Your Guide To The 2024 Presidential Candidates On Tech Policy
8 minute read
As the 2024 election approaches, presidential candidates must present solutions to control big tech, Silicon Valley, and its pervasiveness in today's society.
From China's failure to dominate advanced technology to content moderation and free speech regulation, many issues with far-reaching implications are at stake.
Democrats hope to nominate Julie Sue to the Senate
Here are the current candidates for this topic.
- Section 230: An important part of the Communications Act that protects websites from liability for user postings, this provision has been challenged by both sides in recent years for various reasons. Conservatives fear it will be used to facilitate censorship, while liberals say it allows the spread of false information.
- Anti-monopoly. Many agencies and lawmakers, on both sides of the aisle, argue that big tech companies are too big and should be broken up or regulated. How people often differ.
- Confidentiality. user data protection is a growing concern for Americans. Some members of Congress have introduced bills to limit data collection in various ways, but the legislation is just getting started.
- Semiconductors. Integrated circuits and semiconductors are the main components of most technological instruments. However, they are expensive and their availability depends on international politics. Therefore, recently the federal and state governments have tried to encourage the construction of factories and research in the United States to increase domestic production. In particular, last year Congress passed the Chips and Science Act, bipartisan legislation that allocated $280 billion for research and development, including more than $50 billion for semiconductor chip manufacturing.
- TikTok. Chinese social media app TikTok is causing concern among state and federal lawmakers across the country. Some are calling for the app to be banned entirely, while others want to force its sale. Behind the White House may be the last word on what is happening.
Republican elections.
Donald Trump, the former President of the United States and the main candidate of the Republican Party.
- Section 230: Trump has repeatedly said he wants to repeal Section 230, saying it is used to shield big tech companies from conservative censorship sanctions.
- Competitive/major technological pressures. Under Trump, the Justice Department has launched several investigations into major tech companies. Trump argued that the United States should hold big tech companies like Facebook responsible for fines and penalties, rather than the European Union, which imposes stricter data privacy and competition rules. Trump has repeatedly threatened to use the executive order to "bring justice" to Big Tech, though it's unclear what he meant.
- Confidentiality. One thing Trump has done while in office is roll back Obama-era broadband privacy rules that required ISPs to do more to protect customer privacy, including obtaining consent in exchange for geo-location or financial data collection. He also attacked GDPR, the European Union's privacy system to protect cybercriminals.
- Semiconductor/chips. Trump convinced Taiwanese chipmaker TSMC to build a new chip factory in California. He tried to limit China's access to American chips through export controls.
- TikTok. Trump issues an executive order It was forced to sell TikTok to its US owners in 2020, although the sale was stopped by a court order.
Ron DeSantis, Governor of Florida.
- Section 230: Florida governor seeks to challenge Big Tech censorship by limiting content moderation decisions and forcing platforms to support political candidates even if their comments violate their terms of service. He signed the bill, but soon faced resistance from the courts. The law is now on hold as the Supreme Court has decided to hear arguments in its favor.
- Anti-competitive. DeSantis calls for breaking up Google, and his book advocates "restricting big tech."
- Confidentiality. DeSantis signed the Digital Rights Bill into law in June. The bill prohibits large tech companies from collecting personal data such as biometrics.
- Semiconductor. DeSantis has invested more than $10 million to help the Florida government develop the chip.
- TikTok. DeSantis has passed several bills restricting TikTok, including banning its use on state-run devices or in schools.
Nikki Hale, former governor of South Carolina, former ambassador to the United Nations.
- Article 230. He did not express his position on this topic
- Anti-competitive. He has not expressed his position on the matter
- Confidentiality. He does not publish his position on this issue
- Semiconductors. Haley criticized the CHIPS Act, arguing that the United States must be competitive through innovation and creativity, not "corporate entitlements."
- TikTok. Haley is calling for a total ban on TikTok, saying it should be banned "everywhere".
Tim Scott, Senator from South Carolina, Republican leader.
- Section 230: As President Trump pushed for Section 230 reform, Scott said he would "vote with the president" if the legislation passes the Senate.
- Anti-competition. does not disclose its policy on this subject
- Confidentiality. it has not announced its policy on the subject
- Semiconductors. Scott has proposed legislation that would increase tax breaks for chip sellers. He supported the CHIPS Act and even voted for it.
- TikTok. Senator Biden asked to force TikTok to sell. He also introduced legislation that would require programs to disclose their country of origin.
