The incoming Trump administration could mean big changes in the government’s relationship with tech companies in ways that could affect users, ranging from the content they might see online to whether they could be confronted with discriminatory AI systems. President-elect Donald Trump and many of his allies have had a combative relationship with tech giants –— repeatedly accusing them of having too much power and sometimes wielding it in ways that negatively impacted him . It was during Trump’s first administration that conversations about banning TikTok first began and a lawsuit that could now lead to the breakup of Google was filed.
He sought to swat down legal protections for tech platforms. And several months ago, he threatened to throw Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg into prison. But since his last term, Trump has apparently made a 180-degree-turn on many tech-related issues.
He’s suggested he no longer wants to ban TikTok or break up Google – although it’s not clear he’ll be able to stop the train on either issue. He now has his own social media platform, Truth Social, which would almost certainly be subject to whatever new rules he tries to impose on rivals. And he has Elon Musk in his ear, who has suggested he will push for deregulation and unfettered tech innovation.
As Big Tech leaders — many of whom sought to curry favor by congratulating Trump as soon as the election result was called — now await inauguration day, here are five of the biggest questio.
