In September 2010, Kamala Harris First visit to the headquarters Google.The then-San Francisco district attorney, the first woman to hold the position, aspired to become attorney general California. His Stop at the offices From Mountain View she worked to reach out to tech giants, selling herself as a liberal who opposed states that “hindered the growth and development of companies.” A few days later, the company and its chief lawyer contributed $13,000 to her campaign, the maximum allowed at the time. However, the November referendum was against Harris won Election With a marginal difference of 0.8%.
Nearly 14 years later, Harris is the Democratic nominee for president USA. Re-election of the President. Historical resignation. Joe Biden The announcement last Sunday puts the vice president in a unique position to try to become the first woman in charge white House. Although the current administration has tightened its antitrust policies to try to limit the accumulation of power silicon ValleyHarris’s close ties with the Californian tech industry raise fears that a Blue victory would translate into a more lax and benign attitude toward abuses in the sector.
Friends of Silicon Valley
Harris has spent her entire professional life rubbing shoulders with California’s political and economic elite. The daughter of Indian and Jamaican immigrants, since 1990 she has built a career as a prosecutor closely linked to San Francisco’s high society, which helped fuel her political aspirations. Although she came from a family background that was more intellectual than wealthy, in just a few years Harris managed to become “a popular figure in a small world dominated by a handful of powerful families,” she explained. Political In 2019, some connection with creme de la creme He guaranteed he could easily raise money, making his jump to the Senate in 2017 easier.
Microsoft and EU clash over global computer failure that brought airports and banks to a standstillIn California, that circle of power is directly connected to Silicon Valley, which is historically close to Democratic causes. Over the course of her long career, Harris’s lack of a strong hold on the technology sector has opened the door to donations from billionaires such as Reid HoffmanCo-founder of Linkedin, sheryl sandbergformer director of Target, Jony IveFormer Senior Design Executive Manzana, John DoerrOne of the first investors Google; And Marc BenioffCEO of Sales ForceAlso the widow of Steve JobsPhilanthropist Laurene Powell Jobs hosted a fundraiser for Harris in her backyard in 2013. According to Reuters, she has always presented herself to donors as a “capitalist.”
This close relationship with the industry goes beyond the professional. Thus, Harris attended the wedding of shaun parkerFounder of Napster and one of its first directors Facebook and his brother-in-law, former prosecutor Tony West, is vice president and legal director Uber. Two of his former political advisers now work as lobbyists Amazon and Google. “Their family, friends and former employees are part of the revolving door between government and the technology industry,” he said. the new York Times In 2020.
conflicts of interest?
Critics accuse Harris of aligning herself with Silicon Valley interests. During her tenure as attorney general and senator, the now Democratic nominee refused to support regulatory measures for technology companies, such as legislation that would force them not to track users or legislation that calls for the removal of Uber’s driverless cars. “She presided over this era of great consolidation and power in the hands of technology giants and did nothing,” lamented Jamie Court, president of the consumer advocacy organization Consumer Watchdog.
On the contrary, its supporters say its proximity to the industry has made it easier to take action. For example, Harris’s pressure in 2015 reportedly helped companies like Twitter, Google one of two reddit Prohibit the distribution of so-called revenge porn, explicit images of a person that are shared without their consent.
7. Product Owner Day: Create excitement with the right product managementas the chairman of the USAHarris could continue Biden’s technology agenda. Still, her program does not detail her plans for the sector, a situation that remains unknown on several fronts. During her tenure as vice president, she has supported its regulation artificial intelligence (IA), but has not commented on the antitrust measures that seek to dissolve it Big Tech And they are stripped of protections that make them immune to the spread of hate-mongering content. Critics have warned that his advisers include employees and affiliates of these companies.
