Once upon a time, the tech industry had little interest in the grubby business of partisan politics. For startup founders and Big Tech executives alike, innovation and growth were the only pursuits deemed worthy of their ilk.
Occasionally, if Washington, D.C., did something that threatened business interests—as was the case with SOPA and Net Neutrality—techies would rally. Otherwise, the debasing act of getting political was a job delegated to the lobbyists.
You'd never know it today from the way Silicon Valley's tech elites are behaving. Take Elon Musk's sharing of an edited video of a Kamala Harris campaign ad, in which the presidential candidate's AI-altered voice describes herself as a "diversity hire." Some, including California Gov. Gavin Newsom, accused Musk of deception by posting a manipulated deepfake video. Musk shot back, pointing out that the video was clearly labeled a parody and therefore not deceptive.
Intentionally deceptive or not, the fact that such a prominent tech executive is actively engaging in sophomoric political antics is a striking change from the tech scene of old.
Fortune's Jessica Mathews took a close look at the situation in a recent story about Silicon Valley's descent into political theater. The division between Trump supporters and Team Kamala has resulted in frequent public spats between tech founders and VCs and vows to break business ties with those on the other side of the aisle.
As Sequoia Capital partner Shaun Macguire, who donated $300,000 to Trump's campaign, told Mathews:
“I lost lots of friends and disappointed family as well,” he said. "But that’s ok, I was expecting it. It’s sad we live in a time of such extreme polarization.”
Indeed it is.
Alexei Oreskovic
Want to send thoughts or suggestions to Data Sheet? Drop a line here.
