A look at Democratic VP candidate Kamala Harris' deep ties to Big Tech, fostered during years in California, as critics say she did little to curb their power
Silicon Valley has enthusiastically backed Ms. Harris since she first ran for state attorney general in California a decade ago. Tweets: @kenvogel , @kenvogel , and @daiwaka Tweets: Kenneth P. Vogel / @kenvogel : NEW: As California A.G., @KamalaHarris did little to curb the power of tech giants, & as Senator she has often moved in lock step with them, say tech critics. That's fueled concern that a BIDEN-HARRIS admin. won't clamp down on anti-competitive practices. https://www.nytimes.com/... Kenneth P. Vogel / @kenvogel : KAMALA HARRIS & BIG TECH: Tech giants “probably feel like they have one of their own and that at the margin this is going to help push back against any reform,” says @HalSinger. https://www.nytimes.com/... Daisuke Wakabayashi / @daiwaka : In her speech, Kamala Harris highlighted her roots in the Bay Area, which means like many people here, she also has deep connections to the tech world. What does that mean for a potential Biden presidency? Story w @stefsaul @kenvogel https://www.nytimes.com/...
Context & Ripple Effects
When Biden named Harris his running mate, the choice landed where her career began: Silicon Valley had backed her since her first run for California attorney general, and the pick was read as good news for tech executives who had spent years dodging bipartisan criticism in Washington. The Times' reporting sharpened the worry — as state A.G. she did little to curb the giants, and as senator she often moved in lock step with them.
First-order effects
- Tech giants enter a possible Biden-Harris administration with a probable ally at the vice presidency, easing immediate fears of aggressive antitrust action against their anti-competitive practices.
- Big Tech's critics — the antitrust voices who wanted breakups or curbs on platform power — lose ground, since Harris had dodged questions about breaking up the companies rather than endorsing it.
Second-order effects
- The donor relationship deepens both ways: enthusiasm in Silicon Valley translates into fundraising strength for the ticket, giving tech money unusual proximity to Democratic power.
- Any future tightening of tech policy would have to route around Harris' record, forcing regulators and congressional antitrust hawks to test how much appetite a Harris-influenced administration actually has.
Third-order effects
- If the pattern holds, US antitrust posture toward Big Tech becomes a function of personal and financial ties between the sector and senior officials rather than party doctrine alone — a reading confirmed when the same critique resurfaced in 2024, with some in Silicon Valley hoping Harris offers a reset after years of bipartisan criticism while critics fear she could abandon the Democrats' aggressive stance.
The trend: Big Tech's regulatory exposure now tracks Kamala Harris' own arc — from indulged California A.G. to the official whose ties decide whether Washington clamps down.