Platform philanthropy, ‘public value’, and the COVID-19 pandemic moment

Abstract

This commentary examines the COVID-19 pandemic as a moment of strategic advancement for digital platforms. Focusing on the redeployment of Google Maps data for tracking adherence to mobility restrictions, I argue that demonstrating such ‘public value’ uses of Google’s vast geolocation and behavioral data forms part of a larger effort to strengthen their economic and political position in the face of two existential threats—declining advertising revenues and platform regulation.