/2021/07/21/1626838147154.gif?w=1920)
Illustration: Annelise Capossela/Axios
A new survey finds that 68% of Americans believe Big Tech companies have too much power in the economy, and 56% think these firms should be regulated more than they are now.
Why it matters: The Pew Research Center survey, conducted April 12-18, 2021, shows a statistically significant increase for those who support more regulation — a big uptick from 47% in June 2020.
- The only political group that did not show a significant increase in those calling for more regulation is moderate or liberal Republicans, Pew found.
- Conservative Republicans (80%) are the political group most likely to say Big Tech companies have too much economic influence, followed by liberal Democrats (74%).
The intrigue: Americans are split on whether the government should cap these companies' growth so that they can't undermine competition.
- Even if major tech companies follow the rules, 55% say the government should not let them grow beyond a certain size. Liberal Democrats are most likely to support this.
- 42% think that, as long as companies follow the rules, they should be allowed to grow unchecked by government intervention.
Of note: Americans who are more familiar with the debates over regulating tech companies are more likely to think that the firms should be more regulated and are also more likely to say their growth should be limited.
Go deeper: Read Pew's analysis