Commentary
Since the 2020 election, the world has been a rollercoaster with many ups and downs, not only in our society, but our personal lives. With the rapid changes in the news cycle, one topic seems to reappear every couple of weeks: technology.
Whether it is the Biden administration fighting to retain the ability to work with tech companies for “safety” and “security,” or another tech company being exposed for stealing our data and selling our information to the highest bidder, or the advent of deep fakes and AI where we now question if we can believe what we see or hear, technology companies have ingrained themselves in every aspect of our lives to the point that they have decided that it is their responsibility to weigh in on the outcome of our elections, and thus, our freedom.
I had a front-row seat to witness the impact of Big Tech while serving in the Trump White House for four years, the last two setting up hundreds of rallies all across the country. Days after the 2020 election, we saw reports of Google manipulating users’ ability to find their voting precinct and other important election information. The RNC also saw a drastic drop in their email deliveries by double digits ahead of the 2022 elections. And let’s not forget Facebook Mogul Mark Zuckerberg whose ‘Zuck Bucks’ swayed election outcomes in 2020.
Knowing that the past predicts the future, knowing that none of these election problems have been solved, Americans have every right to question if the 2024 election will be any different.
Since the 2022 elections, the trends of technology companies playing a part in the 2024 election have only become more and more evident. Gone are the days of businesses focused on providing great customer service. The Twitter files revealed the lengths these unchecked, un-elected technology executives will go to impact the election to please the coastal elites and their DEI-focused shareholders. In 2023 and the early months of 2024, we have seen some major players enact new policies, making it easier to identify and suppress ideas that differ from theirs. We have also seen the unregulated rise of AI and the integration into the technology we use day in and day out, without the option to opt out. These tools can be used at the flip of the switch to decide what information can get to voters and what will get the authors or companies banned.
The biggest threat of all is looming in plain sight, just below the surface: the malignant cancel cancer that is killing everyone’s free speech.
For individuals who want to protect themselves, the seemingly obvious answer is to move to a non-political tech platform or even an aligned technology company. While this is a no-brainer in theory, for many, this decision has left them unknowingly exposed and even less prepared. The truth? Many of these companies still rely on and utilize the tech companies from which their customers are fleeing. While many claim to not be political or engage in censorship, the decision is not theirs, no matter the best intentions. The fact that Big Tech is still being utilized leaves the end customer in a position of false security. At the same time, the values of their technology may be aligned with the underlying technology services, leaving them gravely at risk. At any time, a big tech company can go to the middleman and demand that they either de-platform a specific customer or the middleman company will be de-platformed altogether. The most notable example of this behavior is when Parler was de-platformed by Amazon Web Services.
As we go into the 2024 elections, it is important that individuals are doing the proper due diligence and research. People must build continuity in their businesses, organizations, and personal lives to withstand everything these companies will subject their users to, including leveraging their partners in Silicon Valley. We must be strategic and aware of the pitfalls and who we give our money to. Which is precisely why, after leaving the White House, I built Liberation Technology Services. Freedom-loving Americans deserve a platform that Silicon Valley cannot leverage, that cancel culture can’t touch, and guarantees businesses and individuals services no matter what the political atmosphere becomes.
Don’t worry. All hope is not lost for Christians and Conservatives.
The best is yet to come?
