Majority of voters don’t think it’s necessary to break up big tech: survey

A majority of voters say it is unnecessary for the government to move to break up big tech, a stance that differs from that of some top 2020 presidential contenders.

According to a new public opinion survey conducted by RealClear Opinion Research, 55 percent of respondents said it is unnecessary for the government to break up technology giant Amazon.

Fifty-five percent of voters also said it is unnecessary to break up Apple, and 53 percent said the same regarding Google.

Only 48 percent said it is unnecessary to break up Facebook, with 38 percent supporting a break up of the social media platform.

{mosads}The survey asked respondents if the Silicon Valley companies should be broken up “on the grounds they are too big and powerful.” The survey, conducted June 28 to July 1, included 2,000 registered voters.

Presidential hopeful Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) has been pushing to break up companies like Amazon and Google, saying they have too much power and breaking them up would ensure opportunities for the next generation of tech companies.

More young voters agree with Warren on breaking up big tech, the survey found.

Thirty-seven percent of voters in their teens, 20s and 30s, believe it’s necessary to break up Google compared to 29 percent of baby boomers and the silent generation, which includes voters in their mid-70s to mid-90s.

For Amazon in particular, 35 percent of voters in their teens, 20s and 30s support breaking it up compared to 25 percent of older voters.

“This is just another example of younger voters seeking a more progressive and more active government compared to older voters. I think that’s an important lens as we think about the upcoming Democratic primary and the role that young people played in the 2018 midterms,” John Della Volpe, research director for RealClear Opinion Research, said on a call with reporters on Wednesday.