Trump 2.0: From Musk to Big Tech, how the US election result could reshape the tech industry

Many Big Tech leaders congratulated Donald Trump on his election win this week, with the incoming US president likely to impact industry regulation.

While it’s still unclear exactly how regulatory pressure on the companies will change, experts expect Trump’s second administration to influence social media, European tech, and cryptocurrencies.

Euronews Next takes a look at what we could expect for the tech sector in the US and Europe in the coming four years. 

SpaceX, Tesla, and X boss Elon Musk has been the most vocal Trump supporter in tech even before the election result was announced. 

In August, Trump said he “certainly would” name Musk to a cabinet or advisory role if elected, adding that the billionaire was “a brilliant guy”. Whether that would happen is unclear as there may be legal implications but, Musk will likely have the president-elect’s ear. 

In his victory speech, Trump said “Let me tell you, we have a new star... a star is born – Elon. He’s an amazing guy”.

But when it comes to other Big Tech companies, such as the likes of Google and Meta, under Trump “we can expect a highly selective approach to dealing with the tech giants,” said Max von Thun, director of Europe and transatlantic partnerships at the Brussels-based Open Markets Institute.

“Big Tech corporations seen as 'woke' or 'liberal' like Google or Meta will continue to face regulatory pressure, while others explicitly allied with or at least tacitly supportive of the administration – in particular, Musk’s X and to a lesser extent Bezos’ Amazon – may escape scrutiny”.

He also said that nationalistic arguments portraying the tech giants as US “national champions” in need of government protection would also have more sway under a Trump administration.

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