[Calamity]

Like I just commented, because American companies aren't slaves to a government "master". As much as we sometimes like to hate on Google/FB and other big tech, their size allows them to act as a balance of power against an overly-invasive government.

For example, WhatsApp (and Messenger) being E2EE by default(with confidence through audits) is completely counter to what a government seeking full public surveillance would want. Same thing with Apple's encrypted phones.

The government can't just waltz in and ask for the data as a) the companies can't help even if they wanted through the very nature of the in-built encryption b) the government can't threaten to shut them down without public uproar

[catacombs]

> American companies aren't slaves to a government "master"

They are slaves to their shareholders.

[Calamity]

I think there is a good chapter from "Business Adventures" where it talks about and describes some typical annual shareholder meetings - from the book, it seemed essentially to be lip service by the company. Your average shareholder doesn't have a say. It would be more precise to say "large controlling interests" and by extension "board of directors"