Donald Trump is proving disastrous for Big Tech

IN THE weeks after the re-election of Donald Trump, the bosses of America’s tech giants worked hard to ingratiate themselves with the returning president, congratulating him publicly and dutifully turning up to his inauguration. Mark Zuckerberg, the boss of Meta, gushed that it was nice to have an administration that was “proud” of America’s tech champions.

There was good reason for the obsequiousness. During his campaign, Trump referred to Meta as an “enemy of the people”. Many in his Maga (make America great again) movement have accused America’s tech giants of censoring right-wing views. In 2021, JD Vance, now Trump’s vice-president, called the behemoths “parasitic”. Even the techies surrounding Trump, such as Elon Musk, belong to a different Silicon Valley tribe that is suspicious of Big Tech.

Three months in, and the bosses of America’s most valuable firms have little to show for all their toadying. Trump appears unwilling to spare them from the trustbuster’s snare, and is adding to their troubles with his trade war. On Apr 29, the White House accused Amazon of a “hostile and political act” after the company was reported to be planning to display the cost of tariffs for items sold through its website. (Amazon swiftly clarified that the idea had been considered only for Amazon Haul, where it sells ultra-cheap products, and that it would not be implemented.)