Eric Schmidt, former CEO of Google, called on Big Tech to be more involved in national security. This was criticized by Rep. Greg Steube (R.FL).
Schmidt has reportedly been tied to the defense industry for years, including through Obama’s Defense Department, and he supported Hillary Clinton’s failed 2016 presidential bid, according to Breitbart.
Schmidt told CNBC that the Russia-Ukraine war “is going to help solidify the tech companies’ understanding of why national security is important,” Breitbart reported. “The tech industry needs to support it.”
Steube, who sits on the House Judiciary Committee, slammed Schmidt’s suggestion in exclusive comments to MRC Free Speech America. “It would be incredibly dangerous to give Big Tech one more inch of power, especially when it comes to shaping the narrative of the security of the United States,” Steube said. “I’m working in Congress to rein in Big Tech’s power – we certainly shouldn’t expand it.” Steube was one of the Republicans who reintroduced the Protect Speech Act in 2021 to modify Section 230 protections.
Breitbart reports that the former Google CEO has been linked to defense industries for a long time. For instance, Breitbart reported that Schmidt chaired the Obama Defense Department’s “Defense Innovation Board” (DIB), created in 2016. According to The American Prospect, Schmidt contributed $63 million to the grant for Rebellion Defense. According to reports, the startup has connections with Biden’s administration.
Breitbart also reported that emails leaked to WikiLeaks indicated that Schmidt, while Google CEO, was working directly with Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign. CoinDesk reports that Schmidt also serves as a strategic advisor to Chainlink Labs blockchain project.
Schmidt claimed in CNBC’s interview that the recent conflict in Ukraine is proof that technology industry should be involved in national defense. “If you believed, falsely, that 10 years ago, that war had been eliminated, that conflict was eliminated, we didn’t need militaries and so forth to protect us, then you would say, ‘Let’s not work with the government, let’s not focus on this stuff,’” Schmidt reportedly told CNBC. “And I think we’ve unfortunately and horrifically put that argument to bed. We need a strong national security in our country, and the tech industry needs to support it.”
Schmidt, however, seems to support making private businesses official government agents and players in real foreign wars. This is the danger of social media companies’ recent moves to censor Russian state media, among other actions, since the Russian military’s invasion of Ukraine started last month.
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