Trump and Tech: the merging of powers
On January 20, the wealthiest men in the world sat front row at Trump’s inauguration. How far does their power reach? Together, they control the vast majority of our technological infrastructure and digital communication tools.
A real threat
“Coincidentally,” the nine men in the front row were all tech giants: Elon Musk (X, Tesla, SpaceX), Jeff Bezos (Amazon), Mark Zuckerberg (Meta), Tim Cook (Apple), Sundar Pichai (Alphabet), Shou Zi Chew (TikTok), and Sam Altman (OpenAI). In the background, Bill Gates (Microsoft) and Larry Ellison (Oracle) were also present. The past week suggests that if Trump wants access to our digital infrastructure, he will get it.
We’re talking about decades of historical data and automated, real-time access to our digital lives, economy, and politics. These are the most extensive datasets and surveillance infrastructures the world has ever seen. The content moderation at Meta, which has been widely discussed this past week, may actually be the least of our concerns. Just as Russia can threaten to cut off gas supplies, the United States can threaten to shut down our communication networks or the computers that power our schools and healthcare institutions. The mere possibility of such a move is enough to keep everyone in line. But to assume it will stop at threats seems naïve. So far, we’ve seen nothing to suggest otherwise.
“It is often said that a democracy without the rule of law is nothing more than the law of the strongest. What that means in practice, we will see this year in the United States.”
The merging of power
What is unfolding before our eyes is a fusion of political power, data power, and technological power. And this affects us here in Europe as well. Microsoft, Amazon, and Google are estimated to manage about three-quarters of the data stored in the Netherlands. Roughly 8 out of 10 offices rely on Microsoft Office—including Dutch businesses, hospitals, universities, ministries, the police, and local governments, to name just a few.
Big Tech controls your smartphone (iOS and Android), where you access Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X, and TikTok. They run WhatsApp, iMessage, and Messenger—and likely your email (Gmail) and files (Google Docs). Through Google Search, Chrome, and Maps, they track your search and location history. And this list is far from complete. For years, we have been sounding the alarm about our digital dependence — and for good reason.
Insatiable greed
The power of Big Tech is nothing new. In recent years, Europe has cautiously introduced legislation to rein in the power of these so-called Big Tech companies. The impact, however, remains minimal, as does the enforcement of existing laws. Even the rules in place are often ignored by Big Tech with little to no consequences. Big Tech’s insatiable greed remains unchecked, while governments watch from the sidelines. Those who, as a last resort, turn to the courts must prepare for an expensive and time-consuming battle: when you know you’re in the wrong and have a bottomless supply of money, stalling becomes your best tactic. And Big Tech has become quite adept at that.
What is new, however, is that the U.S. now has a president in Trump who is as uncontrollable as the tech giants themselves. In this regard, Trump is truly a president of the social media era. His fact-free, absurd, and extremist statements are a perfect match for Big Tech’s sensationalist algorithms. In just the first three days of his presidency, the anti-rule-of-law measures are numerous. International and national laws are disregarded, and judicial rulings are delegitimized. It is often said that a democracy without the rule of law is nothing more than the law of the strongest. What that means in practice, we will see this year in the United States.
A disastrous result of poor decisions
Back to those tech companies. In recent years, Big Tech has pushed back against the U.S. government at crucial moments. For example, when the government sought access to user data or requested technological interventions that would allow them to read everyone’s messages. Big Tech was able to resist only because it knew that the government was bound by the rule of law, and thus limited in how much it could pressure a company. Ironically, Big Tech was protected by the law. But a president who places himself above the law, as Trump does, makes everyone fair game. The rule of law gives way to the law of the strongest, and in that case, Trump proves to be the biggest bully. At least, for now.
There is a silver lining. This situation is the disastrous result of a decade of poor decisions regarding our technological infrastructure, privacy, and freedom of communication. Decisions where we were repeatedly told that things wouldn’t be as bad as they seemed. Now we can see the mess in full extent. It can’t be helped — Europe must finally recognize Big Tech for the national security threat that it is. Right?