
LOS ANGELES, July 15 -- A Donald Trump presidency "would be a disaster for innovation," said on Thursday an open letter from 145 U.S. tech industry leaders, including high-profile names like Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak and Yelp CEO Jeremy Stoppelman.
The letter, posted on Medium, shows that much of the tech industry remains concerned about the prospect of a Trump presidency.
Signers of the letter come from some of the most powerful tech companies including Google, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Qualcomm, Ebay, Tumblr and Apple, as well as startups, venture capital firms, nonprofits and universities.
"He campaigns on anger, bigotry, fear of new ideas and new people," the collection of tech power players says in the letter. "His vision stands against the open exchange of ideas, free movement of people, and productive engagement with the outside world that is critical to our economy -- and that provide the foundation for innovation and growth."
The letter focuses on immigration, which is a hot topic for the tech industry that sources much of its top talents from other countries. According to the letter, 40 percent of Fortune 500 companies were founded by immigrants or their children.
These tech heavyweights believe that progressive immigration policies help the United States"attract and retain some of the brightest minds on earth -- scientists, entrepreneurs, and creators" and they say Trump "traffics in ethnic and racial stereotypes" in his opposition to immigration reform.
The group criticizes Trump for failing to lay out much of a tech agenda, saying he "articulates few policies beyond erratic and contradictory pronouncements."
Citing Trump's recent suggestion of shutting down parts of the Internet as a security strategy, the group writes that the idea demonstrates "both poor judgment and ignorance about how technology works." The letter also criticizes Trump's hostility toward the media.
The tech leaders also discussed government's role in the technology economy by investing in infrastructure, education and scientific research, which they believe lack in Trump's policies.
The group writes that Trump's "reckless disregard for U.S. legal and political institutions threatens to upend what attracts companies to start and scale in America," and that his policies would risk "distorting markets, reducing exports, and slowing job creation."
"We stand against Donald Trump's divisive candidacy and want a candidate who embraces the ideals that built America's technology industry: freedom of expression, openness to newcomers, equality of opportunity, public investments in research and infrastructure, and respect for the rule of law," the letter concludes.
"Straddling bus" starts production in east China
Girl goes viral for finger-long toes
Five made-in-China hi-tech breakthroughs
HK-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge to open to traffic
China opens its first combined transport service to Nepal
Students take stylish bikini graduations photos
Charming dancing students pose for graduation photos
Guizhou, Yunnan section of Shanghai-Kunming railway connected
Naked models transformed into landscapes, birds and even DRAGONS by body painting artist
Top 10 livable Chinese cities
Top 20 hottest women in the world in 2014
Top 10 hardest languages to learn
China’s Top 10 Unique Bridges, Highways and Roads
Arbitration will only entail loss for Tokyo
France faces uphill anti-terror struggle: Experts
China may lose US WTO export duties challenge
Meager beginnings transformed into fortune for foreign entrepreneurs in ChinaDay|Week