A scorching potato: In a scathing critique of tech business leaders, Epic Video games founder and CEO Tim Sweeney has accused outstanding executives of cozying as much as President-elect Donald Trump in an try and affect anti-competitive insurance policies. Sweeney’s feedback, shared on the social media platform X, spotlight rising issues concerning the relationship between huge tech and the incoming administration.
Sweeney’s remarks comply with pledges from a number of main tech firms, together with Google and Apple, to donate $1 million to Trump’s inauguration. Apple CEO Tim Prepare dinner, who has solid a private relationship with Trump, is alleged to be making the contribution personally. This sudden shift in allegiance has not gone unnoticed, with Sweeney calling out the hypocrisy of tech leaders who beforehand aligned themselves with Democratic beliefs.
The Epic Video games CEO’s criticism is rooted in his ongoing battles with Apple and Google over smartphone software program distribution. Sweeney has lengthy advocated for the power to promote video games on iPhones and Android units with out being pressured to make use of the official app shops and cost processing techniques of those tech giants. He argues that the present system unfairly monopolizes the cell software program market.
After years of pretending to be Democrats, Large Tech leaders at the moment are pretending to be Republicans, in hopes of currying favor with the brand new administration. Watch out for the scummy monopoly marketing campaign to vilify competitors legislation as they rip off customers and crush opponents.
– Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic) January 10, 2025
Whereas Sweeney has made some progress in Europe, the scenario in the US stays largely unchanged. Final yr, he vowed to proceed combating till attaining “an final victory” over what he describes as Apple and Google’s “completely damaged imaginative and prescient for the world.”
The tech business’s obvious pivot towards the Trump administration is just not restricted to Apple and Google. Amazon and Meta have additionally made million-dollar donations to the inauguration. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has taken the extra step of stress-free Fb’s content material moderation insurance policies – a transfer broadly interpreted as an effort to achieve favor with the brand new administration.
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has additionally expressed enthusiasm for the incoming administration, stating that he would “like to personally congratulate Trump” and pledging that the GPU maker will do the whole lot in its energy to assist the brand new administration’s success.
The shift in perspective from tech leaders has not gone unnoticed by Trump himself. In December, the President-elect remarked on the change, saying, “The primary time period, everyone was combating me. On this time period, everyone needs to be my pal”.
Superior to see Roblox lastly combating the Apple tax. I hope that the present Epic v Apple contempt of courtroom continuing stops Apple’s ludicrous scare screens and junk charges, so that every one apps can ship customers to internet based mostly funds and move on the financial savings like this. https://t.co/Qi20cmDCtw
– Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic) November 26, 2024
Nonetheless, issues stay concerning the potential affect of this newfound alliance between huge tech and the Trump administration on antitrust enforcement. Whereas legislation agency Skadden predicts that aggressive antitrust motion is unlikely to vanish fully throughout Trump’s second time period, there are expectations of a softer method to such circumstances.
FTC Chair Lina Khan has expressed hope that firms like Amazon and Meta will not obtain “sweetheart offers” in upcoming antitrust trials. This sentiment underscores the continuing pressure between regulatory our bodies and tech giants, even because the latter look like aligning themselves extra carefully with the incoming administration.
