US technology firms have been backing Republicans out of business necessity, but also in response to Biden's anti-tech moves. Now Apple, Google, and more are trying to mend fences.
Apple's Tim Cook has repeatedly been sycophantic to Trump, and earned tariff exemptions because of it. But then Cook also praised President Biden during his administration, and had to defend Apple's privacy policy at the same time.
Arguably, Democrats have been less in favor of Big Tech firms since President Obama embraced technology. Now according to Bloomberg, these firms have formed a lobbying group to make sure they get back in favor well before the midterms in November 2026.
"Tech had its political honeymoon, then we swung to divorce," said Adam Kovacevich, CEO of the group Chamber of Progress. "What we're seeking now is relationship counseling."
"You had a lot of people in Silicon Valley consider themselves Democrats for a long time, still do," he continued, "who really felt like Democrats went off the rails in the Biden era in their approach to tech policy."
Cynicism in lobbying
Kovacevich reportedly also said that he wants to go back to the early days of Obama when government and Big Tech were able to be mutually enthusiastic. The Chamber of Progress aims to advise Democrat policymakers and foster a more tech-friendly stance.
Yet the organization's Dave Vorland, previously with the Defense Department under Obama and Biden, seems to suggest that it isn't about wanting politics and Big Tech to understand one another better.
"If the tech industry and the wealth of the tech industry can serve as an anchor of the Democratic party, it frees up candidates other places to run on the fundamentals of their district," said Vorland. "You can go and hold a fundraiser in a place like Palo Alto or San Francisco, and then come back to your district with any value you hold."
That sounds like the Chamber of Progress is encouraging Democrats to promise Big Tech anything they want in order to raise money. And to then ignore any such promises when they go back campaigning.
There is an argument that a growing proportion of Democrats believe appearing to be anti-business is more vote-winning than before. The Chamber of Progress's new "Blue Horizon Project" will try to counter that by giving Democrats messages to appeal to the public.
"We want to shape the kind of Democrats who win in 2026, and we'd also like to start talking to the Democrats who are going to run for president in 2028," said Kovacevich. "Now is the time when even the staffer class starts thinking about which messages resonate."
Whatever the results of the midterms in 2026, or the next election in 2028, Big Tech will of course work to foster good relations with government. That will never change, but then perhaps neither will the fact that US government officials of all parties routinely display embarrassing incompetence regarding the technology they pass laws on.
