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A12 TECHNOLOGY
Saturday 28 November 2020
For Big Tech, Biden brings a new era but no ease in scrutiny

WASHINGTON (AP) — The boost profits — the govern-
Obama-Biden administra- ment's most significant at-
tion was a charmed era for tempt to protect competi-
America's tech companies tion since its groundbreak-
— a moment when they ing case against Microsoft
were lionized as innovators, over 20 years ago.
hailed as job creators and Then there's the issue of le-
largely left alone. gal protection for speech
Now Joe Biden is coming on the social media plat-
back, this time as president. forms of Facebook, Twitter
But times have changed. and Google: another area
The halcyon days of an of agreement between the
adoring Washington are two parties, though for dif-
unlikely to return when ferent reasons.
Biden takes the oath of of- Momentum has built in
fice in January, with mount- Congress toward curbing
ing legislative and regula- some of the bedrock pro-
tory challenges to the in- tections that have general-
dustry — including stronger ly shielded the companies
enforcement of antitrust from legal responsibility for
laws — nearly certain to what people post on their
outlast the tenure of Presi- platforms. Republicans ac-
dent Donald Trump. cuse the companies of
"The techlash is in full force," anti-conservative bias that
said Eric Goldman, a law erases those viewpoints on
professor at Santa Clara social media while allowing
University and co-director In this Tuesday, June 16, 2020 file photo, the sun is reflected on Apple's Fifth Avenue store in New what they describe as ex-
of its High Tech Law Insti- York. treme leftist and anti-Amer-
tute. Associated Press ican rhetoric to thrive.
In the years since Barack Democrats' concern fo-
Obama and Biden left the the dominance of Big Tech sue major legislation to retain control of the Senate cuses on hate speech and
White House, the tech in- and may welcome an op- overhaul the laws govern- by winning one of two run- conspiracy theories that
dustry's political fortunes portunity to work with the ing tech competition, he'll off elections in Georgia in have sometimes incited
have flipped. Facebook, opposing side to curb the have to navigate a tricky January. Democrats have physical violence and on
Google, Amazon and Ap- power of a common ad- congressional and political already won the House. the amplification on tech
ple have come under scru- versary. landscape. Republican control of the platforms of falsehoods
tiny from Congress, federal As a presidential contend- Democratic lawmakers in Senate would force Biden from Trump — most notably
regulators, state attorneys er, Biden said the breakup the House, after a sweep- to curb his ambitions and allegations of fraud in bal-
general and European au- of big tech companies ing investigation by a Ju- pursue a different legisla- lot counting in the recent
thorities. Twitter has found should be considered. Dis- diciary Committee panel, tive agenda, one rooted in election.
itself in frequent run-ins with mantling the tech giants is called last month for Con- bipartisanship. Legislation The social media compa-
lawmakers over its policies "something we should take gress to rein in Big Tech, on the tech industry could nies' CEOs rebuffed accu-
for moderating content on a really hard look at," he possibly forcing the giants be one area of possible sations of anti-conservative
its platform. And compa- told The Associated Press to break up their businesses agreement. bias at a Senate hearing
nies have seen their po- in an interview. He said while making it harder for "Biden's strength as a sena- last month and promised to
litical support in Congress he wants to see quickly them to acquire others and tor was exactly trying to aggressively defend their
erode. crimped the social media imposing new rules to safe- broker those kinds of deals," platforms from being used
Lawmakers on both sides of companies' long-held le- guard competition. noted Santa Clara Universi- to sow chaos in the Nov. 3
the aisle champion stron- gal protections for speech Those kinds of mandated ty's Goldman. election.
ger oversight of the indus- on their platforms. And he breakups through a legisla- But what may emerge in Critics in both political par-
try, arguing its massive mar- singled out Facebook CEO tive overhaul would be a the end is a heavy reli- ties say the immunity under
ket power is out of control, Mark Zuckerberg for scorn, radical step for Congress ance on executive power Section 230 of a 1996 tele-
crushing smaller competi- calling him "a real prob- to take and could be a through more vigorous en- coms law enables the so-
tors and endangering con- lem." bridge too far for most Re- forcement of existing anti- cial media companies to
sumers' privacy. They say The Biden administration publicans. trust laws, said Jerry Ellig, a abdicate their responsibil-
the companies hide be- is also expected to press Though it hasn't been set- former government official ity to impartially moderate
hind a legal shield to allow forward with the Trump tled, Biden faces the pos- and professor at George content.
false information to flourish Justice Department's new sibility of becoming the first Washington University's Biden has said that Section
on their social media net- antitrust lawsuit against Democrat in modern his- Regulatory Studies Cen- 230 "immediately should be
works or to entrench bias. Google, though its shape tory to take office without ter. Republican lawmakers revoked."
In steps Biden, who may likely could be changed. his party controlling Con- are likely to hang together Given the landscape in
aim to take a bite out of But if Biden decides to pur- gress. Republicans would in opposing fundamental Congress and the factions
changes to the tech indus- of views on material seen
try, which also could affect by nearly everyone on the
smaller companies, while planet, quick action may
Democrats could be pulled be difficult.
in different directions. If consensus legislation
The Justice Department's does emerge, suggests
landmark suit last month George Washington's El-
accused Google of abus- lig, "They'll make it vague
ing its dominance in online enough so everyone can
search and advertising to claim victory."q