Expert : White House, Tech Giants CEOs Meeting Won't Lead to Political Changes

The Wall Street Journal reported: top executives from tech companies will meet with White House officials to discuss transformational ideas. Radio Sputnik discussed this with Kenneth Shak - senior cybersecurity consultant at LGMS, the professional info security service firm from South Asia.

Sputnik: In your view, how likely is this meeting to lead to more cooperation between the tech giants and government officials?

Kenneth Shak: Well, it's too early to say because it depends on the outcome of the meeting. As we all know many tech giants are not currently in a good light with the Trump administration. So this is after a series of claims by Trump and his allies that the tech firms were biased against the Conservatives and also suppressing their voices.

But it seems like from this meeting many other tech giants are actually not going for this. Well because technology is not just your usual Twitter, Google, Facebook, and the others. My question is what about the rest of the technology companies — why were they not going [to be] invited. So I guess the first step to this meeting is to actually try to ease a bit the relationship between the administration and also the tech giants.

Sputnik: Well, I think I agree with you. On that point, it is probably ‘step by step' as they say. Now according to reports, the meeting will be held discuss bold transformational ideas. What might those be?

Kenneth Shak: Well, from this time forward it seems to be a very general coverage of ideas. I would say it would be very broad. Like I mentioned, I believe it would cover emerging technologies like 5G, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Quantum computing.

Cryptocurrency could be one of those primary leeways to write these technologies mainly to help the American economy and also the job market. But coming from my industry, I definitely should hope that service security will be one of the main topics they were looking to as well.

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Sputnik: Now we know that the tech giants and the Trump administration, you have already alluded to this in your previous answer, have had tensions over policy decision. Can this meeting lead to some politically motivated changes within the social media network, what may that be? And why has this particular administration had so much tension with the tech giants, is it because we are living in very much a geopoliticised world with so much misinformation? The Trump administration is obviously focusing on propaganda issues and what have you. We know that the tech giants have got massive control when it comes to influencing people's reading habits, etc. What is your take on that?

Kenneth Shak: Well, my point of view is for this current meeting I do not think that it will lead to some politically motivated changes while the main topics are general coverage of new technology ideas, but I do believe that there could be such a motivation by the administration at least not just in this meeting. A government will always act like a government. So if you are talking about social media in specific, it looks like Facebook and Twitter doesn't seem to be in attendance for now.

So if they are not daring the meeting, I do not think social media is to be discussed since this to amongst the giants when it comes to social media. But what you have mentioned is true. Currently, we are leaving in an age of technology and social media, and then there is a boom in this kind of freedom of speech I must say. Well, you are bound to see things that you don't like and you are bound to see things that you like.

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Sputnik: Well, absolutely. Now, the administration has also accused tech giants of media bias and censoring Conservatives' speech. How likely then is the media to change this rhetoric afterwards? What is your take on that?

Kenneth Shak: Well, from what I see, I mean America is the land of freedom, right? So, this translates to freedom of speech as well. So like I have mentioned, you would definitely hear things and see things that you would disagree [with], which you may not like. As human beings, we only like to listen to things or see things that are in our favour. So I guess in terms of media there won't be [many] change unless — the keyword is "unless" — something is enforced towards the media or social media.

I do not see how the current administration is being suppressed as the President himself is very active [on] social media, especially on Twitter. I would say being suppressed is only if his accounts were being locked out or blocked or things like this.

So then I really do believe that is just because of the popularity to types of news that people are looking to and also the algorithms doing its own work. I mean if you are doing your job and exercising your duties correctly, you shouldn't be too worried about these so-called suppressions. I mean, actions speak louder than words, right?

The views expressed in this article are those of the speaker and do not necessarily reflect those of Sputnik.