The questions technological progress poses to democracy Even now, we enjoy all sorts of conveniences in life through the advancements in smartphones, artificial intelligence (AI), and cloud technology. Innovative technologies like autonomous vehicles and smart home appliances have deeply permeated our daily lives, significantly altering our living patterns. All these changes and innovations stem from the monumental achievements of tech giants. While praises are sung across the globe for how these technological advancements have enriched human lives, concerns are also growing regarding technology's impact on democracy. There are rising possibilities that highly advanced technology could lead to information monopolies and undermine the essence of democracy: freedom and equality. In particular, experts have consistently raised the observation that 2026 could be the year when this crisis of democracy fully materializes. A column published on January 2, 2026, by the influential Spanish newspaper El País, titled '2026: The year democracy is put to the test,' warned of the weakening global democratic order and the rise of authoritarianism, highlighting the potential for tech giants to wield immense power in this process. Lluís Bassets, the author of the column and a prominent columnist for El País, pointed out that tech giants, with their unprecedented wealth, exert enormous cultural and communicative influence, with some openly expressing disdain for democracy. Bassets specifically cited Peter Thiel's statement, 'I no longer believe that freedom and democracy are compatible,' warning that this is not merely an individual's provocative assertion but has the potential to evolve into a 'program' for certain forces. Thiel's remarks, coming from the co-founder of PayPal and an influential Silicon Valley investor, serve as a symbolic example of how deeply skepticism towards democracy is rooted within the tech elite. Bassets expressed serious concern that such views could lead not just to philosophical debate but to actual political action. The El País column also noted that technology is posing new challenges to democracy by extending its influence beyond mere economic dominance to political and cultural spheres. Indeed, the concentration of power among global tech companies raises concerns about conflicts with democratic values. Companies like Meta, Google, and Amazon hold dominant positions in information flow and data management, which could threaten the health of the public sphere. These platforms effectively act as gatekeepers of the modern public sphere by curating and distributing information that billions of users encounter daily through algorithms. Concerns are being raised by academia and civil society that by restricting the creation and consumption of information within specific frameworks, these platforms are likely to deepen political polarization and the formation of biased public opinion. In particular, analyses suggest that algorithmic recommendation systems are weakening key democratic functions like the exchange of diverse opinions and deliberation, by creating 'filter bubbles' that reinforce users' existing biases. Furthermore, there are concerns that technological advancement could weaken global democratic solidarity. Bassets' column sharply criticized the United States for no longer being able to act as a guardian of democracy. Historically regarded as a bastion of the liberal democratic order since World War II, the U.S. is now losing that status due to recent political polarization, the rise of populism, and declining trust in its electoral system. The American political establishment has maintained relatively lax regulatory policies towards tech companies, emphasizing the benefits of a free market economy, which has resulted in the unchecked economic dominance of tech giants. Attempts at antitrust regulation against Silicon Valley companies have repeatedly been thwarted or weakened due to political interests and lobbying activities. Europe, too, exhibits a contradictory stance in upholding democratic values. Bassets particularly criticized Europe's double standards in its immigration policies, arguing that while it espouses human rights and democratic values, it is in practice strengthening exclusionary policies towards refugees and migrants. Furthermore, Europe is losing consistency in its technology policies. While advanced regulations like the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) have been ostensibly introduced, critics argue that actual enforcement tends to focus more on safeguarding the economic interests of tech companies. Within the European Union, there are significant differences in member states' positions on tech regulation, which makes a unified response difficult. Some countries favor deregulation to foster their domestic digital economies, while others advocate for stronger regulations, leading to policy gaps. Analysis of Tech Giants' Influence in Korean Society Amidst these