[CTC] Warren raises concerns that US tariff deals will favor Big Tech over workers

[Arthur Stamoulis]

https://www.reuters.com/business/retail-consumer/democrat-warren-raises-concerns-that-us-tariff-deals-will-favor-big-tech-over-2025-05-28/



*Democrat Warren raises concerns that US tariff deals will favor Big Tech
over workers*

By David Lawder



5/28/2025



May 28 (Reuters) - Democratic U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren on Wednesday
expressed concern the Trump administration's tariff negotiations would
favor big technology firms at the expense of consumers and workers.



In a letter, opens new tab
<https://archive.ph/o/1Aqtn/https:/www.warren.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/warren_letter_to_bessent_lutnick_and_greer_on_big_tech_favors_on_digital_trade.pdf>
to
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick
and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Warren said Big Tech has long sought
to use trade negotiations to "undermine pro-consumer, pro-competition
policies." She asked for details on the officials' interactions with tech
industry executives.



*WHY IT'S IMPORTANT*



Warren has for years argued in favor of stronger regulation on big
technology firms.



President Donald Trump has taken a stance favorable to the technology
sector, taking aim at foreign governments' regulatory restrictions and
digital services taxes aimed at capturing revenue from Meta, Apple (AAPL.O),
opens new tab
<https://archive.ph/o/1Aqtn/https:/www.reuters.com/markets/companies/AAPL.O>,
Alphabet's Google (GOOGL.O), opens new tab
<https://archive.ph/o/1Aqtn/https:/www.reuters.com/markets/companies/GOOGL.O>,
Amazon (AMZN.O), opens new tab
<https://archive.ph/o/1Aqtn/https:/www.reuters.com/markets/companies/AMZN.O>
and
other U.S. tech firms.

Trump in February ordered a revival of tariff retaliation probes
<https://archive.ph/o/1Aqtn/https:/www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-says-he-will-impose-retaliatory-tariffs-digital-taxes-may-come-friday-2025-02-21/>
over
digital services taxes, and Greer and Bessent have raised U.S. opposition
to digital services taxes as part of trade negotiations.



In her letter, Warren said she was concerned by a list of 10 digital trade
grievances, opens new tab
<https://archive.ph/o/1Aqtn/https:/x.com/USTradeRep/status/1915432393864872271>
against
U.S. trading partners posted by USTR on X, including the European Union's
Digital Services Act and Digital Markets Act and South Korea's cross-border
data flow restrictions.



KEY QUOTE: Warren said that given the industry's large donations, presence
at Trump's inauguration and its success in lobbying for temporary tariff
exemptions, "I am gravely concerned renegotiated trade deals will be used
to advance Big Tech’s anti-consumer agenda while doing nothing to promote
U.S. manufacturing or help American workers."



Spokespersons for USTR, the Treasury and the Commerce Department did not
immediately respond to a request for comment.
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