The new administration will try to restrain Big Tech, manage China and expand internet access.
President Biden’s tech to-do list |
 | | Seba Cestaro |
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President Biden is inheriting tricky tech questions including how to rein in powerful digital superstars, what to do about Chinese technology and how to bring more Americans online. |
Here’s a glimpse at opportunities and challenges in technology policy for the new Biden administration: |
Restraining tech powers: Under the Trump administration, there were investigations, lawsuits and noisy squabbles over the power of Google, Facebook, Amazon, Apple and other tech companies. Tech giants can expect more of the same under Mr. Biden and a Congress narrowly controlled by Democrats. |
Government lawsuits that accused Google and Facebook of breaking the law to become successful or stay that way will be handed off to the new administration, which is expected to continue them. More lawsuits could come, too, possibly making it harder for Big Tech to continue as is. |
Online speech: This was a central internet dispute long before Facebook and Twitter locked Mr. Trump’s accounts after he incited a mob. The question of what, if anything, the government should do about online expression is just getting trickier. |
Democrats and Republicans both have misgivings about Section 230, but not for the same reasons. Those on the right have said that the law gives internet companies too much leeway to intervene in what people say online. Democrats, including Mr. Biden, have said that internet companies have too much cover not to intervene in harmful posts. |
Tech and China: The Trump administration’s fumbling over Chinese apps including TikTok was a missed opportunity to address an important question: What should the U.S. government do about globally important technology from countries that don’t share America’s values? |
Digital divide: The pandemic highlighted a persistent gap between Americans who can get access to and afford internet service and the millions who can’t, particularly in low-income or rural households. |
The most urgent priorities for the new administration are to end the pandemic and help Americans recover from the damage. But how the U.S. government handles these complex tech questions will also have a big effect on Americans and others around the world. |
- The perennial quest to limit the internet’s downsides: Discord, the chat app that’s popular with video game players, made a bunch of changes to police the site for child predators, bullying and other risks. The Wall Street Journal reviewed Discord’s efforts and talked to people who also want parental controls for the app.
- China’s most prominent tech executive resurfaces: Jack Ma, who is behind two of China’s biggest technology companies, reappeared in public at an education event, my colleague Tiffany May reported. Ma hadn’t been seen since late last year when the authorities cracked down on his business empire after he criticized government regulation.
- No Peloton allowed in the Situation Room: Mr. Biden loves his Peloton exercise bike, but it probably needs modifications — ditch that camera and microphone! — to prevent hackers from possibly snooping on national secrets.
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