For years, the tech giants painted themselves as the inflated heralds of a new, progressive era. They championed diversity, equity, and inclusion like it was going out of style. Hell, they practically invented the term "DEI" and wore it like a badge of honor. Every press release, every company blog post, every CEO's Twitter feed was awash with promises of a more inclusive future. They were going to change the world, one algorithm at a time.
And it was all bullshit.
Now, don't get me wrong. I'm sure some of those tech bros genuinely believed in what they were selling. They probably went home at night, patting themselves on the back for being on the "right side of history." But when push came to shove, when the political winds shifted, all that high-minded idealism went right out the window faster than you can say "stock options."
The tech industry has always had a sycophantic streak a mile wide. They're like those kids in high school who'd do anything to sit at the cool table. Except in this case, the cool table is occupied by whoever holds the reins of power. And since 2016, they've convinced themselves that power lies squarely with the right wing. They took one lesson away from Donald Trump’s Presidency - Maybe white supremacy is the Real Deal.
These folks want you to believe that they are some of the smartest people on the planet, creators of world-changing technologies, and yet they're as susceptible to the allure of power as any two-bit politician. Maybe even more so, because they've convinced themselves that they're above it all. They're not playing politics, oh no. They're just being "pragmatic."
But let's call it what it is: a betrayal. A betrayal of every DEI investment they ever made, of every promise to create a more equitable digital landscape. It's as if they took all those lofty ideals, all those carefully crafted mission statements about making the world a better place, crumpled them up, and tossed them in the digital trash bin.
Remember when social media platforms were falling over themselves to assure us they were taking content moderation seriously? They hired armies of moderators, developed sophisticated AI systems, all in the name of creating "safe spaces" online. Fast forward a few years, and what do we see? A landscape so toxic it makes the comments section of Something Awful circa 2008 look like a haven of civil discourse.
Why? Because suddenly, enforcing community standards became "censorship." Removing harmful content became "stifling free speech." And our tech overlords, ever eager to please their new right-wing masters, were all too happy to let the floodgates open. After all, engagement is engagement, right? Who cares if it's driven by hate speech and misinformation?
The abandonment of ethics and morality in tech was disappointing, sure; but it's also downright fucking dangerous. These companies wield unprecedented power over our lives, our democracies, our very perception of reality. And they've decided to wield that power not in service of the greater good, but in service of whoever they think can protect their bottom line.
It's a short-sighted strategy, of course. Power is fickle, especially in the world of politics. Today's kingmaker is tomorrow's pariah. But the tech industry, for all its talk of disruption and innovation, has always been remarkably bad at seeing the big picture when it comes to social and political trends.
Which brings us to the delicious irony that's about to unfold.
Picture this: it's November 2024. Kamala Harris has just been elected President of the United States. And suddenly, as if by magic, every tech CEO in Silicon Valley remembers that they actually do give a shit about humans after all.
Watch as they scramble to dust off those old DEI initiatives. Marvel as they suddenly rediscover the importance of responsible content moderation. Gape in awe as they trip over themselves to prove just how progressive and forward-thinking they've always been.
It's going to be a bloody exercise in corporate gaslighting. They'll rewrite history faster than they can update their algorithms. "We've always been committed to creating an inclusive digital environment," they'll say, conveniently forgetting the years they spent paying their dues and kissing the ring to right-wing talking points. "We've always understood the importance of ethical technology," they'll claim, as if we can't remember the time they treated morality like an outdated piece of software.
The tech industry's ability to pivot on a dime would be impressive if it wasn't so utterly cynical. But we're not stupid. We can choose to see through their bullshit. We can choose to remember their betrayals, their abandonments, their moral failings.
The question is, will it matter? Will there be any real consequences for their fair-weather ethics? Or will we, as a society, be so relieved to see them pretending to care again that we'll willingly participate in this collective delusion?
History suggests the latter. We humans have an remarkable capacity for forgiveness, especially when it comes to our technological overlords. We'll grumble and complain, maybe fire off a few angry tweets (on the very platforms we're criticizing, of course), but at the end of the day, we'll keep scrolling, keep clicking, keep engaging.
And that, perhaps, is the real problem. The tech industry's moral flexibility is a reflection of our own. We demand better from them, but do we demand better from ourselves? Do we put our money, our data, our attention where our mouths are? Or do we, like the tech companies we criticize, bow to the god of convenience and look the other way when confronted with ethical dilemmas?
The truth is, the tech industry's drift to the right, their betrayal of progressive values, their sycophantic instinct to bow to power – it's all a mirror held up to our society. We get the tech industry we deserve, for better or worse.
So yes, it's going to be fucking beautiful to watch them all pivot back to pretending they give a shit about humans if Kamala wins in November. It'll be a spectacle for the ages, a case study in corporate hypocrisy that will be taught in business schools for years to come.
But let's not kid ourselves. This cycle will repeat itself, again and again, until we decide to break it. Until we, as consumers, as citizens, as human beings, decide that we're not going to tolerate this moral whiplash anymore. Until we demand genuine, consistent ethical behavior from the companies that shape our world, not just when it's politically convenient, but all the time.
The tech industry's dance with power isn't just about them. It's about us. It's about the kind of digital world we want to live in, the kind of society we want to build. And if we're not careful, if we don't start holding these companies accountable, we will keep on waking up to find that the power they've been so eager to court has been turned against us.
There is an implicit danger in putting our faith in corporate entities to be the guardians of our values; progress isn't a straight line, and even the most progressive-seeming institutions can be swayed by the allure of power and profit.
Now, I could be wrong. My read could be entirely off. We could see another Trump victory in November.
And if that happens, God fucking help us.
But I don’t think it’s coming.
I think the pendulum is swinging back.
So enjoy the show when the great tech pivot of 2024 happens. Laugh at the absurdity of it all. But then, when the laughter dies down, ask yourself: what the fuck are you going to do about it? The tech industry's betrayal of societal ideals is a tragedy, sure. But the real tragedy would be if we let them get away with it. Again. And again. And again. Because at that point, the joke's not on them anymore. It's on us.
