Big Tech: Four Emerging Forms of Digital Rentiership

In this paper, Birch and Cochrane deliberately use the term ‘ecosystem’– rather than ‘platform’ to represent the specific conceptual recognition that Big Tech firms are not just, or even primarily, digital platforms. Eco systems are heterogenous assemblages of technical devices, platforms, users, developers, payment systems, etc. as well as legal contracts, rights, claims, standards, etc.

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