--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The big tech companies understood that…" description: "\"The big tech companies understood that the government had not only damaged American principles, it had hurt their businesses.\" — Edward Snowden" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/830/edward-snowden-555_bigs_the-big-tech-companies-understood-that-t_2673173.jpg" --- # The big tech companies understood that the government had… ![“The big tech companies understood that the government had not only damaged American principles, it had hurt their businesses.” quote by Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/830/edward-snowden-555_bigs_the-big-tech-companies-understood-that-t_2673173.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/830/edward-snowden-555_bigs_the-big-tech-companies-understood-that-t_2673173.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/830/edward-snowden-555_bigs_the-big-tech-companies-understood-that-t_2673173.jpg) > “The big tech companies understood that the government had not only damaged American principles, it had hurt their businesses.” [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Big tech and government actions harm both democratic values and corporate interests. **In simple terms:** Tech‑government ties damage democracy and business. Key Takeaway Demand transparency. Themes technology government freedom business Mood concerned critical Type political advice When to use this quote - policy making - corporate strategy - civil liberties - null Key Concepts politics ethics Questions to Reflect On - What balance protects freedom without harming growth? - How can citizens influence tech policy? A Different Perspective Regulation may stifle innovation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Company](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/company/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Principles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/principles/) [Technology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/technology/) ## Related quotes > [“The big tech companies—the Europeans have charmingly, and correctly, lumped them together as GAFA (Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon)—are shredding the principles that protect individuality.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-foer/the-big-tech-companies-the-europeans-have-charmingly-and-correctly/) [Franklin Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-foer/) > [I don't think you want to hurt businesses that are making $250,000 or $500,000. Those are the real people who created the opportunity to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-don-t-think-you-want-to-hurt-businesses-that-are-making-250-000-or/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Only woman can save a broken relationship- if she sacrificed her beliefs and principles and be hurt a thousand times.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/my-own/only-woman-can-save-a-broken-relationship-if-she-sacrificed-her/) My Own > [Apple, of all the global tech companies, was the one that understood why artists make things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-iovine/apple-of-all-the-global-tech-companies-was-the-one-that-understood/) [Jimmy Iovine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-iovine/) > [I am proud to join the Freedom from Big Tech Caucus, which is aimed at squarely taking the fight to Big Tech on their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madison-cawthorn/i-am-proud-to-join-the-freedom-from-big-tech-caucus-which-is-aimed-at/) [Madison Cawthorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madison-cawthorn/) > [Big Tech seems focused on acting as an extension of big government, quashing content from those who oppose their liberal ideology.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-malliotakis/big-tech-seems-focused-on-acting-as-an-extension-of-big-government/) [Nicole Malliotakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-malliotakis/) > [What we're now seeing is that big tech is just like any other industry. When push comes to shove, when it affects profit, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-wylie/what-we-re-now-seeing-is-that-big-tech-is-just-like-any-other/) [Christopher Wylie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-wylie/) > [Facebook's decision to uphold its suspension of former President Donald Trump's account underscores that Big Tech corporations are attempting to control what the American…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hagerty/facebook-s-decision-to-uphold-its-suspension-of-former-president/) [Bill Hagerty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hagerty/) > [If we want to prevent another Cambridge Analytica from happening... that starts with regulating big tech beyond just data protection issues, but also looking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-wylie/if-we-want-to-prevent-another-cambridge-analytica-from-happening-that/) [Christopher Wylie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-wylie/) > [There's a new set of transformative technologies such as machine learning, AI, and virtual reality that will spawn another set of big tech franchises.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-stone/there-s-a-new-set-of-transformative-technologies-such-as-machine/) [Brad Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-stone/) > [I remember flying in, driving down 101 in a cab, and passing by all these tech companies like Yahoo! I remember thinking, 'Maybe someday…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-zuckerberg/i-remember-flying-in-driving-down-101-in-a-cab-and-passing-by-all/) [Mark Zuckerberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-zuckerberg/) > [It isn't citizens, or Congress, who decide how our information network regulates itself. We don't get to decide how information companies collect data, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-applebaum/it-isn-t-citizens-or-congress-who-decide-how-our-information-network/) [Anne Applebaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-applebaum/) > [Facebook's position with rival tech companies boils down to this: if you want access to all the information we've collected, strike a deal with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-lyons/facebook-s-position-with-rival-tech-companies-boils-down-to-this-if/) [Daniel Lyons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-lyons/) > [African tech companies must be held to the same standards as companies anywhere else in the world. But we must also be given the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-enonchong/african-tech-companies-must-be-held-to-the-same-standards-as/) Rebecca Enonchong > [“no matter how much tech companies talk about algorithms like they’re nothing but advanced math, they always reflect the values of their creators:”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-wachter-boettcher/no-matter-how-much-tech-companies-talk-about-algorithms-like-they-re/) [Sara Wachter-Boettcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-wachter-boettcher/) ## More by Edward Snowden > [It is afraid of an informed, angry public demanding the constitutional government it was promised - and it should be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/it-is-afraid-of-an-informed-angry-public-demanding-the-constitutional/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [Much of what I saw in Geneva really disillusioned me about how my government functions and what its impact is in the world. