Tech Group Unveils Policy Recommendations for the Next Administration

WASHINGTON, Dec. 8, 2024 – The Technology Policy Institute has released a comprehensive set of policy recommendations for the next presidential administration, urging a balanced approach to innovation and regulation to maintain America’s global competitiveness. 

The policy recommendations, set forth by TPI senior fellows Scott Wallsten, Sarah Oh Lam, Thomas Lenard, spanned critical areas including broadband access, digital speech, antitrust policy, and artificial intelligence.

The authors devoted an entire section to advocating for the preservation of online platforms' flexibility to moderate content through the legal safe harbors provided by Section 230, protections that incoming FCC Chairman Brendan Carr has vowed to challenge.

The report warned against government overreach in content moderation, arguing that platforms need autonomy to balance free expression with community standards effectively.

TPI, based here, urged policymakers to resist calls to alter Section 230.

“Any government restrictions on platform content must meet an extremely high threshold, limited to clearly illegal content like child exploitation and copyright violations,” the report stated, adding any government pressure on platforms to take up specific content moderation practices would constitute de facto censorship.

Recognizing the critical role of high-speed internet in economic opportunity, TPI called for technology-neutral policies that accommodate diverse broadband solutions, from fiber and cable to fixed wireless and satellite services. 

TPI urged to return broadband programs to their core mission of expanding connectivity, arguing “recent programs have added numerous unrelated requirements that increase costs and complexity while reducing effectiveness.”

The institute advocated for market competition over price regulation, recommending targeted low-income vouchers to address affordability issues. 

TPI emphasized the need to change how the government decides to allocate spectrum. The trio suggested using a market-based system where companies and organizations show how much they value these frequencies by bidding for them, instead of relying on technical arguments or lobbying to get access. TPI also argued that everyone, including government agencies, should be aware of the cost of holding onto spectrum and only keep it if they are using it efficiently.

The recommendations underscore the need for evidence-driven interventions, calling for the next administration to “measure first, act purposefully.” By focusing on these principles, TPI argues, the next administration can foster innovation, protect free expression, and ensure that technological advancements benefit all Americans.