Big Tech and Trump want to seize control of democracy

Big Tech has gone from corrupting public debate with irresponsible practices to directly intervening in US politics.

For years, Silicon Valley’s platforms have fueled disinformation and polarization for profit, creating the conditions for Donald Trump’s rise to power. The storming of the Capitol on January 6, 2021 showed how social networks had been weaponized: the call for insurrection came directly from Trump’s posts on Twitter, which were the same as shouting “fire” in a crowded theater. Now, the tech bros have gone one step further and openly allied themselves with Trump in the hope he will allow them to continue operating without regulation, even if that means blowing up the system of democratic checks and balances and the separation of powers. The result is an unprecedented attack on American democracy, carefully camouflaged under the false rhetoric of “efficiency” and technological innovation.

Big Tech has been eroding the quality of public discourse for years. Its algorithms prioritize inflammatory content, conspiracy theories and fake news because they generate more engagement and, therefore, higher advertising revenue. As we all know, society has paid the price: greater social division and political radicalization, along with a progressive loss of trust in institutions. The perfect breeding ground for populism.