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/much-of-what-i-saw-in-geneva-really-disillusioned-me-about-how-my/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [If it comes to a question of law, the charges they brought against me - the Espionage Act - is called the quintessential political…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/if-it-comes-to-a-question-of-law-the-charges-they-brought-against-me/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [The NSA and Israel wrote Stuxnet together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/the-nsa-and-israel-wrote-stuxnet-together/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [As a general rule, so long as you have any choice at all, you should never route through or peer with the UK under…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/as-a-general-rule-so-long-as-you-have-any-choice-at-all-you-should/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [ \[Brazil\] went to the UN and said, "We need new standards for this." We need to take a look at what they're calling "data… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/brazil-went-to-the-un-and-said-we-need-new-standards-for-this-we-need/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [You are also asked to take an oath, and that's the oath of service. The oath of service is not to secrecy, but to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/you-are-also-asked-to-take-an-oath-and-that-s-the-oath-of-service-the/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [We need to think about encryption not as this sort of arcane, black art. It's a basic protection.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/we-need-to-think-about-encryption-not-as-this-sort-of-arcane-black/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [A lot of people in 2008 voted for Obama. I did not vote for him. I voted for a third party. But I believed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/a-lot-of-people-in-2008-voted-for-obama-i-did-not-vote-for-him-i/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [Too often we forget that social and political movements don't happen overnight. They don't bring change immediately - you have to build a critical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/too-often-we-forget-that-social-and-political-movements-don-t-happen/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [ There was a real choice when \[Barack Obama\] became president. It was a very difficult choice - to say, "We're not going to hold… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/there-was-a-real-choice-when-barack-obama-became-president-it-was-a/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [We've learned that we've allowed technological capabilities to dictate policies and practices, rather than ensuring that our laws and values guide our technological capabilities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/we-ve-learned-that-we-ve-allowed-technological-capabilities-to/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [It's much easier, I think, to protect communications while they're in transit at least, than it is to enforce legislation in every country in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/it-s-much-easier-i-think-to-protect-communications-while-they-re-in/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [If an adversary didn't target our power plants but they did target the core routers, the backbones that tie our internet connections together, entire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/if-an-adversary-didn-t-target-our-power-plants-but-they-did-target/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [I care more about the country than what happens to me. But we can't allow the law to become a political weapon or agree…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/i-care-more-about-the-country-than-what-happens-to-me-but-we-can-t/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) [Explore all 478 Edward Snowden quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) ## More Bigs quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [It is said that history turns on small hinges. 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Now the hardest part about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-alexis/the-biggest-change-for-me-as-a-mom-was-realizing-i-needed-to-put/) [Kim Alexis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-alexis/) > [I'm a big fan of all the Boston guys that are acting - Matt Damon , Ben Affleck, Mark Wahlberg - they made a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-wormald/i-m-a-big-fan-of-all-the-boston-guys-that-are-acting-matt-damon-ben/) [Kenny Wormald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-wormald/) > [The only regret I have in my career, is my managers wanted a big payday, and I wanted four or five more fights before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerry-cooney/the-only-regret-i-have-in-my-career-is-my-managers-wanted-a-big/) [Gerry Cooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerry-cooney/) > [It goes to show you how we in the press so often miss the big stories that are right under our noses. 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I'm sure other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jayson-werth/i-don-t-want-this-to-be-a-distraction-this-has-been-distracting/) [Jayson Werth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jayson-werth/) > [I didn't get how big it was until I went home, turned on the television and saw it on all the news, and later…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-simon/i-didn-t-get-how-big-it-was-until-i-went-home-turned-on-the/) [Paul Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-simon/) > [It’s a small thing to help one animal, but to that one animal it’s a big thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-baur/it-s-a-small-thing-to-help-one-animal-but-to-that-one-animal-it-s-a/) [Gene Baur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-baur/) > [Since I was a little child, my nose - I think it's too big.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celine-dion/since-i-was-a-little-child-my-nose-i-think-it-s-too-big/) [Celine Dion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celine-dion/) > [People forget that there is a big difference between coercion and persuasion. 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