Channel 4 has commissioned a new three-part political thriller from the team behind Dirty Business. Billionaires (working title) looks into the growing influence of big tech and the people caught in the fallout of a digital world flooded with disinformation. Through compelling real-world stories, the series reveals how truth can be manipulated, who pays the price, and what happens when powerful technology companies are challenged.
Commission follows Meta settlement
The commission comes just 24 hours after Meta agreed to a settlement of up to $18 billion in a US case concerning child safety on Facebook and Instagram. It also arrives as some of the world’s largest social media companies face the prospect of thousands of lawsuits over allegations that their platforms were intentionally designed to be addictive.
Produced by Halcyons Heart Films, Billionaires examines how Big Tech and the disinformation spread through its platforms can distort the truth, divide societies and threaten democratic institutions. Told through the experiences of key protagonists, the factual drama also asks what happens to the people who attempt to challenge and expose these powerful platforms from within.
Real-world stories and key protagonists
Drawing on real-world evidence, the series explores the interconnected stories of those who create disinformation, those who suffer its consequences, and the billionaires who ultimately profit from it.
Sharing their thoughts on the new show, 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 help deliver the Tech Bros their Big Tobacco moment?"
Three 60-minute episodes on Channel 4
Alisa Pomeroy, Head of Documentaries and Factual Entertainment at Channel 4, said: "At Channel 4, we are committed to telling stories that help audiences better understand the forces shaping the world around them. Billionaires is exactly that kind of project: bold, thought-provoking and deeply relevant."
"By examining the extraordinary influence of some of the world’s most powerful technology companies through compelling human stories, this drama promises to spark conversation and offer insight into a subject that affects us all."
Billionaires will consist of three 60-minute episodes airing on Channel 4.
