
Published 21/01/2025 13:05 | Edited 21/01/2025 15:10
The inauguration on Monday (20) of the President of the United States, Donald Trump, marked a point of inflection in the relationship between political power and private initiative. With a strong presence of billionaires linked to Big Techs and the financial sector, the event symbolized an unprecedented approach between republican administration and large technological corporations, raising questions about the impact of this connection on democracy and market regulation.
The three richest men in the world – Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg – were among the highlights of the ceremony. Added, they accumulate a fortune of over $ 900 billion, according to recent indices. Other big names, such as Alphabet’s Sunda Pichai, and Apple’s Tim Cook, also attended, consolidating what analysts described as the richest administration in US history.
The event took place amid a scenario of strategic rapprochement between Big Techs and the Trump administration. During his first term, the Republican President was the target of criticism from leaders in the sector, especially on topics such as climate change and immigration. However, tensions have dissipated in the face of common interests, such as reducing regulations, tax reliefs and flexibility of competition policies.
Trump’s campaign has received robust contributions from these corporations. Elon Musk, for example, allocated more than $ 200 million to his reelection and was presented with a strategic position in the government as a co-leader of the Government Efficiency Department. The entrepreneur will be prerogative to suggest changes in budgets and regulations, including areas directly linked to his business, such as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), currently investigating an accident involving a rocket of his Spacex company.
The proximity between the new administration and the tycoons is so strong that it is having a direct impact on the Washington real estate market. Billionaire entry into the city has increased the demand for luxury properties, reducing supply and inflating prices. Emblematic real estate, such as a georgetown mansion valued at $ 25 million, were acquired by cabinet members and Trump’s allies, reinforcing the presence of a new oligarchy in the heart of political power.
Big Techs executives seek to influence the government to curb global regulatory initiatives. Proposals for regulations in countries such as Germany, Australia and Brazil are seen as threats to the profit margins of these companies, which prefer to shape their policies from Washington.
For years, digital platforms have presented themselves as neutral spaces for public debate. However, recent changes in posture, such as the end of the checking of facts on Facebook and the use of X (former Twitter) to promote the extreme right aligned candidacies, raise doubts about the neutrality of these corporations. Analysts point out that the union between Big Techs and the Trump administration can turn these spaces into instruments of political and economic manipulation.
Trump administration also signals a foreign policy aimed at expanding the interests of these companies. The presence of Tiktok CEO, Shou Chew, in possession is an example. Despite old clashes, the Chinese app seems to have guaranteed space in the government, aligning with electoral engagement strategies and influence on young people.
Given this, appeals grow by more rigid global regulations to contain the excesses of the big techs. Experts warn that the lack of control over these corporations not only weakens the sovereignty of countries, but also compromises the very integrity of democracies, turning digital platforms into arenas of misinformation and intolerance.
With a government that seems willing to meet the interests of a billionaire elite, the challenge for the rest of the world will be to maintain a balance between technological advances and the guarantee of fundamental rights. Never has global regulation been so urgent.
Source: vermelho.org.br