The 'Biden Tech Doctrine' — one year in

As we move past the first anniversary of the Biden administration taking office, it’s a good moment to start defining the Biden Tech Doctrine based on what we’ve seen so far. There’s a dynamic in some sibling relationships—a big brother who squabbles with his younger siblings at home but is the first to defend them when someone picks on them at school. It’s a dynamic that describes President Biden’s relationship to tech perfectly. Domestically, the White House targeted tech industry competition in a 2021 executive order. But abroad, the administration has stood up firmly to other governments, particularly to Europe, that have singled out America’s tech sector for discriminatory treatment. Just like an older sibling, the Biden administration is holding tech firms accountable, while wanting the American “family” to be treated fairly in the world and in the courts. President Biden has also appointed regulators with aggressive bark, but uncertain bite. Finally, Biden’s administration has bet big on investments for the future, including $65 billion for broadband investments in its infrastructure package; backing a U.S. competitiveness strategy to compete against China; and developing an “Alliance for the Future of the Internet” to promote a global open web.

[Adam Kovacevich is the founder of Chamber of Progress, a new center-left tech industry policy coalition promoting technology’s progressive future; corporate partners for Chamber of Progress include Amazon, Apple, Google and Facebook.]