Techimperium counterattacks. How to defend freedom of speech against large platforms?
Photo: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
More important than Congressmen, more important than future government members. At the inauguration of Donald Trump, American billionaires got the best places – right next to the president's family. Does technological business marriage with power pose a threat to freedom of speech and security?
Observing the January inaugural ceremonies in Washington, many were surprised at the sight of technological tycoons, who symbolically paid tribute to Lena 47 in the Capitoline Rotunda building.
Well, how is it? All these progressive libertarian people suddenly turned right?
We remember that at the previous inauguration – the one in 2021 – when the most ardent followers of the magician movement stormed the temple of American democracy and after the same rotunda the ultra -right militias, the bosses of the finish, YouTube and Twitter, were openly opposed to the actions of Donald Trump. The politician was blocked on their websites, for most media and political establishments, Persona Non Grata became.
Meanwhile, four years later, next to representatives of traditional business from the United States and the rest of the world, the wreath around Trump was also created by representatives of Microsoft, Google, Meta, Apple, Amazon and Tiktok. Among them was also Elon Musk, who openly got involved in the Republican election campaign.
What happened in Washington was not only symbolic. Earlier, since it was known that Donald Trump would sit in the White House for the next four years, many American large companies began to declare that they are withdrawing from the policy of Dei (short from the English words “Diversity, Equity and Inclusion” means: ” Diversity, equality and inclusion “). Not only technology companies, such as Meta or Google, have even withdrew from supporting and developing programs to create diverse and friendly minorities, withdrew even McDonalds. This is of course the direction desired by the new administration, which applies similar practices at the level of e.g. federal offices.
– Right turn? In my opinion, this is a turn for your business – says Anna Wittenberg, journalist of Dziennik Gazeta Prawna.
The new Trump-Vance administration leaves no illusions, as he imagines a new, right-wing political correctness, and the bosses of large companies are trying to meet this vision. It seems that values ​​declared by corporations (including technological) should be put between fairy tales and only in terms of PR functions and opportunistic adaptation to current standards.
– the dominant ideology, which is really important and unchanging for them, is the ideology of earning and growth; growth on the stock exchange, increase in the satisfaction of investors and shareholders – adds Sylwia Czubkowska, a journalist specializing in new technologies, co -host of the “Techstorie” podcast in TOK FM.
Only the pace at which the billionaires abandoned their current political correctness in their corporations can be surprising and with what enthusiasm they accepted the new one. This is clearly seen on the example of the finish – a social media conglomerate belonging to Marek Zuckerberg.
Inauguration of Donald Trump. CEO of Mety Mark Zuckerberg and Lauren SanchezPAP/EPA/KENY HOLSTON/POOL
Two faces of Zuckerberg
Ten days before the inauguration of the US President, Mark Zuckerberg appeared in the popular podcast of the right -wing commentator and presenter Joe Rogana. For three hours the owner of the finish line put the thesis that American companies lack “male” and “aggressive energy”. He said that Biden's administration officials shouted at his employees to remove the content from Facebook that the government considered disinformation about Covid vaccines. He also talked about changes in moderation on his platform; About the decision to remove from work of fact-checkers, accusing them of censorship tendencies, although Fact-checkers do not remove any content, they can possibly expand it with additional information, context, commentary.
Read more after logging in
Get access to premium content for free and without advertising