The date was Jan. 8, 2021. The U.S. was a mere two days removed from one of the most catastrophic events in its 250-year long history, in which pro-Trump protestors stormed the U.S. capitol in an attempt to overturn the 2020 Presidential Election. The event sent shockwaves through the nation, and the name “Donald Trump” was on just about every tongue in America.
Yet in the online sphere, the president was nowhere to be found.
It seems like a fever dream today, but four years ago, it was almost impossible to find any official social media presence for Donald Trump. Following the events of Jan. 6, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram — three of the largest social media platforms on Earth — banned Trump’s accounts. Discussion sites such as Reddit and Discord deleted communities that were centered around him. Even search engines such as Google got involved, removing far-right websites like Parler from their search results. In mere days, the sitting president’s online presence went from nearly unavoidable to practically nonexistent.
Of course, such a reality is no longer the case today. Following Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter in 2022, the website has undergone a host of changes that have made it nearly unrecognizable today. In addition to unbanning thousands of accounts (including Trump’s), Musk has fundamentally altered Twitter to ensure that the app represents his vision of “free speech.” Third-party fact checking on the app is gone, site moderation is barely enforced and the company’s trust and safety council has been dissolved. And with Musk, an outspoken supporter of Trump, in control of the website’s algorithm, Twitter has become the epicenter of right-wing content online.
Since Trump’s 2024 Presidential Election win, few of his allies have reaped the spoils of victory quite like Musk. In return for Musk’s colossal donations to Trump’s campaign, the president has essentially gifted Musk a spot in government through the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). The DOGE, named after one of Musk’s favorite cryptocurrencies, is a governmental entity headed by Musk that seeks to reduce wasteful spending within government and cut down on regulations that Musk and his team deem to be unnecessary. Musk’s position at DOGE also puts him in control of numerous government contracts — including those with his own companies. It’s a textbook conflict of interest violation, but it affords Musk what is essentially unchecked power, as the world’s richest man now has a direct line to the leader of the free world.
With Musk’s power rivaling that of Trump himself, other Silicon Valley billionaires have begun to take notice and have been attempting to work themselves into his good graces. Tim Cook, Jeff Bezos and Sam Altman each made personal donations of $1 million to Trump’s inauguration. Even Mark Zuckerberg, who spearheaded the removal of Trump from social media years ago, has bent the knee to the new president, vowing to completely rework Meta’s social policy in a manner that mirrors Musk’s alterations to Twitter. It’s no surprise that Zuckerberg has acquiesced to Trump — the president has threatened Zuckerberg with life in prison for supposedly plotting against him — but Zuckerberg’s ideological 180 makes him look like more of a lapdog than a free speech crusader.
The reason behind the tech industry’s pro-Trump pivot is rather obvious — it’s what’s best for business. When Trump was ousted from office in 2020, the American public thought he was finished. The president ended his first term as an outcast, and tech companies simply went along with the popular opinion: wipe Trump off of their platforms and bring his era of influence to an end. With the U.S. — and much of the world — shifting to the right in recent years, tech companies have continued to do what they do best: whatever makes them the most money. And as Musk has determined, the best way to accumulate unchecked power in the United States is to cozy up to Trump, who takes no issue with providing personal favors to business magnates in exchange for their support.
In his farewell address to the nation, President Joe Biden warned of an oligarchy that was taking shape in Washington. The “tech-industrial complex,” as Biden put it, could have disastrous ramifications on the American public. Just five days later, the very same members of this supposed tech oligarchy took their seat right next to Trump’s cabinet picks at his inauguration. The symbolism was palpable.
Ultimately, this recent turn of events has provided a stark reminder to the American people: those at the top of the tech industry stand for nothing but their own preservation. America’s tech giants coalescing to kneel to Trump is certainly shocking — dystopian even — but it’s something that we as a collective must come to expect. The tech giants have made their true position known, so let’s take note.
Contact Mac Ribner at ribner@oxy.edu
