WASHINGTON -- U.S. President Donald Trump, who has weaponized social media to eviscerate opponents and promote himself, was convening a White House conference Thursday of like-minded critics of Big Tech, notably excluding representatives from the very platforms he exploits.
The meeting represented an escalation of his battle with companies like Facebook, Google and even his preferred communications outlet, Twitter. The president has claimed, without evidence, that the companies are "against me" and even suggested U.S. regulators should sue them on grounds of anti-conservative bias.
The high-profile White House event raised the prospect of Trump using the forum to signal tough actions ahead by his administration against big tech companies in the areas of competition and privacy.