White House backs Section 230 overhaul and algorithm rules in new tech proposal

The White House is calling for the removal of Section 230 liability protections for Big Tech companies as well as increased transparency regarding their algorithms, a statement of interest in regulating Silicon Valley as desired by both Democrats and Republicans but that stops short of a clear endorsement of some of the policies backed by the populist wings of both parties.

The two proposals were included in a series of principles for the Biden administration’s tech policy priorities released on Thursday. The proposals also included an emphasis on preserving privacy, protecting the mental health of youth, countering misinformation and disinformation, and cracking down on illegal and abusive conduct.

The White House “explained that the Administration would continue to work to address the harms caused by a lack of sufficient accountability for technology platforms” and “will continue working with Congress and stakeholders to make bipartisan progress on these issues and that President Biden has long called for fundamental legislative reforms to address these issues,” according to a press release.

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The principles were promoted at a listening session on Thursday, at which a group of 16 scholars met with White House staff to discuss to explain why 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” in order to encourage competition in the tech industry. They also pushed for “robust federal protections for Americans’ privacy,” including clear limits on what data can be used and collected for advertising purposes.

The White House also supported platforms to “prioritize the safety and wellbeing of young people above profit” in their product designs, including limits on excessive data collection and targeted ads to those 18 and under.

The White House also said it supported “fundamental reforms” of Section 230, a notably influential part of the Communications Decency Act that shields publishers from being penalized for what users put on their online platforms, but it did not detail what those would entail.

Finally, the White House expressed a desire for increased transparency regarding the platforms’ algorithms and content moderation policies and an end to “discriminatory algorithmic decision-making.”

Some technology industry groups expressed support for the proposed items, although they were uncertain about the Biden administration’s approach to Section 230.

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“We absolutely need to promote competition, protect kids, inform consumers, and stop discrimination online. But if Democrats want more competition and a healthier Internet, they should be defending and strengthening Section 230, not removing it,” said Chamber of Progress CEO Adam Kovacevich in a statement. “Section 230 provides critical protections for platforms of all sizes to moderate content and take down harmful posts, and our research confirms these protections are most important for smaller sites.”

The White House’s announcement comes weeks after President Joe Biden signed the CHIPS Act into law, a piece of legislation that would fund multiple endeavors to expand America’s semiconductor industry.