What Trump's win could mean for Big Tech

The tech industry is bracing itself for Trump's second administration

Illustration of Donald Trump, Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg
Trump's first term was "wild and unpredictable," creating a chaotic environment that "even the biggest tech companies struggled to navigate"
(Image credit: Illustration by Stephen Kelly / Getty Images / AP)

Donald Trump's relationship with the tech industry has oscillated over the years, and now that he is on his way to a second term, Big Tech is bracing itself for what that could mean for their businesses over the next four years.

After he became president for the first time, the tech industry "mobilized quickly to resist some of his anti-liberal policies," Bloomberg said. But this time around, "things in the Valley feel different." Eight years after the 2016 election, it is "unclear what appetite for resistance remains." In fact, on the morning after the election, a "procession of tech CEOs" all lined up to "digitally kiss the ring." They posted "unnervingly similar messages" congratulating him and "pledging to work together to boost American innovation." The cautious messaging greatly contrasts the response to his first term, signaling a shift in Silicon Valley.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
Theara Coleman, The Week US

Theara Coleman has worked as a staff writer at The Week since September 2022. She frequently writes about technology, education, literature and general news. She was previously a contributing writer and assistant editor at Honeysuckle Magazine, where she covered racial politics and cannabis industry news.