{"id":428966,"date":"2022-04-09T00:21:25","date_gmt":"2022-04-08T21:21:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/texas-greg-abbott-cozies-up-to-big-tech-but-scorns-social-media\/"},"modified":"2022-04-09T00:21:25","modified_gmt":"2022-04-08T21:21:25","slug":"texas-greg-abbott-cozies-up-to-big-tech-but-scorns-social-media","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/texas-greg-abbott-cozies-up-to-big-tech-but-scorns-social-media\/","title":{"rendered":"#Texas&#8217; Greg Abbott cozies up to Big Tech but scorns social media"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a40ce7bb00af\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a40ce7bb00af\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/texas-greg-abbott-cozies-up-to-big-tech-but-scorns-social-media\/#%E2%80%9CTexas_Greg_Abbott_cozies_up_to_Big_Tech_but_scorns_social_media%E2%80%9D\" >&#8220;Texas&#8217; Greg Abbott cozies up to Big Tech but scorns social media&#8221;<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"%E2%80%9CTexas_Greg_Abbott_cozies_up_to_Big_Tech_but_scorns_social_media%E2%80%9D\"><\/span>&#8220;Texas&#8217; Greg Abbott cozies up to Big Tech but scorns social media&#8221;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<div>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module alignleft\">\n<\/aside>\n<p>Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has cast himself as <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/politics\/texas-greg-abbott-twitter-facebook-censorship-big-tech\">\u201ctaking a stand\u201d <\/a>against Big Tech \u2014 but some critics say it\u2019s an awkward look as he scrambles to lure jobs from Silicon Valley.  <\/p>\n<p>The 64-year-old governor \u2014 who last month won the GOP nomination to pursue a third term helming the Lone Star State \u2014 revealed a bill last spring that would prevent <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">social media<\/a> companies with more than 50 million users from censoring or banning Texans or their content. <\/p>\n<p>Abbott penned an <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/opinions\/2021\/09\/22\/greg-abbott-social-media-censorship-texas-law\/\">op-ed in The Washington Post, <\/a>made <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/politics\/texas-greg-abbott-twitter-facebook-censorship-big-tech.amp\">TV appearances <\/a>and staged a<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/gregabbott_tx\/status\/1367699473703579652\"> press conference<\/a> announcing he would introduce the legislation and later held a <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcdfw.com\/news\/politics\/texas-politics\/abbott-to-address-bill-that-aims-to-prohibit-social-media-sites-from-censoring-texans\/2571319\/\">splashy press event <\/a>to promote it. <\/p>\n<p>Six months later, the bill fizzled in the Texas Legislature as insiders widely expected it would.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s even as Abbot has gone to unusual lengths on behalf of major tech companies looking to expand into Texas \u2014 most notably <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">App<\/a>le, Google and Facebook\u2019s corporate parent Meta.<\/p>\n<p>Last year, as Abbott was working to lure Facebook to build a big data center in Texas, the Tech Transparency Project sought to obtain Abbott\u2019s communications with Facebook through a Freedom of Information Act request. Abbott asked Texas Attorney <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/general\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"3\" title=\"General\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">General<\/a> Ken Paxton\u2019s office to interfere and block the watchdog group\u2019s request, <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.texastribune.org\/2021\/04\/05\/texas-greg-abbott-facebook\/\">according to the Texas Tribune. <\/a><\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/Ken-Paxton-1008.jpg?w=1024\" alt=\"abbott and paxton\" class=\"wp-image-21532428\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/Ken-Paxton-1008.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1535 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/Ken-Paxton-1008.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/Ken-Paxton-1008.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>Governor Abbott and Attorney General Paxton are at loggerheads over whether to investigate tech companies.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Robert Daemmrich Photography Inc<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Abbott argued the messages contained privileged information, according to the report. The messages have yet to be made public. Last week, Meta announced it would begin construction of a $800 million, 900,000-square-foot data center in Temple, Texas. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cAbbott\u00a0is very cozy with Facebook,\u201d a source with knowledge told The Post. \u201cThe reason he doesn\u2019t want the communications public is that it shows embarrassingly\u00a0close ties to Facebook.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>A spokesperson for Abbott did not respond to a request for comment.<\/p>\n<p>Abbott, meanwhile, has \u201cstrongly discouraged\u201d Paxton from leading a <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/watch-movies-tv-seriess\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"8\" title=\"Watch Movies &amp; TV Series\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">series<\/a> of high-profile, multi-state antitrust investigations into tech companies including Apple, Meta, Google and Amazon, according to one source close to the situation.