In 2010, Google Fibre asked cities across America to compete against each other for superfast fibre broadband. Hundreds participated, promising tax breaks or access to publicly-funded infrastructure and Sarasota in Florida offered to rename itself to ‘Google Island.’
When Amazon launched a similar process last year to find their new HQ, Tucson Arizona sent Jeff Bezos a 21-foot cactus and New York turned all its light orange.
These depressing stunts indicate a massive shift in power. Hollowed out by neoliberal austerity, local and national governments around the world have become increasingly dependent on private companies, particularly tech firms, to provide investment and run key services and infrastructure.