Vivek Ramaswamy. Founder of Roivent Science, conservative commentator and critic of corporate culture.
- Section 230: Ramaswamy calls for amending Section 230 to remove "federal immunity" for websites.
- Anti-monopoly. activists want to crack down on Big Tech, but say "standard antitrust laws won't stop Big Tech from monopolizing ideas." He called on Google and Facebook to be treated as "state actors", saying they work for the government rather than the public interest.
- Confidentiality. He didn't talk about it.
- Semiconductor. Ramaswamy calls for increased chip production in the United States. He argued with former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo that protecting US ally Taiwan was key to securing access to the chips.
- TikTok. Ramaswamy called the program a "Trojan horse" for data collection, but offered no specific rules.
Larry Elder. Conservative radio host and former candidate for Governor of California.
- Article 230. He did not express his position on this topic. Elder, however, accused Big Tech of censorship.
- Anti-competitive. He has not expressed his position on the matter
- Confidentiality. He does not publish his position on this issue
- Semiconductor. He didn't say anything about it
- TikTok. Invites seasoned guests who have regularly spoken out about the threat of TikTok in the United States, but have not publicly advocated banning the app.
Asa Hutchinson, Governor of Arkansas.
- Article 230. He did not express his position on this topic
- Anti-competitive. He has not expressed his position on the matter
- Confidentiality. He does not publish his position on this matter
- Semiconductors. The governor of Arkansas approved a scaled-down version of the USA Innovation and Competition Act that preceded the CHIPS Act.
- TikTok. Hutchinson signs bill to ban TikTok on government devices.
Mike Pence, former vice president of Donald Trump, former governor of Indiana.
- Section 230: Pence supported former Attorney General Bill Barr's efforts to reform Section 230.
- Anti-competitive. He has not expressed his position on the matter
- Confidentiality. He does not publish his position on this matter
- Semiconductor. He did not state his position on the matter
- TikTok. Pence supports Congress banning TikTok.
Chris Christie. Former New Jersey governor, Trump critic.
- Article 230. He did not express his position on this topic
- Anti-competitive. He has not expressed his position on the matter
- Confidentiality. He does not publish his position on this matter
- Semiconductor. He has not made public his position on the matter.
- TikTok. He did not express his position on this issue.
Doug Burgham, Governor of North Dakota, former software founder.
- Article 230. He did not express his position on this topic
- Anti-competitive. He has not expressed his position on the matter
- Confidentiality. He does not publish his position on this issue
- Semiconductor. He has not made public his position on the matter.
- TikTok. He did not express his position on this issue.
Democratic candidates.
Joe Biden, current President of the United States and former Vice President of Barack Obama. Head of the list of the Democratic Party.
- Section 230: Biden has called for the removal of Section 230 to prevent the spread of confusion.
- Anti-competition/destroy big tech. the president has appointed Lina Hahn, a hipster antitrust lawyer, to lead the Federal Trade Commission in an effort to cut back big business. He called for legislation to "strengthen antitrust enforcement" and asked Congress to "unite against the excesses of Big Tech."
- Confidentiality. The president signed an executive order banning the use of spyware to protect data privacy in the US and EU and calling for a comprehensive privacy framework.
- Semiconductors / chips. Biden signs CHIPS Act, spurring construction of new chip and semiconductor factories In the United States, the President's Commerce Department has restricted China's access to American chips through export controls, limiting its ability to innovate; and technology.
- TikTok. Biden has pushed TikTok's Chinese owner, ByteDance, to sell the app to a U.S. company, but the final decision rests with the Commerce Department or Congress. His staff also has close ties to campaign lobbyists.
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Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Founder of Children's Health and noted vaccine skeptic.
- Article 230: He has not expressed his position on specific legislation, but regularly criticizes Big Tech for censoring opinions on vaccines and COVID-19.
- Anti-competitive. He did not express his position on this topic.
- Confidentiality. He does not publish his position on this issue.
- Semiconductor. He has not made public his position on the matter.
- TikTok. He did not express his position on this issue.
Marian Williamson , American spiritual writer, former presidential candidate
- Article 230. He did not express his position on this topic.
- Anti-competitive. He did not express his position on this topic.
- Confidentiality. He does not publish his position on this issue.
- Semiconductor. He has not made public his position on the matter.
- TikTok. He did not express his position on this matter.
