The Tech Industry – Just Another Greedy Anti-American Industry Putting Profit Over Nation

Using Their Millions to Fight Revealing Who is Buying Advertising – Including Russians Trying to Fix the Elections

It is hard to imagine an industry that has gotten more support from the United States than the tech industry. The industry has been the recipient of massive aid in the form of government sponsored research and government funded education. And now the nation is calling on the industry to help unmask foreign influence in American democracy.

Senator John McCain and two Democratic senators moved on Thursday to force Facebook, Google and other internet companies to disclose who is purchasing online political advertising, after revelations that Russian-linked operatives bought deceptive ads in the run-up to the 2016 election with no disclosure required.

The industry reaction is about as anti-American as is possible.

But the tech industry, which has worked to thwart previous efforts to mandate such disclosure, is mobilizing an army of lobbyists and lawyers — including a senior adviser to Hillary Clinton’s campaign — to help shape proposed regulations. Long before the 2016 election, the adviser, Marc E. Elias, helped Facebook and Google request exemptions from the Federal Election Commission to existing disclosure rules, arguing that ads on the respective platforms were too small to fit disclaimers listing their sponsors.

Now Mr. Elias’s high-powered Democratic election law firm, Perkins Coie, is helping the companies navigate legal and regulatory issues arising from scrutiny of the Russian-linked ads, which critics say might have been flagged by the disclaimers. In a two-front war, tech companies are targeting an election commission rule-making process that was restarted last month and a legislative effort in the Senate.

What is it that makes a person who is worth millions and billions turn upon the very nation that enabled him or her to get that wealth?