It is hard to find a reputable tech firm or startup that has not been publicly or internally accused of breaking a rule, regulation or law. It's engrained in the ideology of innovation.

No. Innovation does not require law breaking. This is an opinion espoused by people who lack ethics.

Tech firms and startups are just businesses. Breaking laws/regulations is not a requirement to operate a new business.

I think we are saying the same thing. Though I’ll add that are a lot of people in positions of power openly running with that opinion at their tech firms, and that does influence ideals around tech innovation.

Also running an ethical business goes far beyond adhering to rules and regulations, as many of them don’t currently penalize unethical practices.