Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a conservative and likely candidate for the 2024 presidential election, has called for the breakup of dominant technology firms like Google and Meta, saying they are “ruining our country” and pose a greater threat to society than monopolistic industry titans like Standard Oil from the Gilded Age.
DeSantis has been critical of tech companies in the past, but this is the first time he has called for an all-out breakup. This puts him further in the anti-tech camp than most of his fellow Republicans and even some Democrats. He recently went to battle with the tech industry over a so-called anti-deplatforming law, which would prevent platforms from banning conservative users or moderating political candidates’ speech.
DeSantis believes that Silicon Valley’s tech behemoths are “exercising a more negative influence on our society than the trust that got broken up in the early 20th century. And so, I think you need to be strong about it.” He also believes that protecting the rights of individuals to participate in political speech is an appropriate role for the government.
DeSantis’ criticism of tech companies is not always evenly distributed. He regularly criticizes companies that he views as promoting a “woke mind virus,” but also supports companies that take a different stance.
The sentiment that DeSantis expressed regarding the need to break up Big Tech firms was echoed earlier this month by Department of Justice assistant attorney general and top Antitrust cop Jonathan Kanter.
The sources for this piece include an article in Gizmodo.