Technology companies are the biggest winners of the "war on terror" in the United States

The first decade of the 21st century witnessed a surge in profits and the emergence of major technology companies in the United States. While companies like Google, Amazon, Microsoft, Facebook, and Twitter became integral parts of our daily lives, these same entities provided tools to the U.S. military and government to aid in their war against what was termed as terrorism.

September 11 and the Beginning

Similar to preceding wars, the war on terrorism spurred an unprecedented demand for technology to support the development of surveillance systems, lethal drones, and virtual border walls.

This phenomenon contributed to the establishment of the data economy and the tech industry as we know it. Concurrently, during the same period as the war on terrorism, fledgling tech companies transformed into trillion-dollar tech giants.

Amidst the "war on terror," major tech companies reaped billions of dollars through contracts with the U.S. military and other government agencies, becoming some of the most profitable corporations globally. These contracts primarily stemmed from central agencies, propelling these companies into unparalleled profitability.

Since 2001, the demand from American military and intelligence agencies for cloud computing and global positioning systems has surged, shaping the defense industry to increasingly become digital.

As a result, companies like Amazon, Google, Microsoft, and other major technology firms have accrued billions of dollars by providing services such as crucial cloud computing for data storage and analysis, global positioning systems for cross-border tracking, and algorithms to enhance facial recognition technology for targeting individuals worldwide.

From Google leveraging its artificial intelligence model to the Department of Defense making drone strikes more lethal, to Amazon selling cloud services to run the National Security Agency's surveillance program, the list goes on and on, with major tech companies complicit in this unending war.

These companies greatly benefited from the "war on terror" over the past 20 years, increasingly seeking and securing federal contracts and clandestine agreements with the US military, intelligence, and law enforcement agencies post-September 11, 2001.

"With the advancement of the 'war on terror' and the exponential growth of major technology companies in terms of usage and reach, the federal government has increasingly turned to these corporations to assist in implementing its policies and strategies."

A Terrifying Surge in Profits

There has been a staggering surge in contracts between the federal government and major technology firms like Microsoft, Amazon, Google, Facebook, and Twitter since 2004 until today.

From 2007 to 2019, contracts between the Department of Homeland Security and Silicon Valley giants increased by a factor of 50.

For instance, Amazon and Microsoft significantly benefited from this surge between 2015 and 2019. Amazon witnessed a 400% increase in all federal contracts, while Microsoft enjoyed an 800% surge.

Microsoft secured $42 billion in contracts with the Pentagon, $267 million from the Department of Homeland Security, and around $108 million from the Department of Justice (mostly with the FBI).

Meanwhile, Amazon gained about $1 billion from Pentagon contracts, $77 million from Department of Homeland Security contracts, and around $28 million from the Department of Justice.

Google received $16 million from the Pentagon, $2 million from the Department of Homeland Security, and about $4 million from the Department of Justice.

As for Facebook, it received around $167,000 from the Pentagon and $363,000 from the Department of Homeland Security.

Although these contracts might seem small, their impact is substantial. Shortly after Trump issued the third version of the Muslim Ban in September 2017, Facebook sold $350,000 worth of advertisements to promote the federally funded "Extremism Watch" news outlet.

Considering that Facebook is the third most visited site globally, with over 2.99 billion monthly active users and 2.04 billion daily active users, $350,000 in advertisements holds the potential to influence billions of individuals.

Since 2004, five government agencies have spent no less than $44.7 billion on services from the aforementioned five technology companies.

The Department of Defense led in expenditure with $43.8 billion, followed by the Department of Homeland Security ($348 million), the Department of State ($258 million), the General Services Administration ($244 million), and the Department of Justice.

Four of the top five agencies spending on major technology contracts were either central to foreign policy or were established directly as a result of the war on terrorism.

Given the immense profits that can be reaped from U.S. government contracts, those tech companies are aligning their priorities with those of the United States, whether it concerns national security or the "war on terrorism." Consequently, these major tech companies have become a key feature of that war.

Silicon Valley owes its existence to efforts dating back to World War II and the Cold War, benefiting from military spending, protection from competition in the form of grants and early contracts, and government-supported monopolies.

As a result, the technologies dominating today's life - from network-connected devices to semiconductors powering computational operations - are directly attributable to United States policy.

Neutrality is No Longer a Priority

Today, the proliferation of surveillance technologies like facial recognition and companies such as Palantir are viewed as prime examples of this impact in the post-9/11 era.

These companies exemplify the non-neutrality of technology, being fundamental elements in constructing the post-9/11 system.

While major tech companies always claim neutrality, facts reveal otherwise, as these entities develop tools with highly specific applications. From 2004 until today, major tech firms have witnessed a substantial rise in federal demand for their services, notably from the Pentagon and the Department of Homeland Security.

In addition to the surge in federal contracts for major tech companies, they've managed to sideline traditional military contractors—such as Raytheon and Northrop Grumman—who've seen stability or a decrease in their contracts since 2010.

Among the Big Five tech companies, Microsoft has the strongest ties with the federal government. The company experienced a surge in defense contracts during the Trump administration, increasing contracts nearly sixfold from 2016 to 2018 alone. Over 81% of the company's government contracts since 2011 were with central agencies in the "War on Terror."

Google, on the other hand, secured more contracts with the Department of Defense compared to Amazon and Microsoft from 2004 to 2015, predominantly for cloud computing services. Approximately 77% of all government contracts for the company since 2005 were with central agencies in the "War on Terror."

During the Trump administration from 2017 to 2019, the Pentagon almost doubled its contracts with these tech companies, leading to a squeeze in growth for contracts with the Department of Homeland Security, Department of Justice, and Department of State.

Microsoft's relationship with the Department of Homeland Security skyrocketed during the first two years of the Trump administration, driven by increased demand for additional cloud computing infrastructure to support more immigration and family separation operations.

In 2020, Microsoft secured a contract worth $230 million from the Department of Homeland Security and sought another contract for cloud computing valued at $3.4 billion, as part of the Pentagon's $10 billion cloud computing contract announced by the agency.

Moreover, the relationship between major tech companies and government agencies persists. Hundreds of individuals have transitioned between roles in the Departments of Defense, Homeland Security, Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the National Security Agency.

Each of these government agencies has played a pivotal role in executing what's termed the "war on terror," dealing with privacy issues, national security, intelligence, military affairs, and technological development for the government.

Additionally, key figures in the "war on terror" agencies now hold prominent positions in tech companies. For instance, Kelly Andrews, a senior member of lobbying groups at Microsoft, previously worked in the Department of Homeland Security for years. Jana Kay, Amazon's Cloud Security Strategist since 2018, served in the Department of Defense for over a decade. Steve Bandieldes, who worked at the FBI, now oversees security at Amazon Web Services. Joseph Rozek, instrumental in establishing the Department of Homeland Security, now serves as Microsoft's Executive Director of Homeland Security and Counterterrorism.

With this growing close relationship between these agencies and tech giants, securing an increasing number of contracts, it's not surprising that countering what's deemed terrorism may become a priority for these major tech companies. These companies prioritize the needs of these agencies over their own user needs.

The aforementioned data is sourced from the "Tech Inquiry" platform, allowing users to explore US government contracts, although it includes contracts with publicly available information, hence the figures mentioned are likely much larger.

In conclusion, while arms manufacturers have received significant attention as stakeholders in the "war on terror," tech companies also play a major role. The tools of war have evolved, focusing on the digital battlefield involving metadata, drones, and artificial intelligence.