Big Tech leaders who once opposed President-elect Donald Trump are now adjusting their strategies following his reelection. CEOs from Meta, Apple, and Google have sought meetings with Trump in what appears to be a significant shift in Silicon Valley’s stance toward the incoming administration.
During Trump’s first term, tech giants were at the forefront of opposition to his policies. Google CEO Sundar Pichai and co-founder Sergey Brin famously protested Trump’s immigration orders, and platforms like Twitter and Facebook faced criticism for censoring stories that could have impacted the 2020 election, including the Hunter Biden laptop report.
Big Tech has never been for Trump and have been tantamount in the coup to take him down. pic.twitter.com/gamitnQKjb
— Juanita Broaddrick (@atensnut) January 11, 2021
Now, the tone has changed. Pichai and Brin dined with Trump at Mar-a-Lago, and Apple CEO Tim Cook and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos have also sought time with the president-elect. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg joined the wave, signaling a dramatic shift in approach from Silicon Valley executives.
"Ah, the irony! Big Tech, once the self-proclaimed champions of free speech, now begging and pleading to align with Trump after realizing their 'resistance' was just a one-way ticket to irrelevance. Who knew that censorship and deplatforming would lead t… https://t.co/XMnpgW8G1v
— NahBabyNah #Trump (@NahBabyNah) December 23, 2024
Joel Thayer, a tech and telecom attorney, suggested the shift is both practical and strategic. “The population has shifted, and Trump-like policies are now seen as favorable for workers and individuals,” Thayer said. He also noted that tech leaders are recognizing Trump’s reelection as an opportunity to rebuild relationships.
BREAKING: President Trump has filed a MAJOR Class Action Lawsuit against Big Tech and their CEOs pic.twitter.com/Kpdw0LNv1Z
— RSBN 🇺🇸 (@RSBNetwork) July 7, 2021
Biden Administration policies may have played a role in driving this change. Critics, including investor Marc Andreessen, pointed to heavy restrictions on AI and cryptocurrency as alienating the industry. Trump, by contrast, has pledged to foster innovation and private growth in tech sectors like artificial intelligence.
TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew has also joined discussions with Trump, seeking clarity on the looming ban on the Chinese-owned app. While Trump originally sought to ban TikTok, he has since hinted at reconsidering the issue, citing its popularity with younger voters.
