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Editorial Note: Opinions and thoughts are the author’s own and not those of AFROTECH™. Decisive — that’s the word that best captures what the world witnessed on Election Day 2024. Not only did Donald Trump secure a win to become president-elect but the Republicans also took control of the Senate. With this level of unified power, the Trump administration is poised to pursue its agenda unimpeded. Previously, I discussed the contrasting relationships that Vice President Kamala Harris and President-Elect Trump have with the tech industry. Now, with Trump positioned to shape federal policy toward tech, it’s time to explore what this shift means for those working in or aspiring to join the industry. I’ll dive into the new opportunities Trump’s administration may create, those it could curtail, and how these changes impact you. “Make America Great Again” has been the rallying cry for the Trump campaign and administration since he stepped on the scene. With him back in the Oval Office, one...
Editorial Note: Opinions and thoughts are the author’s own and not those of AFROTECH™. Before Vice President Kamala Harris replaced Joe Biden as the Democratic ticket’s front-runner, support for the party was low among the tech industry. In fact, many who now back Harris had previously withheld support from Biden, even favoring Trump over the Democratic candidate. Ben Horowitz, the co-founder of Andreessen Horowitz, is one of those people who recently shifted their support in favor of Harris. After Harris took over the ticket in July, the energy across the tech industry shifted significantly, leading to the formation of new groups representing tech professionals — groups that hadn’t emerged during Biden’s campaign. These groups are VCs for Kamala and Founders for Kamala. They have raised money for her campaign and increased awareness of her positions on key issues impacting the tech industry. I will cover the tech industry’s sentiment under Biden, the current shift with Kamala as...
As a Black woman tech executive at Amazon, Mamar Gelaye is on a mission to diversify the industry. Gelaye, an Ethiopia native, has a decades-long career spanning more than 20 years that dates back to her time as a management consultant at Accenture. Her interest in technology was evident while attending the University of Tennessee, where she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. She even worked on a hybrid electric vehicle project during this time. Belief In Technology Her faith in the advancements of technology remained strong, and following her time at Accenture, she pursued roles that reflected this. “I just really understood that technology was going to transform a great deal. I just understood that software was gonna control the machine,” she explained. “So when I left management consulting, I went into large industrial companies that were kind of big manufacturing, but manufacturing through automation, through kind of transformational engineering.” In...
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is among the countries facing a humanitarian crisis. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) reported that it’s not only experiencing one of the world’s longest humanitarian crises but also one of the most complex. A most prevalent issue in the DRC is child labor. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, nearly 25,000 children work in cobalt mines. Despite the alarming rate of exploitation, a case in the U.S. regarding the matter has ended with the defendants not found at fault. Previously, in 2022, Apple, Alphabet Inc. (Google), Dell, Microsoft, and Tesla were said to have been “knowingly benefiting from and aiding and abetting the cruel and brutal use of young children in the Democratic Republic of Congo to mine cobalt,” according to ABC News. However, in March 2024, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia found the five tech giants not liable due to only having an “ordinary buyer-seller transaction” with...
Mark Zuckerberg has revealed an upcoming Meta product. During an interview with live streamer Roberto Nickson, the Meta founder and CEO spoke about what he envisions the future will look like for the company’s Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses. According to Zuckerberg, that vision includes a new wearable technology. “I think we’ll start getting some consumer neural interfaces soon, and that’s gonna be pretty wild,” Zuckerberg told Nickson. “I’m not talking about something that jacks into your brain. I’m talking about something that you wear on your wrist that can basically read neural signals that your brain sends through your nerves to your hand to basically move it in different subtle ways that are maybe not perceptible to people around you, but we’re basically able to read those signals and be able to use that to control your glasses or other computing devices.” Along with emphasizing that the device wouldn’t be placed in the brain, Zuckerberg shared that the innovative idea is still in...
The beautiful thing about fine art, specifically music, is that it speaks to the issues of the time. Often, those songs are made to address certain historic moments but end up being a case study of sorts for the future. It can be seen across genres in songs such as Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On” or Walter Hawkin’s “Thank You Lord,” where in one of the verses he sings, “economies down, people can’t get enough pay.” Although some of these songs were produced well before the issues of today, they are perpetual concerns that society has found itself facing again and again. Those same messages are on par with the pain points many people feel and are going through. One of those pain points is the economy’s impact on the job industry, and it has now impacted what is known as the happiest place on Earth. According to The Wall Street Journal, Disney is part of the long list of employers recently announcing layoffs. The Florida-based company eliminated its entire Metaverse division. At its...
It’s no secret that Silicon Valley companies don’t support their workers unionizing, but employees have been pushing back recently. After the civil unrest last summer following the death of George Floyd, employees across the nation have been calling on their leadership to make actionable changes on the front of diversity, equity and inclusion. By definition, labor unions are organized associations of workers, often in specific trades, companies or professions, formed to protect and further their rights and interests from pay to benefits, working conditions and beyond. Unions are especially unusual for big tech companies. However, after years of confrontation between management and workers, more than 400 engineers and other personnel at Google recently unionized to apply pressure on their leadership, according to The New York Times. That may seem like a big union to you but to put the numbers into perspective, the internet giant employs more than 260,000 full timers. The Alphabet...
Black women in tech are coming after big tech companies to be the new contenders in the market. Parent company Urrgent Technology — led by founder Shantell “Charisma” Graham — recently announced a huge launch into the big tech market, unveiling two inaugural digital platforms — StoopUp and Urrgent.com — according to a press release . StoopUp — a free social networking app that allows users to create a digital “Neighborhood” based on shared and given support from others — and Urrgent.com — an online platform for freelancers that creates more opportunities for people of color — are both a part of Graham’s mission to uplift underserved communities and push consumers to accrue economic wealth in the sector. “We’re not reinventing the wheel but we are headed in a more positive direction for the end-users, said Graham in a press statement . “Two separate platforms – each bringing a conscientious, user-first standard, because we have to work and uplift each other as a whole.” According to...
