Responding to President Biden on Big Tech

He touts ‘legislation to hold Big Tech accountable.’ But accountable to whom?

Jan. 19, 2023 10:32 am ET

Some 720 days into his administration, President Biden issues his first notable call for bipartisanship, enlisting Republicans to join Democrats to “Unite Against Big Tech Abuses” (op-ed, Jan. 12). The president touts “legislation to hold Big Tech accountable.” But accountable to whom? The regulatory proposals put forward by his Federal Trade Commission chair, Lina Khan, would subject all large businesses, not only tech, to a degree of regulation so comprehensive that it amounts to socialism.

The president also calls for “federal protections for Americans’ privacy.” But the legislation he touts, Sen. Amy Klobuchar’s American Innovation and Choice Online Act, directs U.S. tech companies to share the guts of their operations with thousands of competitors, including foreign companies. This would create a privacy nightmare, exposing the private information of U.S. consumers, businesses and government agencies to the world.

Mr. Biden didn’t suddenly become the bipartisan deal maker he promised in his campaign but hasn’t been for a single day. Buyer beware.

Robert. H. Bork Jr.

President, Antitrust Education Project

Washington

Mr. Biden is right: There is plenty of room for bipartisan concern about these companies profiting from practices that weaken our democratic norms and harm our children. Next month, two laws will take effect in the European Union that provide significant new safeguards. Soon, U.S. tech companies will offer better online protections to Europeans than to Americans. The president and Congress should ask why companies don’t extend these protections to all users.

For now, existing consumer protections laws, merger reviews and consent decrees should be maximally leveraged to hold tech companies accountable. Congress must act, but the president can continue to protect Americans with the adroit use of tools in his kit.

Patrick Gaspard

President, Center for American Progress

Washington

I couldn’t get through the first paragraph of Mr. Biden’s op-ed without a chuckle. In listing the many sins of Big Tech that he plans to tackle, Mr. Biden conveniently overlooks Big Tech’s habit of colluding with the federal government to censor legitimate and persuasive facts, data, debate and viewpoints on social media that the Biden administration deems objectionable.

Mark Van Brussel