The Dark Side of Big Tech
Giant Tech companies make amazing products. But these companies often have a very dark side that should not be forgotten.
Introduction
Many of us are excited about the amazing products sold to us by Giant Tech companies. We celebrate the extraordinary good that these products enable.
That said, the Giant Tech companies often have a very dark side. News of such things comes and goes, and we often forget. We forget how malicious these beloved companies actually are.
It behooves us to remember the malicious aspect of these companies.
On this page I will be summarizing the new coverage of big tech companies where the story is dark. My purpose is that I not forget.
I expect to build out the content of this page over the course of time.
Below you will find my notes about three major tech companies. For each, I sum up the major episodes of darkness that stood out to me at the time.
I provide links that summarize the press coverage of these events. They are representative of the overall sentiment. But if you search online, you will find these events have extensive coverage by other reputable entities.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Content to be added
- Content to be added
APPLE
APP STORE
US judge rules Apple violated order to reform App Store. By Reuters on April 30, 2025.
Apple’s 27% commission tactic ‘reeks of greed and avarice’. By Ben Lovejoy at 9to5Mac on January 18 2024.
SEXUAL HARASSMENT
Apple Fitness Chief Accused of Toxic Workplace Culture and Harassment. Paywalled article by The New York Times on August 21, 2025
‘Toxic’ Apple executive leered at coworkers, remarked on fitness trainers’ breasts and butts. By Taylor Herzlich at The New York Post on August 22, 2025
MARKETING
Why Apple’s iPad Ad Fell Flat: Company Failed to Understand It Conjured Fears of ‘Tech Kind of Destroying Humanity’. By Todd Spangler at Variety on May 29, 2024.
Something Is Rotten in the State of Cupertino. By John Gruber at Daring Fireball on March 12, 2025.
UNION-BUSTING
Apple Workers Awarded Settlement by NLRB in Apple Retail Workers Union-CWA Victory. By the Campaign to Organize Digital Employees on April 23, 2024.
Apple execs face allegations of union-busting by NLRB. By Amber Neely at Apple Insider on January 30 2023.
Apple accused of union busting in new labor board filing. By Zoë Schiffer at The Verge on May 17, 2022.
Content to be added
MICROSOFT
Content to be added
Originally published on September 11, 2025
Last updated on September 11, 2025
TOPICS: Apple, Google, Microsoft,