Channel 4 has commissioned Billionaires (working title), a new three-part factual drama examining the growing power of big tech and the spread of disinformation. The announcement comes a day after Mark Zuckerberg's Meta agreed to pay up to $18 billion to settle claims that Facebook and Instagram were deliberately designed to be addictive to children.
The series, produced by Halcyons Heart Films, explores the extraordinary power of big tech and the consequences of living in a digital world where disinformation can spread at unprecedented speed. Through real-world stories and the experiences of those at the heart of the story, the series asks who controls the information we see, who suffers when truth is manipulated, and what happens when powerful technology companies are challenged from within.
Meta settlement backdrop
The commission comes as Meta faces mounting scrutiny over the impact of its platforms on young people. The settlement with US states includes significant new restrictions and safety measures for teenage users of Facebook and Instagram, following allegations that the platforms were designed to encourage addictive use.
Against this backdrop, Billionaires examines the wider influence of the world's most powerful technology companies, exploring how their platforms can amplify disinformation, distort public debate and put pressure on democratic institutions. At its centre are the creators, victims and beneficiaries of an information ecosystem where truth has become increasingly contested.
Creative team and voices
Writer and director Joe Bullman said: "The algorithmic corporations are corroding the mental health of our young people and taking a wrecking ball to our democracies. And there is evidence that the Tech Bros who control them have designed them to do these things.
"Like tobacco company execs before them, they claim that their products are not addictive and do no harm. Will Billionaires W/T help deliver the Tech Bros their Big Tobacco moment?"
Rita Daniels, Commissioning Editor, Documentaries at Channel 4, said: "Billionaires is a gripping and incredibly timely factual drama that explores one of the defining issues of our age. Drawing on real-world evidence, it shines a light on the human consequences of disinformation and asks urgent questions about power, accountability and truth in the digital era.
"Halcyons Heart Films have a proven track record of bringing complex political stories to life with pace and ambition, and we're thrilled to be working with them again."
Broadcast details
Billionaires W/T will comprise three 60-minute episodes, airing on Channel 4.
