Joe Biden and technology is a topic that requires discussion. Biden recently won a majority in the U.S. election, and it's only a matter of time before the transition is complete. Biden's victory is expected to bring changes to the tech scene in the United States, which also means global change in the same area. President Trump's administration had plans for social media as well as big tech; there have been antitrust reports of tech companies, with Google even facing an antitrust lawsuit.
Section 230, internet availability and sanctions on Chinese products and services are other issues that may change the agenda. We know there will be changes because in some cases Biden made his position clear and it was different from Trump's - for example, the Paris Agreement. The Trump administration called climate change a hoax and terminated the deal. Biden has made it clear he will overturn that decision. While Joe Biden and tech companies shared a cordial relationship when he was Obama's vice president, his office might see things in a different light.
Why is this important?
Joe Biden is elected President of the United States, and here you are reading this whether you are an American citizen or not. It is quite clear that the events and decisions of the United States are also translating into global changes. When it comes to technology, if companies change their policies to comply with the US government, they are likely to introduce similar changes in their global operations.
For example, if the DOJ succeeds and breaks Google and Chrome, everyone in the world will lose Chrome as they know it. The new owner of the web browser could be based in America, but the impact would be global. So when we talk about President-elect Biden's administration, it's likely that his decisions will shape big tech and the way the world sees it.
Joe Biden, Big Tech, Antitrust and Section 230
Let's talk about the legal position of big tech in America. There was a recent antitrust report on Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google. After the report was redesigned, the Justice Department opened antitrust proceedings against Google. It is safe to say that the procedure will not be affected by the US presidential elections.
While there were discussions about dissolving big tech to reduce their monopoly, Joe Biden sided with "reform". What may have been a major aggressive campaign of technological disruption under Trump is likely to come in the form of a series of reforms under the Biden administration. Either way, we might be witnessing the powers of big tech reduced over time.
I would now like to draw your attention to section 230 of the Communications Act. The section prevents companies like Google, Facebook and Twitter from being held responsible for what a user posts. There was a recent hearing on either modifying the article or dismantling it. The president-elect told the New York Times that Section 230 should be immediately repealed. Biden also slammed Facebook after publicly declaring that the platform did not contain disinformation.
In short, even with administrative changes in the White House, big tech isn't likely to get away with it easily. It could go easy on antitrust hearings, but that seems like bad news for businesses if we are talking about Section 230. Social media companies, especially Facebook, may have to face much stricter regulations under it. 'Biden administration.
Sanctions against China
This is an area where changes will be definitely visible. Biden said Trump's sanctions and tariffs on China affected the American people. While there is no clarity on Biden's plans for the future, we can see some sanctions being lifted. Huawei's ban, TikTok, as well as 15% tariffs on phones and laptops, could relax. Addressing the issue, Biden said the country needs "new rules" and "new processes" for trading with China and other countries as well.
Network neutrality and availability
Net neutrality is perhaps the biggest area in which we'll see changes in the Biden administration. Democrats have a general background in favor of net neutrality. Although Biden did not speak about it, Vice President-elect Kamala Harris has advocated for the cause. This is an important area because the US position on the issue would pave the way for other countries to regulate the internet.
Another area promised by the Biden campaign is the growth in the availability of broadband. Its rural policy says, "In an age when so many jobs and businesses could be located anywhere, broadband internet access should be a great economic equalizer for rural America, not another economic disadvantage." . " The statement, taken literally, makes it clear that Biden wants the rural American public to be connected via broadband.
We also believe that this goal can be achieved sooner than expected as SpaceX has started testing Starlink in the public beta phase. If government and the private sector were to work together, Americans could get affordable high-speed Internet connections. Trump has also worked on the availability of the internet in rural America, making it one of the few issues that Democrats and Republicans both recognize.
The Joe Biden message and technology: what do the US elections mean for the future? first appeared on Fossbytes.