The Harris-Walz Tech Policy Platform… Is Still Bad | Techdirt
As we head into another Presidential election, one thing has been consistent from the last two such elections as well: the tech policies of both major parties are terrible. The Donald Trump Republican platform for 2025 is beyond crazy with all sorts of nonsense. The “tech” part of it is barely worth a mention, but just the fact that they see things like age verification laws as a first step to banning pornography should give you a sense of how batshit crazy (and against fundamental rights) it is.
That said, the Democratic platform is not great. It’s not batshit crazy, like the GOP plan, but it’s still generally bad. It’s the kind of thing that is going to lead to a lot of wasted time and effort as moral panic know-nothing “we must do something” types push out bad idea after bad idea, while people who actually understand how this stuff works have to do our best to educate against the nonsense. Much of the tech policy part of the document appears to have been written for Biden on the assumption he was going to be the candidate, so there’s always a chance that Harris will somehow change it later on. But, on most tech policy issues, she’s been in line with Biden. In particular, both of them have hated on Section 230 for ages.
Harris's Stance on Tech Policies
Harris hasn’t been great on these issues either. When she was California’s Attorney General, she filed a highly questionable case against Backpage that was thrown out on Section 230 grounds. She then sued Backpage execs directly in another terrible case, accusing them of “digital pimping.”
Concerns About Section 230
One of the major concerns in the official platform is the call for the reform of Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. The platform suggests that tech platforms are shielded from liability even when they host or disseminate violent or illegal content, and pushes for platforms to take more responsibility for the content they share. This narrative, however, overlooks the fact that platforms already do take responsibility for the content they share to retain users and advertisers.
Additionally, the platform misrepresents the Surgeon General’s report on kids’ mental health and social media, creating a misleading portrayal of the situation.
Conclusion
While tech issues may not be the major focus this year, the tech policy platforms presented by both major parties are concerning. It remains to be seen whether there will be any substantial changes or improvements in the future. The importance of these policies, particularly regarding Section 230, cannot be understated, and the implications on the internet landscape are significant.
