Trump’s inauguration was a historic day — marking the first time in history that the United States has ever elected a convicted felon to office. Among those present, some noticed various tech giants such as Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos, Sudar Picha, and Shou Zo Chew (although he was not seated as close to the president as the others). Not to mention Elon Musk and Robert F. Kennedy Jr, who are both involved with Trump’s cabinet and CEOs of their own companies. This came days after the brief ban on TikTok that left content creators scrambling, only for the app to reappear the next day with a message praising the newly elected president (despite the fact the ban was initially Trump’s idea). Since then, people have noticed a growth in their social media being a bit more right-leaning. As more and more companies roll back their DEI initiatives, people are left wondering what role these millionaires and billionaires will play in Trump’s America.
This leads me to believe the TikTok ban and revival was a message from Trump —that he would ban apps that he found went against him and his cabinet, and those who would praise him would be saved. It’s a tactic to control the media and the average person’s consumption of news.
The important thing to remember is that most of those who attended the inauguration did not have a position in the government. That shift in these CEOS apps, however, isn’t coincidental. This shift seems like a company decision, and while not surprising, is extremely concerning. Most adults use social media daily, and whether we like it or not, the things we see in those algorithms do affect us. It scares me greatly to see this fear tactic work.
While this is all speculation on my part, of course, the fact is that the presence of these men at the inauguration undeniably sends a message: They will at least tolerate Trump. Their presence communicates a level of support for the new president, who has been intent on hatred. I wish this surprised me, but it doesn’t. For years, the most wealthy and powerful men in society have proven they are willing to use their massive influence to benefit themselves exclusively (such as choosing to sell user data, using algorithms they know can harm users’ mental state, and partnering to push political messaging). They would rather feed people misinformation than take responsibility for their platforms.
They stand to gain, so they choose to side with the president. They have the choice to use their power to stand up for others, but again the pocketbook wins.
The real kicker is that without action, these men won’t see the very real issues their actions are causing. I urge you to please rate their apps poorly. Look closely at your feed for the right-wing content they are choosing to put into it. When they go along with Trump’s delusions of monarchy, call it out. They wanted to choose money over human rights so show them just how much money it will cost them.
