Amazon: Why is this happening?

There’s been growing concern over the influence that a handful of large companies have over the technology we use in our daily lives and in the past few months, there have been increased calls for people to delete Facebook and Twitter in protest. In the new year, there were even suggestions that people drop services as a “resolution”. A lot of people might disagree but the services provided by Twitter, Facebook, and Google are quite easily replaced. Blogging, micro-blogging, messaging and sharing media existed long before social networks and in many ways, it’s easier than ever. But quitting services provided by Amazon might be a bit harder.

The latest episode of Why is this happening? examines Amazon, how it came to dominate retail and how it provides computing and storage services for an incredible amount of the internet.

It’s a really interesting look at the advantages Amazon had in creating a near-monopoly for online retail but it’s even more sobering when you realise that Amazon provides computing services for companies like Netflix, Unilever, Adobe, Samsung, and the CIA.