Black professionals in any industry have faced their challenges trying to fit into spaces that weren’t designed for us. So, it’s always great to see young, successful Black entrepreneurs paying it forward by creating opportunities for people who look like them – starting with the youth. For Black college students interested in getting involved in the tech industry, YCombinator funded startup company Edlyft is here to help equip you with the knowledge and tools you need to succeed: “Edlyft is creating 1 million new computer science college graduates over the next decade. We help college students pass their most challenging computer science classes by offering group tutoring, connecting them to study groups, and passing down guidance from peers who’ve done it before.” I spoke with Erika Hairston and Arnelle Ansong, co-founders of the newly funded startup, to hear their story behind building this company that’s catering to Black college students interested in joining tech. Origin...
Since I was a teenager, I always dreamed of working on the cutting edge of technology. I wanted an exciting career path that would allow me to explore the world’s fastest-growing industry and grow as a professional. Luckily, I found that and more at HPE. My career with Hewlett Packard Enterprise started in May 2012 at age 18. I just finished my freshman year of college at Prairie View A&M University, a Historically Black College, located 45 minutes outside of Houston, TX. I attended a conference for NSBE (National Society of Black Engineers) and landed my first technical internship as a Consumer Notebook Test Intern. As a young minority, working for one of the world’s largest technology vendors was initially intimidating. I was the youngest person on a team of middle-aged, seasoned professionals. In addition, I was the only person in my family who worked in corporate America, let alone the IT field. With this in the back of my mind, I wondered how I would be perceived by my team and...
Last year, the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation officially went into effect after a two-year transition period. The regulations make up some of the strictest data laws in the world. So, it’s no surprise that the EU has placed tech companies under increased scrutiny. Tech giants like Google have received multiple fines from the EU for antitrust behavior. Now that seems to be rubbing President Trump the wrong way, but not because he doesn’t think the fines shouldn’t be happening. In an interview with CNBC on Monday , Trump said: “Every week you see them going after Facebook and Apple and all of these companies … The European Union is suing them all of the time. Well, we should be doing this. They’re our companies. So, [the EU is] actually attacking our companies, but we should be doing what they’re doing. They think there’s a monopoly, but I’m not sure that they think that. They just think this is easy money.” Trump calls for the federal govt to sue tech & social...
It seems Elizabeth Warren has no plans to back down from her calls to break up Big Tech. Recently, the presidential candidate took her message to the tech industry’s hub — San Francisco. At 4th and Townsend, Warren posted a billboard calling for Big Tech’s breakup. The location happens to be right next to the city’s Caltrain stop. For those who are unaware, that’s a station where a huge chunk of tech workers commute in and out of. In a tweet , Washington Post reporter Cat Zakrzewski described the location as “typically prime real estate for tech startup ads.” Warren is pictured on the billboard next to text that reads: “Break up Big Tech.” It also urges people to “join our fight,” by texting the number listed. Elizabeth Warren's campaign is out with a new billboard in San Francisco today about her plan to breakup Big Tech. It's near the Caltrain station at 4th and Townsend — typically prime real estate for tech startup ads. pic.twitter.com/jCpwhSsYQS — Cat Zakrzewski...
After the Christchurch shooting was allowed to livestream on Facebook and subsequently spread across social media , governments around the world have put pressure on big tech companies to answer for it. Now, it seems advertisers have lost their patience and are calling for companies to present solid plans for change. Recently, Mastercard’s CMO and president of the World Federation of Advertisers (WFA) Raja Rajamannar called on the group to put pressure on tech companies to prevent platforms from being “hijacked by those with malicious intent,” as reported by CNBC . The WFA is a massive player in the marketing world. The group — whose buying power nears a trillion — contains members like PepsiCo, P&G, and Diageo. Rajamannar says the call is about more than just a “brand safety issue.” In an interview with CNBC, he explained, “It’s a societal safety issue, and as marketers we have a responsibility to society.” Rajamannar also told CNBC: “Do you want live streaming of a shooting...
Today, Chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson, wrote letters to executives from tech companies — including Facebook and YouTube — over their response to the Christchurch shooting and how video of the horrific event was able to spread online. “I was deeply concerned to learn that one of the shooters live-streamed this terror attack on Facebook, and the video was subsequently re-uploaded on Twitter, YouTube, and other platforms,” Thompson said. “This video was widely available on your platforms well after the attack, despite calls from New Zealand authorities to take these videos down.” “You must do better,” Thompson added. “It is clear from the recent pattern of horrific mass violence and thwarted attempts at mass violence — here and abroad — that this is not merely an American issue but a global one.” Thompson’s letter called for Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki, Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, to...
A new U.K. government report has found that big tech companies — like Amazon, Google, and Facebook — are in need of some serious new antitrust rules. Commissioned by Britain’s finance minister, the Digital Competition Expert Panel’s report pushes back against the idea that digital platforms produce “natural monopolies.” Instead, the report points out how big tech companies are stifling competition and innovation, calling for the U.K.’s laws to be “updated for the digital age” because competition among digital platforms is “not only necessary but also possible.” Jason Furman, former chief economic advisor to Barack Obama, chaired the group behind the report. He told CNBC , “The digital sector has created substantial benefits but these have come at the cost of increasing dominance of the few companies which is limiting competition and consumer choice and innovation.” Take some of the recent mergers in big tech as an example — Amazon now owns WholeFoods plus Facebook acquired both...