Despite relying heavily on their devices and social media during the pandemic, the public is losing respect for many of the world’s biggest tech companies, according to a new poll, suggesting their products and services are seen as essential but undesirable.
Social media giants such as Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok had among the worst reputations in an Axios/Harris 100 brand poll released on Thursday. Big Tech companies such as Microsoft, Netflix, Google, and Uber all dropped 10 places or more within the survey rankings, compared to last year.
The poll is based on a survey of almost 43,000 regarding the 100 “most visible companies,” in a nationally representative sample conducted April 8-21. The most visible companies are then ranked by a second group across seven key elements of brand reputation to arrive at the final ranking.
In the past year, Facebook and Twitter have been hammered by liberals for controversies around widespread misinformation regarding the coronavirus and the 2020 election, while also being attacked by conservatives for what they allege is unfair censorship.
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This has kept them at the bottom of the poll rankings even though they have played a central role in helping people stay connected during the socially distanced parts of the pandemic.
Google was the biggest loser among Big Tech companies in the poll, as it faced a brand hit from being sued by the Justice Department for anti-competitive practices.
There were some tech giants that retained a strong positive reputation, though, such as Amazon and Apple, which remained at the top of the poll rankings and made record profits selling their products to businesses and individuals alike.
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The poll showed that outside of just tech companies, people overall preferred companies that took strong political positions in the wake of the deeply divisive 2020 election.
