EPIC - the Google dystopia

“It is the best of times; it is the worst of times. In the year 2014, people have access to a breadth and depth of information unimaginable in an earlier age. Everyone contributes in some way, everyone participates to create a living, breathing mediascape. However the press, as you know it, has ceased to exist, the Fourth Estate’s fortunes have waned; 20th century news organisations are an afterthought, a lonely remnant of a not-too-distant past.”

So begins the story for a short online film about the dystopic future of Google entitled EPIC. Although only 8 minutes long, the movie hasachievedd almost cult status online recently as it exaggerates and actualises the fears of many over negative potentials for the ever increasing power of those companies (like Google) who set the architecture for organising our digital lives.

The narrative involves huge mergers between internet giants like Google and Amazon (unlikely in the near future!), but gains great satirical power from it’s similarities to real world mergers such as Time Warner-AOL, and the recently discussed Google-AOL ventures.

Google has remained fairly inconspicuous in their reaction to the film so far, and thankfully are still using their search technology for ‘noble’ pursuits. It is a healthy reminder of where such power can lead however, if left unchecked.