Trump Administration Dismantles One-Third of Probes Against Tech Giants, Activists Allege
In a report published by Public Citizen, it is claimed that the tech industry played a significant role in Donald Trump's campaign last year and that this influence may have contributed to a rollback in federal investigations and enforcement actions against tech companies during Trump's second term.
The report highlights the case of Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, who is facing at least 19 separate sets of allegations from at least nine federal agencies. The report includes an entire section on Musk and his corporations, which are currently facing federal investigations.
According to the report, at the start of Trump's second term, at least 104 technology sector corporations faced 142 federal investigations and enforcement actions. However, by August 2025, 47 of these actions against 45 tech companies had been either withdrawn (38) or halted (9).
Prominent names like Meta, PayPal, Tesla, and various cryptocurrency platforms such as Coinbase, Crypto.com, and Kraken are among the companies whose enforcement actions were halted or withdrawn.
The report suggests that the tech corporations, their executives, and investors collectively spent about $1.2 billion on political influence since the 2024 elections, which is linked to the Trump administration's decision to halt or withdraw enforcement actions against tech companies.
Public Citizen attributes this rollback to the influence of substantial political donations from the tech industry, suggesting that the administration is prioritizing corporate interests over public protection. The report notes that the administration's decision to drop or halt enforcement actions against tech companies may be part of a broader trend of regulatory disinterest.
The ongoing spats between Elon Musk and President Trump have created uncertainty about the investigations and enforcement lawsuits against Musk's corporations. The report also notes that nearly half of the total political spending mentioned in the report is attributable to Musk.
Despite Trump's promises during the election to take action against Silicon Valley, the report states that he has done little since taking office. The report did not receive a comment from the Trump administration.
Rick Claypool, a research director at Public Citizen's President's Office, stated that the administration's withdrawal or halting of enforcement actions against corporations is unprecedented. The report further notes that the existence of investigations and/or allegations of misconduct do not necessarily mean that any laws were broken, or that an enforcement action necessarily would have been brought under a different administration.
[1] Public Citizen. (2025). Rollback of Enforcement Against Tech Companies During Trump's Second Term. Retrieved from https://www.citizen.org/documents/tech-enforcement-rollback-trump.pdf [2] New York Times. (2025). Tech Industry Spending Tied to Trump's Decision to Halt Enforcement Actions. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/01/technology/tech-industry-spending-trump-enforcement.html [3] Washington Post. (2025). Elon Musk Faces Multiple Federal Investigations. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2025/07/15/elon-musk-federal-investigations/ [4] CNN. (2025). Trump's Campaign Received Significant Contributions from Cryptocurrency Industry. Retrieved from https://www.cnn.com/2024/10/30/politics/cryptocurrency-industry-trump-campaign-contributions/ [5] Axios. (2025). Trump Administration Halts or Withdraws Enforcement Actions Against Tech Companies. Retrieved from https://www.axios.com/2025/08/01/trump-administration-tech-enforcement-actions-halts-withdrawals/
- The tech industry's influence during Donald Trump's second term, as detailed in a report by Public Citizen, is under scrutiny, allegedly playing a role in the rollback of federal investigations and enforcement actions against tech companies.
- Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, is among the tech executives facing investigation, with the report dedicating an entire section to him and his corporations.
- In the first eight months of Trump's second term, 104 technology sector corporations faced 142 federal investigations, but by August 2025, 47 of these actions against 45 tech companies had been either withdrawn (38) or halted (9).
- The report suggests that substantial political donations from the tech industry could have influenced the administration's decision to halt or withdraw enforcement actions, impacting policy-and-legislation and the overall business landscape, including general news and finance.
