I recently heard these five companies referred to as “The Big Five.” You have heard of each of these companies. You have done business with at least one of them (or you are in a coma of course).
If you are a person who considers single entities that are too powerful to be a threat, then these collectors of our information would be a threat. How do they compare in size to the US government?
Apple
$220.46 billion = annual revenue
Amazon
$142.57 billion = annual revenue
Google (Alphabet, Inc.)
$94.76 billion = annual revenue
Microsoft
$87.25 billion = annual revenue
$30.29 billion = annual revenue
US Government
$3,200 billion = annual tax revenue
Comparison
The total revenue of the five companies combined equals just under 18% of the US government’s tax revenue. Apple’s revenue by itself is 6.9% of the US government’s revenue. They have not passed the government, but they are starting to be in the ballpark.
What They Know, Snapshot
Apple and Microsoft’s operating systems account for most of our computers. Google controls our internet searches, and Android, and YouTube, and many of our e-mails. Amazon knows what we buy. Facebook knows the rest.