One Issue Trump & Biden Agree On, And It Could Spell Trouble For Internet Giants

A report from the non-partisan Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) compares the two candidates’ positions on a range of technology-related issues, and it finds their divergence in this area largely breaks along traditional party lines: A  Biden administration would likely support a more active government role in R&D and the advancement of certain sectors, like energy alternatives to fossil fuels, while the Trump camp would push deregulation, lower taxes and “freeing up” the market. One exception to that pattern, however, is how the two camps would address regulation of the big internet platforms, specifically their stance on Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which provides crucial legal protection to these companies. Section 230 says that no provider, or user, “of an interactive computer service shall be treated as the publisher or speaker of any information provided by another information content provider.” The Trump administration, according to ITIF, has argued for limiting Section 230 protections “and potentially bringing antitrust enforcement against major platforms.” Biden, it says, agrees.