On January 28, 2017, I hurried to San Francisco International Airport (SFO). That evening, protests were gaining momentum across the United States against President Donald Trump’s travel ban on visitors from seven Muslim-majority countries. The night was unusually cold, and I had not brought a proper jacket. Luckily, the train to the airport was warm and filled with nervous and chatty protesters. The airport itself was chaotic. Angry demonstrators blocked roads, causing taxis and Ubers to be stranded with meters still running. A hijab-wearing protester prayed next to a protest sign in the baggage claim area, while others shouted at travelers collecting their luggage. At that time, Trump was the most controversial figure in America, and his election had shocked the world.
Later that night, rumors of a $150 billion face in the crowd started to circulate. Sergey Brin, the founder and co-founder of Google, was present. At that time, he was the president of Alphabet, Google’s parent company, which also owns YouTube. The impact was electrifying. One of the wealthiest and most influential men in the world was publicly expressing his displeasure with Trump by participating in a protest against him. Brin, originally from Moscow and immigrating to the United States at the age of 6, stated he was at SFO that night “because I’m a refugee,” delivering a personal rebuke to Mr. Trump, whom he described as a complete xenophobe.
Following Brin’s lead, Google and other tech giants condemned Trump’s travel ban. Nearly 100 technology companies, including Facebook, Apple, Microsoft, and Uber, supported a lawsuit challenging the measure.
However, today’s protests against President Trump’s reelection have had minimal impact. Silicon Valley is shifting its stance to show more deference to Mr. Trump. This week, the tech industry finished its nominations for the upcoming president.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced the cessation of the company’s fact-checking operations in the United States. In 2022, Meta had claimed to have built the largest global fact-checking network and spent $100 million on it.
A few days later, Mr. Zuckerberg revealed a reduction in efforts to enhance workforce diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) – a move met with controversy. These policies had been disdained by Trump and faced criticism from his prominent supporter, Elon Musk. Zuckerberg, seemingly driven by ambition rather than personal beliefs, took actions such as promoting Dana White to Meta’s board of directors after dining with Trump and supporting his inaugural committee.
Mr. Zuckerberg’s actions seemed to be influenced by Trump’s threats, as the president-elect had warned of dire consequences if Zuckerberg interfered in the election. Mehta, like others, stood to benefit from a friendly Trump administration, particularly concerning Meta’s antitrust lawsuit.
Several tech CEOs, including Tim Cook, Sundar Pichai, and Satya Nadella, also demonstrated support for President Trump, each contributing in different ways. Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi donated $2 million to Trump, and even Google made a substantial donation despite being targeted by Trump’s campaign.
The president-elect, noticing his newfound popularity, remarked on the change in attitude towards him. Meanwhile, Musk’s threats loomed over tech leaders like Jeff Bezos, Sam Altman, and Jensen Huang, demonstrating the power dynamics at play in the tech industry.
Source: www.theguardian.com
