech industry's year. Big Tech companies had to contend with election and vaccine misinformation running rampant on their platforms while trying to convince Congress not to repeal the Section 230 legal protection or pursue antitrust claims against them. Suffice it to say, the tumultuous end to 2020 foreshadows an even wilder 2021 to come.
Facebook, Amazon, Apple and Google's battle with the U.S. government started a new chapter in 2020. Big Tech's CEOs appeared before Congress multiple times and the House released a damning report concluding that these companies held "monopoly power." But the real litigation over how to rein in tech will likely start in 2021 as more states and federal agencies sue, alleging anticompetitive behaviors by the owners of these major platforms.
How tech companies struggled to stamp out misinformation in 2020 as the world dealt with the U.S. election and the coronavirus pandemic.
The highly-popular Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5, Apple's iPhone 12 and MacBook Pro, Facebook's Oculus Quest 2, and Microsoft's Surface Duo: some of the biggest tech gadgets that launched this year. Check which ones we thought stood out the most and read what critics think about them.
Supporters of this viral pro-Trump movement believe in the baseless conspiracy theory that Democrats are pedophiles, while also supporting anti-vaccine and other activist causes. Their growing influence has resulted in two followers being elected as representatives to Congress. Here's more about the role this once-fringe movement is having on society today.
Elon Musk's space endeavor had a pretty good year, becoming the first private company to ferry NASA astronauts into space, not once but twice from U.S. soil. The move ushers in the era of commercialized space travel. Read about the historic journey, the astronauts, SpaceX's Crew Dragon craft and more.
Whether it's misinformation or allegations of censorship, U.S. lawmakers are looking to make changes the internet's legal shield: Section 230. Leading the call to eliminate this protection is President Trump who believes that by doing so, tech companies (specifically Twitter and Facebook) will be more accountable for what their users post on their platforms. Catch up on the debate that took place in 2020 here.
The coronavirus pandemic didn't slow the number of tech companies pursuing the public market, though some that did went through an unconventional manner: SPACs. Take a look at some of the notable firms to either raise private funds, get acquired, or issued a public offering in 2020.
The Trump administration looked to ban the TikTok social media app from the U.S. as part of its efforts to protect national security. The Commerce Department ordered TikTok's parent company Bytedance to divest itself from its U.S. operations, which Oracle wound up being the winning bidder. However, TikTok and some of its users have sued the U.S. arguing against a potential ban and many questions still remain unanswered.
While we embrace technology to help make life easier and more productive, some of these tools are being used by employers and government agencies to spy on us. Here are some of the biggest privacy and surveillance headlines of 2020.
