Financial Times Discovers Big Tech Is Not a Charity, Shocking Silicon Valley
The Financial Times, ever vigilant, has diagnosed Big Tech with a 'victim complex' because, presumably, being a multi-trillion-dollar entity with vast lobbying power (Apple spent $9.5M on lobbying in 2023, per OpenSecrets) and a global reach is just so… confining. The article touches on some of Washington's 'power ministries' being influenced, which is a delicate way of saying corporate interests
have bought a permanent seat at the legislative table, often at the public's expense. Think tanks and policy makers, not just politicians, are perpetually funded by these 'victims.' Just ask the American Enterprise Institute, which routinely features friendly tech policy discussions, often funded by tech giants themselves. One might wonder if their complex stems from the sheer inconvenience of
having to pretend they operate in a free market, rather than a system they've largely shaped to their own advantage. How many antitrust lawsuits do you need to successfully navigate, or regulations to skirt, before you realize you're not the one being victimized? Perhaps their tears are just lubricant for the gears of further deregulation.