Democratic Party Emphasizes Tech Regulation and Competition in 2024 Platform

The Democratic Party has doubled down on antitrust enforcement and tech regulation in its 2024 platform. Despite attempts by some billionaire donors to sway Vice President Kamala Harris away from President Joe Biden’s antitrust policies, the party’s latest platform underscores a strong focus on competition, digital privacy and regulating the power of Big Tech.

According to The Verge, the word “competition” appears 18 times in the new platform, a sharp increase from just nine mentions in the 2020 version. This change highlights the party’s growing emphasis on addressing issues related to monopolistic practices, an area where the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), under the leadership of Lina Khan, has played a crucial role. Khan, who has faced criticism from pro-business Democrats such as Reid Hoffman, has been at the forefront of efforts to crack down on anti-competitive behavior.

The platform also addresses other issues such as junk fees and noncompete clauses, both of which are mentioned multiple times in the 2024 document. These are issues that the FTC has been actively working on, further aligning the party’s platform with the agency’s priorities.

As reported by The Verge, the platform serves as a clear indication of the Democratic Party’s stance on these key issues and provides guidance to Harris on the party’s direction. Although the document was finalized before President Biden announced he would not seek re-election, it is now increasingly seen as reflective of Harris’s agenda as the Democratic nominee. The platform repeatedly refers to Biden’s “second term,” but it also incorporates input from various factions within the party.

One notable feature of the 2024 platform is its focus on identifying and curbing potential dangers posed by technology. A dedicated section titled “Protecting Kids Online, Strengthening Americans’ Data Privacy, & Promoting Competition” outlines the party’s priorities in this area. Harris has already expressed her support for the Kids Online Safety and Privacy Act (KOSPA), a legislative package that includes measures to protect children’s privacy online and curb the collection of personal data by tech companies.

Read more: Big Tech and Competition – The Future for Sustainable Regulations and Policies

The platform also reiterates the party’s commitment to passing bipartisan legislation aimed at protecting kids’ privacy, banning targeted advertising to children and imposing stricter limits on data collection by tech companies. Moreover, it advocated stronger legal protections for survivors of non-consensual intimate imagery, including those generated by AI, building on the foundations laid by the Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization of 2022.

The party’s platform calls for comprehensive new laws to promote competition and privacy in the tech industry, echoing the goals of legislation that previously passed the House Judiciary Committee in 2021. These policies include promoting interoperability between tech services, giving users more control over their data, and preventing large platforms from prioritizing their own products in the marketplace. Additionally, the platform advocates for stronger data privacy protections and fundamental reforms to Section 230, a law that shields online platforms from liability for user-generated content and their moderation practices.

With Harris now officially the Democratic nominee, it is expected that the platform will continue to serve as a key blueprint for her policy agenda, particularly in the realm of tech regulation and antitrust enforcement.