Big Tech Leaders Are Republican Wannabees, Says Epic Games CEO
On January 12, Tim Sweeney, CEO of Epic Games, criticized Silicon Valley’s tech leaders are on their way to become what could be labeled as “Republican Big Tech Chiefs”, warning that anti-competitive practices could harm consumers and small businesses.
In a tweet on X, Sweeney accused Big Tech giants, accusing that “After years of pretending to be Democrats, Big Tech leaders are now pretending to be Republicans, in hopes of currying favor with the new administration.” Tim also warned the public about efforts to vilify competition law, describing it as a “scummy monopoly campaign.”
Sweeney’s frustration with Big Tech lobbying Trump comes from Epic Games’ dispute with Apple and Google over mobile software control. Epic wants to distribute games like Fortnite independently on iPhones and Android devices without paying steep commissions to both tech giants.
Sweeney has also clashed with Apple, scrutinizing how many tech giants aligned themselves and their company values with the incoming Trump administration to guarantee their favorable treatment from the President-elect.
Apple CEO Tim Cook and Google CEO Sundar Pichai each reportedly donated $1 million to Trump’s inauguration, while Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg allegedly eased Facebook’s content moderation policies on Thursday, to appeal to Trump’s political base and change any republican view on Big Tech. Amazon also contributed $1 million.
Nvidia Chief Executive Jensen Huang praised Trump and expressed readiness to assist his administration, though Nvidia hasn’t disclosed any financial donation.
https://x.com/TimSweeneyEpic/status/1877822499963944988?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1877822499963944988%7Ctwgr%5Ebadbfe3e384e8d4ecd4fb40c15ddc7f88ccd48ea%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.businesstoday.in%2Ftechnology%2Fnews%2Fstory%2Fbig-tech-leaders-are-pretending-to-be-republicans-epic-games-ceo-criticises-meta-google-apples-support-for-trump-460514-2025-01-13
Sweeney’s letter echoes concern by many that President-elect. Donald Trump and Big Tech make take a more lenient stance on antitrust enforcement with tech leaders. As head of the Federal and Trade Commission (FTC), Lina Khan has expressed a desire to take aggressive action on antitrust, but some question whether the administration is similarly committed.
Khan, during a news conference last week, said she hopes companies like Amazon and Meta don’t get favorable treatment in upcoming antitrust cases.
Sweeney vowed to keep fighting what he called Apple and Google’s “totally broken vision for the world,” but while his campaign is gaining European momentum, it has more limited success in the US.
Analysts say such corporate donations and public support Republican big tech wannabe’s and the Trump administration are attempts at manipulating policy to their benefit. They hope, in turn, to win favor from the president elect through reduced regulatory pressure and stopping of serious antitrust action.
Will the Change Bypass Trump?
The move by Republican Big Tech leaders” questions whether shifting views can secure permanent favor for their agendas. Sweeney’s critique was on on-point when highlighted that the tech leaders are “pretending to be Republicans” leads to a larger strategy of identifying with whoever’s in power to serve their business interests. This, on its very own, indicates that the dearly loved Big Tech leaders are willing to sell their principles in order to prioritize business gains.
Whether these Republican stance on Big Tech changes will have an intended effect is something that time will tell. To the extent that big tech’s advances to the Trump administration might insulate them from regulatory pressure in the near term, they also risk isolating smaller companies and consumers who increasingly see the anti competitive practices by Big Tech companies. What’s more, Sweeney’s fight for change to not cause damage.
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