President-elect Joe Biden is set to have a very different relationship with the tech industry from when he served as vice president. Tech companies have grown more powerful over the past four years — and more perilous. They have continued to amass data and wealth. But they have been used as tools for election interference and disinformation, contributing to the divide in the nation.
The Trump administration put antitrust and regulation on the agenda, and they are likely to continue under the Biden administration. An overhaul of the rules governing tech is overdue: The cornerstone Internet regulation law, which shields companies from liability for content posted by users, will turn 25 years old this year and predates many of the most popular sites, apps and services.
The coronavirus pandemic made tech more central to daily lives, but it also exposed inequalities that the Biden administration is likely to face. Millions of gig workers, who are connected to jobs through tech platforms, don’t receive the benefits that come along with being considered full employees. And millions of Americans don’t have access to the high-speed Internet connections that are essential for school and many jobs.
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Overview
Silicon Valley braces for tougher regulation in Biden’s new Washington
By Tony Romm and Elizabeth Dwoskin
Democratic leaders for years have proposed a bevy of new legislation to shrink Silicon Valley’s corporate footprint, restrict its insatiable appetite for data and stop the spread of falsehoods online. But the party’s calls for regulation have grown more urgent in the days since Joe Biden won the presidency, the Democratic Party regained control of the House and the Senate — and President Trump and his allies further exposed the risks of a largely unregulated web.
Gig work
Biden wants to make gig workers employees. He must convince Democrats.
By Faiz Siddiqui and Eli Rosenberg
Once clear-cut, the uncertain future of gig work is the biggest labor issue facing the incoming Biden administration.
FCC
Internet regulation takes on greater urgency as pandemic highlights digital divide
By Cat Zakrzewski and Tony Romm
As President-elect Joe Biden takes office, his administration will face pressure to immediately prioritize the expansion of broadband access and dismantle some of the Trump administration’s hallmark efforts to deregulate the Internet.
Section 230
Social media liability law is likely to be reviewed under Biden
By Rachel Lerman
Section 230 has become a favorite target of President Trump’s. It will get a more nuanced review under the Biden administration.
Antitrust
Biden inherits bipartisan momentum to crack down on large tech companies’ power
By Cat Zakrzewski
Democratic control of the White House and Congress could result in reforms to competition laws governing large tech companies’ business practices and even more litigation that could force breakups or significant structural changes at some of the world’s largest corporations.