<\/p>\n<p>In February, Paxton sued Facebook, alleging the company had wrongfully taken users biometric data without their consent. Paxton has also made Google a target \u2014 he\u2019s launched three suits against the company alleging Google is misleading and deceiving users, most recently accusing Google of tracking users\u2019 locations without permission. <\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/Texas-Gov.-Greg-Abbott-1004-1.jpg?w=1024\" alt=\"abbott\" class=\"wp-image-21824969\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/Texas-Gov.-Greg-Abbott-1004-1.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1535 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/Texas-Gov.-Greg-Abbott-1004-1.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/Texas-Gov.-Greg-Abbott-1004-1.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>Governor Abbott has slammed big tech even as he sought to bring massive tech companies into the state.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Indeed, the pair\u2019s relationship has soured as Paxton\u2019s suits against tech companies have caused friction, sources say. \u201cTheir relationship has soured,\u201d a source close to the men told The Post. \u201cThe tension partly comes from Paxton\u2019s focus on pursuing suits against Big Tech companies while Abbott seeks to court the same companies.<\/p>\n<p>Elsewhere, Apple \u2014 which has committed to build a $1 billion campus outside Austin \u2014 is receiving a 65% abatement on property taxes for 15 years. That\u2019s despite the fact that Texas doesn\u2019t tax income and accordingly relies heavily on property taxes. More unusual is Abbott\u2019s $25 million gift to Apple from the \u201cTexas Enterprise Fund,\u201d a state economic development arm that\u2019s controlled by Abbott.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGreg Abbott is beholden to Big Tech,\u201d a GOP strategist who spoke on the condition of anonymity told The Post. \u201cHe has taken hundreds of thousands of dollars [in campaign donations] from Apple and Google and given them over $25 million in tax breaks.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>Two of Abbott\u2019s proteges from his days as Texas attorney general have gone on to embed themselves in tech. David Edmonson, who served as a law clerk when Abbott was Texas attorney general, now run the southeast region of TechNet, a Big Tech advocacy group. Jim Sheer, a former deputy division head during Abbott\u2019s tenure as AG, is now a key lobbyist for Google.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/Ken-Paxton-1007.jpg?w=1024\" alt=\"abbott and paxton\" class=\"wp-image-21532415\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/Ken-Paxton-1007.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1535 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/Ken-Paxton-1007.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/Ken-Paxton-1007.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>The relationship between the Texas governor and the attorney general has soured.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Joel Martinez<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>At the same time, Abbott has brought tech insiders into state government \u2013 appointing a Google executive who runs staffing in Texas to the Jobs and Education for Texas Grant Program Advisory Board.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTo say you\u2019re combating Big Tech while openly courting them \u2026 people need to know that\u2019s where he is,\u201d Jon Schweppe, Director of Policy and Government Affairs at American Principles Project told The Post. \u201cIt makes you wonder how serious he is.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Abbott has also relied on tech companies to support his campaign. Top lobbyist at Apple Marc Rodriguez has donated $20,000 to the governor since 2018. Rodriguez also spent $5,700 to cover the expenses of multiple fundraisers Abbott held. Another Apple lobbyist, Jennifer Rodriguez, has donated $7,500 to Abbott since 2020. McGuire Woods, which lobbies on behalf of Apple and Google, has given Abbott $20,000 since 2015.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf you don\u2019t want people to question your motives, don\u2019t take their money,\u201d Schweppe adds.\n                        <\/p><\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News<\/a> articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/news\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2022\/04\/08\/texas-greg-abbot-cozies-up-to-big-tech-but-scorns-social-media\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Texas&#8217; Greg Abbott cozies up to Big Tech but scorns social media&#8221; Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has cast himself as \u201ctaking a stand\u201d against Big Tech \u2014 but some critics say it\u2019s an awkward look as he scrambles to lure jobs from Silicon Valley. The 64-year-old governor \u2014 who last month won the GOP nomination&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":428967,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/Texas-Gov.-Greg-Abbott-1005.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1024","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[70897],"tags":[127733,5029,26293,67844,33355,6474],"class_list":["post-428966","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-4-8-22","tag-apple","tag-google","tag-republicans","tag-silicon-valley","tag-texas"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/428966","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=428966"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/428966\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/428967"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=428966"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=428966"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=428966"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}