#big-tech

#big-tech

We need to take a deep breath and understand it's like a meteor coming,

Since the start of 2025, many prominent big tech companies have publicly scaled back their DEI programs, in response to shifting requirements by the US government. Within days of taking office, President Trump signed an executive order prohibiting diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies within federal departments and sending a message and demanded civil investigations into companies that have such programs in place.

Amazon led the way after jumping 10.3%. The retail giant was by far the strongest force pushing upward on the market after reporting profit for the latest quarter that blew past analysts' expectations. CEO Andy Jassy said growth for its booming cloud-computing business has reaccelerated back to a pace it hasn't seen since 2022. Because Amazon is so massive, worth roughly $2.4 trillion, its stock movements carry more weight on the S&P 500 than almost any other company's.

The U.S. stock market seems to be steadying on Friday, as banks recover some of their sharp losses from the day before. The S&P 500 slipped 0.2% in midday trading. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 23 points, or 0.1%, as of 11:30 a.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was 0.5% lower. All three indexes drifted between gains and losses through the morning, but the moves weren't as jarring as the big hour-to-hour swings they had earlier in the week.

Facts are becoming less sacred by the day in Donald Trump's US, where many of his supporters now deny the very existence of truths. To them, inconvenient evidence is by definition bias. His followers and those who fear his fist are falling into line: media, universities and that infamous regiment of tech zillionaires who stood right behind him on inauguration day.

There is pressure, fair enough, but this is not about US companies, but about the misuse of market power, no matter where the headquarters are,

European laws have helped civilise the online landscape, but now we can only look on in envy at some new features launched by Apple that are not available to users here We said we wanted Big Tech to be regulated. But is it worth losing out on features and services? Maybe, maybe not. But there's now a gap opening between us and places like Britain and the US in mainstream services we can get from our tech because of new EU regulation.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Dana Schoolsky, a 24-year-old working in monetization strategy and operations at TikTok in New York City. It's been edited for length and clarity. When I worked in investment banking as an analyst, everything felt urgent, as if a fire alarm was going off at all times. I felt on edge even after leaving the office, never knowing when I might be called to action to do more work, which took a toll on me.

The tech industry's embrace of President Trump has left many of us asking the same question: What the hell happened to Silicon Valley? Is this merely a Big Tech ploy to negotiate favorable business circumstances, or does it point to a long-term ideological shift? On Tuesday, WIRED's panel of experts will discuss the impact that Trump has had on tech, and vice versa.

vocal and growing group of conservatives who are fundamentally suspicious of the benefits of technological innovation,

Google dodged a breakup that would have included selling its Chrome browser after a judge ruled against the government's toughest proposals in the biggest antitrust case in three decades. The decision was also a big win for Apple, as Google will still be allowed to pay its partners. Apple gets about $20 billion a year for making Google search the default on iPhones. Alphabet shares rallied 8%, touching a record high; Apple rose 2%.

* Google avoids having to spin off Chrome. [Law360] * Lawyers using time saved by AI for more work. [Legal Cheek] * Charging documents for former Biglaw associate arrested in D.C. say someone said hostile things to National Guard troops and a day later they decided it was him. We might have another no bill on our hands. [National Law Journal]

Wall Street is sinking on Tuesday as rising pressure from the bond market pulls U.S. stocks further from their records. The S&P 500 fell 1.1% and was on track for its worst day in a month. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 412 points, or 0.9%, as of 2:30 p.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was 1.3% lower. All three are still relatively close to their recently set all-time highs.

The market dropped almost 20% in April. It is now 34% above its 52-week high. There is no single reason to think it will stop rising, except that it is already rising. The market is expensive, based on S&P ratio yardsticks. However, strong earnings, particularly in the big tech sector, can offset this. Big tech rules the market value. Big tech earnings were super.