Five months into his second presidency, Donald Trump is already ushering in a new era of imperial technological governance in which both domestic and foreign regulatory authorities are subordinated to a U.S. administration increasingly dominated by Big Tech.
Silicon Valley has cultivated its political influence through aggressive lobbying and strategic presidential appointments. Now, despite the tech industry’s distaste for Trump’s tariffs and policy priorities, its efforts are paying off, as Republican leaders work to stymie tech regulation not just in Congress — where legislative progress was always unlikely — but also at the state level and around the world.
As part of Trump’s “big, beautiful” budget bill, lawmakers are considering a decadelong ban that would block U.S. states from regulating AI. The proposed ban would severely undermine efforts to mandate transparency in AI systems, protect consumers from algorithmic price fixing and curb worker surveillance. Although it’s unlikely to survive the Senate’s procedural rules, Republican Sen. Ted Cruz has pledged to pursue a similar prohibition in future legislation.
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