The Technopolar World: Do Tech Companies Matter as Geopolitical Actors?

On January 6, 2025, Donald Trump was inaugurated for his second term as President of the United States. The closed door ceremony was attended by members of the Trump family, Congressional representatives, and cabinet nominees. However, the most exclusive seats were reserved for billionaire technology company CEOs from companies such as Meta, X, Google, Apple, and TikTok. This spectacle raises critical questions about the emerging dynamics between tech companies and the state. 

This report answers the question posed by Eurasia Group, “Do Tech Companies Matter as Geopolitical Actors?” This Capstone addressed this question in three sections. Section I presents a conceptual framework for understanding the various roles tech companies can play in the geopolitical landscape. Section II delves into the variables that determine a company’s geopolitical action potential, namely a company’s firm profile and its relationships with domestic and foreign governments, and Section III builds on the conceptual framework to map tech companies’ trajectory of geopolitical agency over time. The team concluded that “geopolitical actor” is just one of several roles a Big Tech company can fulfill. These companies may also function as “objects” and “arenas,” and that their agency is determined by the extent that host governments allow them to operate as independent actors on the global stage.