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275 points belter | 22 comments | | HN request time: 1.461s | source | bottom
1. 9283409232 ◴[] No.43581840[source]
I did not expect this because of all the big tech companies, Apple has been the most antagonistic to Trump. I actually thought the FTC was going to come down hard on Apple this administration has a measure of revenge. Is Trump doing Apple a solid here hoping they return the favor?
replies(5): >>43581965 #>>43582133 #>>43582249 #>>43582699 #>>43583064 #
2. coldpie ◴[] No.43581965[source]
I'm confused how you came to this conclusion. Tim Cook donated millions of dollars to Trump personally, and Republican policies are extremely pro-big-tech so it makes sense that they would support each other. Anti-worker policies like this are exactly what I would have expected from this admin.
replies(2): >>43582175 #>>43582315 #
3. ToucanLoucan ◴[] No.43582133[source]
Not meaning to be a dick or anything, but you and folks like you are too focused on the surface level culture war crap. Apple is not activist, it's a business. It's progressive by corporate standards I guess, in that it isn't outwardly rejecting its minority employees (yet) but they'll still circle the wagons for the actual holders of power.

Capital has always sided with populists and always will, because populists reinforce the status quo capital benefits from. You'll see the same thing with ostensibly liberal establishment media organizations. Like their presenters may hate Trump and his administration on the outside, but their owners love the fact that they have millions of viewers re-glued to their televisions for the latest stupid bullshit the White House is pulling, and no matter what they may ideologically disagree on, Ellen DeGeneres and Donald Trump have INFINITELY more in common with one another than either do with any working class person.

To put it short: It's the MONEY son, the MONEY. Oh they'll bicker and spat at one another in public, sure, but most of these folks are perfectly fine with one another when the cameras aren't rolling. They don't give a shit. Rightly or wrongly, wealthy minority folk think they don't need to worry about the reactionary Right, and honestly, they're probably correct given how fixated said reactionaries are on Drag Queens supposedly being a threat to children when it feels like we have daily news stories of cops, clergy, and teachers diddling kids.

replies(1): >>43584376 #
4. righthand ◴[] No.43582175[source]
I wouldn't call Republican policies pro-big-tech considering they are behind the Tiktok ban. The policies are more anti-regulation, which big-tech wants right now.
replies(3): >>43582236 #>>43582281 #>>43585938 #
5. coldpie ◴[] No.43582236{3}[source]
> I wouldn't call Republican policies pro-big-tech considering they are behind the Tiktok ban.

The government stepping in and eliminating one of (American) big tech's biggest competitors is an extremely pro-(American)-big-tech move.

> The policies are more anti-regulation, which big-tech wants right now.

Well, yeah. Exactly. They're all on the same team. They want fewer barriers in the way of their quest for more personal power.

replies(1): >>43583876 #
6. ◴[] No.43582249[source]
7. jaxtracks ◴[] No.43582281{3}[source]
I'm confused, are you saying the TikTok ban is detrimental to US-based big tech? Seems like a forced sale is beneficial to them.

I was also under the impression we're also entering a regulatory climate where amount of regulation isn't so much decreasing (TikTok ban for example is heavy handed), but that big tech has much more involvement in forming that regulation, which is useful for moat-building.

I'm not too knowledgeable on these, it's just the general gist I've been picking up so far this year, looking for correction if I got the wrong idea.

replies(1): >>43582389 #
8. IG_Semmelweiss ◴[] No.43582389{4}[source]
>>>saying the TikTok ban is detrimental to US-based big tech?

Not op, but yes.

>>>Seems like a forced sale is beneficial to them.

Short term. Long term you are establishing a precedent that you can intervene and take away the power of any large tech player. If it can happen to tiktok it can happen to others.

Im not against tikton ban, but im against it in its current form , since its not for the right reason. (China plays unfair with us corps, we should reciprocate our treatment of their own in our borders. The law instead claims some US patriot act natsec prerogative bs)

replies(1): >>43584647 #
9. latexr ◴[] No.43582699[source]
> Apple has been the most antagonistic to Trump.

The most reluctant or the least vocal to comply, maybe, but far from antagonistic.

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/11/20/apple-ceo-tim-cook-and-preid...

https://www.reuters.com/technology/apple-ceo-tim-cook-meet-w...

https://variety.com/2025/digital/news/apple-ceo-tim-cook-don...

10. scarface_74 ◴[] No.43583064[source]
You don’t remember the dog and pony show Cook did with Trump about manufacturing Mac Pros in America - all ten of them that they sell in a year?
11. righthand ◴[] No.43583876{4}[source]
My point is that Republicans have anti-big-tech policies as well, not that interests don’t align.
replies(1): >>43585994 #
12. readthenotes1 ◴[] No.43584376[source]
An example of this is the charity roast in NYC in 2024. Trump and Schumer sharing a table laughing cordially....

https://youtu.be/XI0MUoW28VE?feature=shared

As for apple, their serfdom labor practice during Covid was shockingly public

https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2025/04/04/trump-a...?

(I call it serfdom labor because people were not allowed freedom of movement without threat of imprisonment.)

13. kube-system ◴[] No.43584647{5}[source]
What happened to TikTok legally cannot happen to any US-based tech company. The legislation uniquely targets foreign entities.
replies(2): >>43585153 #>>43586247 #
14. malcolmgreaves ◴[] No.43585153{6}[source]
The republicans have not been following the laws since they put Trump into the White House 8 years ago. Why do you think something like legality will stop them?
replies(1): >>43585228 #
15. kube-system ◴[] No.43585228{7}[source]
I'm making the argument in the context of a concern about the TikTok ban. If laws don't matter then the entire conversation is irrelevant.
16. nemothekid ◴[] No.43585938{3}[source]
>wouldn't call Republican policies pro-big-tech considering they are behind the Tiktok ban

The USG forcing a sale of the 3rd largest social media platform to FAANG from China is extremely pro-big-tech.

Also, the most recent administration is seeped with VCs. The Vice President JD Vance is a Peter Thiel protege.

replies(1): >>43586494 #
17. coldpie ◴[] No.43585994{5}[source]
I can't really think of any? Like sure, there's not going to be 100% agreement on every possible thing, but by and large Republican policies mean more power for big companies, and less oversight and consumer and employee protections. This is probably the most big-tech-friendly political environment the country has ever seen.
replies(1): >>43586331 #
18. pseudalopex ◴[] No.43586247{6}[source]
I thought it was clear they meant other legislation targeting other companies could be passed.
19. righthand ◴[] No.43586331{6}[source]
Are you familiar with Section 230?
replies(1): >>43587443 #
20. righthand ◴[] No.43586494{4}[source]
If Republicans were aligned with Big Tech, then why did Big Tech have to make donations to DT’s Inauguration? The money is the money is the alignment.
21. coldpie ◴[] No.43587443{7}[source]
Sure. Is something happening to it other than newspaper OPEDs?
replies(1): >>43588449 #
22. righthand ◴[] No.43588449{8}[source]
Okay I guess we’ll play pretend and wait and see.