In an effort to reform Big Tech platforms and promote bipartisan interest in Congress, the White House has published a set of six principles, entitled “Enhancing Competition and Tech Platform Accountability.”
This will have implications for major U.S. technology companies such as Facebook, Apple, Google, and Amazon.
The six principles include the promotion of competition in the technology sector, the introduction of strong federal privacy protections, as well as tougher privacy and online protection rules for children, the repeal of special legal protections for large technology platforms, increased transparency about the platforms’ algorithms and content moderation decisions, and an end to discriminatory algorithmic decision-making.
These principles were introduced shortly after a meeting of government officials with experts to discuss “the harms that tech platforms cause and the need for greater accountability.”
A bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced antitrust legislation that would prohibit tech heavyweights from favoring their own companies in search results and other ways. The lawmakers have said they believe they have the 60 votes in the Senate needed to proceed, but no vote has been arranged.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the United States needed “clear rules of the road to ensure small and mid-size businesses and entrepreneurs can compete on a level playing field. These principles are the culmination of months of work by the administration and engagement with numerous stakeholders. We’re looking forward to hearing any feedback from the tech companies.”
The sources for this piece include an article in Reuters.