Zuck, Thiel, and Musk: The Dance of Silicon Valley and Politics
The tech world is gearing up for Trump. This preparation, reflected in the statements made by Silicon Valley magnates since the beginning of the year, has brought unprecedented dynamism to Western democracies not seen since World War II. As traditional parties waver and more fringe movements gain traction, we witness an era where tech moguls become increasingly visible political players. Let’s examine who said what and how these discussions might affect the rest of the world.
Peter Thiel is one of Silicon Valley’s intriguing characters and an investor in companies like Facebook and Palantir. Thiel evolved into a conservative opposed to extreme liberalism. His latest article poses a series of provocative questions: Could the COVID-19 virus have originated from a bioweapons program conducted jointly with China? Are last summer’s court rulings to ban Twitter in Brazil or Australia’s regulations prohibiting social media for those under 16 the result of directives from the American deep state? Could all this even tie back to the Jeffrey Epstein scandal? Please don’t take my word for it; you can find his piece published in the Financial Times. The fact that these conspiracy theories, typically confined to Trump supporters, are now being articulated by Peter Thiel is newsworthy and likely why the Financial Times decided to publish it.
The most explosive remarks, however, came from Mark Zuckerberg, owner of Facebook/Meta. After banning Trump’s accounts following the storming of the U.S. Capitol in 2021, Zuckerberg has been signaling since summer that he might reverse course, sensing Trump’s potential victory. His recent statements highlight two key points: First, the fact-checking feature on Facebook and Instagram will be removed. Starting in the U.S., this change is expected to expand to other countries soon. Additionally, there will be more emphasis on political content, effectively reversing all measures implemented after the Cambridge Analytica scandal in 2016 — just as Trump would prefer.
The second critical point in Zuckerberg’s remarks involves seeking Trump’s support against overly aggressive regulations targeting tech companies in Europe and elsewhere. In 2018, Microsoft President Brad Smith described global digital companies like Facebook as “Digital Switzerlands.” I’ve always liked this analogy, which captures two main aspects: First, like a state, these companies set their own rules and negotiate with nation-states. Second, they remain neutral in disputes between states and focus solely on their work. However, it seems this second aspect is no longer viable. Zuckerberg, faced with challenges from laws like the Digital Services Act, Digital Markets Act, and AI Act, wants back from the American government. He’s saying to Trump, “I delivered what you wanted; now you support me.” The U.S. has never provided diplomatic support in such matters, but this time might differ. According to yesterday’s Financial Times headline, investigations initiated by Brussels into companies like Apple, Meta, and Google are now under review.
Now, let’s talk about Elon Musk. Musk did everything he could to support Trump’s victory during the election process. As a result, Musk is now one of Trump’s closest allies and will hold a position in his cabinet. But Musk’s political ambitions aren’t limited to the U.S. Recently, he penned an article in one of Germany’s largest newspapers, Die Welt, declaring his support for the far-right AfD party in the German elections. His analysis of Germany’s issues aligns closely with my December 6 commentary (great minds think alike!). Musk later announced his support for the Reform Party in the U.K., though he added that the party wouldn’t succeed under its current leadership and suggested Nigel Farage step down. With four years until the U.K. elections, Musk is always playing the long game.
The relationship between Silicon Valley tycoons and the American government increasingly resembles the state-oligarch dynamics seen in Russia. While “you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours” arrangements have always existed between the U.S. government and the private sector, they were typically conducted behind closed doors, with companies maintaining a facade of neutrality. Silicon Valley moguls, however, are conducting these dealings transparently. How this new reality will impact the trajectory of liberal democracy worldwide remains to be seen.
One thing is sure: Turkey will not be immune to the ripple effects of these developments. I wonder what Elon Musk thinks about elections in Turkey.
This article is a translated version of which was “Zuck, Thiel ve Musk: Silikon Vadisi ile Siyasetin Dansı” initially published in Economic Daily (Nasıl Bir Ekonomi Gazetesi) on January 17, 2025.
