Trump is still in office, but the era of gangster tech regulation needs to end.
Trump is still in office, but the era of gangster tech regulation needs to end.
by Adi RobertsonNov 4, 2026, 3:02 PM UTCImage: Cath Virginia / The Verge, Getty ImagesAdi Robertson is a senior tech and policy editor focused on online platforms and free expression. Adi has covered virtual and augmented reality, the history of computing, and more for The Verge since 2011.When Donald Trump began his second term as president, Silicon Valley gratefully embraced moral nihilism. Google, Amazon, Microsoft, and more collectively donated millions to Trump’s inauguration fund to ensure his favor in a new era of gangster tech regulation. Meta overhauled its content policy to allow calling gay people mentally ill and women property. Elon Musk started throwing Nazi salutes — yes, allegedly, but he would soon be posting nonstop about protecting the white race from extinction, so that’s the most fragile of fig leafs.
