Taking down a goliath. : How did Big Tech companies like Google and Facebook become the behemoths they are today? The answer is unsatisfyingly simple: targeted advertising. Google and Facebook built their fortunes in part on the backs of local media — siphoning the ad dollars from local media, like radio stations in small-town America. Big Tech platforms take your private data to target their ads in highly sophisticated ways. This includes geotargeting, where they serve ads based on demographics or geography. Silicon Valley’s advantage is not just due to its technology, but a more favorable regulatory environment.