The Minnesota Reformer reports…
Though tech issues aren’t central to their platforms, Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump have outlined some of how they see technology playing a role in Americans’ lives.
Harris’ policies tend to focus on inclusivity, data protection, net neutrality and expanding broadband access. One of the largest wins for the tech and science communities during the Biden-Harris administration is the CHIPS and Science Act, which in 2022, provided funding for research and development for environmental projects, clean energy and American manufacturing of semiconductors, which are the basis of most electronics.
Trump’s policies would likely roll back some protections for consumers put in place by the Biden administration, and programs like the electric vehicle challenge. His platform also places a lot of focus on what he considers “illegal censorship,” by Big Tech companies, some of which banned the candidate for “risk of further incitement of violence,” after the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol.
While Harris’ policies focus on finding a balance of innovation and overreach by Big Tech companies, Trump’s policies focus on a more free market approach.
On the topics of AI and cryptocurrency, though, Harris and Trump see somewhat similar approaches. At a fundraiser at Cipriani Wall Street earlier this week, Harris talked about the importance of these evolving technologies in the current economy, while recognizing that they need oversight.
“We will partner together to invest in America’s competitiveness, to invest in America’s future,” Harris said. ”We will encourage innovative technologies like AI and digital assets while protecting our consumers and investors.”
It’s a change from the current administration, which is more focused on protections for consumers amid the evolving market, rather than industry growth. Trump has similarly taken a lighter stance on AI and crypto, saying that the industry requires some time to work itself out, and doesn’t support tough oversight at this moment.
On antitrust issues, Harris’ administration would likely continue pursuing enforcement against large platforms and Big Tech companies that came from Biden’s administration. He signed an executive order in 2021 against companies that use monopoly techniques and gather personal data, and his Justice Department filed lawsuits against Facebook’s parent Meta and Amazon.
Trump’s administration also carried out some antitrust suits against Google and Meta toward the end of his time in office. He’s long been vocal about his distrust and dislike for major social media platforms, claiming bias against him.