Tech Groups and Luminaries Welcome Biden-Harris Victory, Clyburn Speaks FCC, FTC to Sue Facebook

Tech CEOs and industry lobbying groups alike congratulated President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris after their victory in the U.S. presidential election Saturday, offering some hits of collaboration between government and an under-fire technology industry.

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos celebrated Biden and Harris’ win in an Instagram post, which stated that their victory signifies that “unity, empathy and decency are not characteristics of a bygone era.”

Microsoft founder Bill Gates said on Twitter that he looks forward to “working with the new administration and leaders on both sides in Congress on getting the surging pandemic under control.”

Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg and Priscilla Chan, wife of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, both congratulated Harris on her historic victory, which makes her the first Black woman and first person of South Asian American descent to be elected vice president.

Gary Shapiro, president and CEO of the Consumer Technology Association, said his association looks “forward to working with President-elect Biden and his administration, as well as the new Congress to advance priorities that promote innovation and competition in America.”

Shapiro said he specifically looks forward to recalibrating trade policies, promoting free online speech by preserving Section 230 protections, and ensuring all Americans have the access and benefits of high-speed broadband.

The Computer and Communications Industry Association congratulated the pair, adding that the Administrations has work to do in generating digital workforces of the future.

President and CEO of ACA Connects Matthew Polka said that the “private industry and government must work together on broadband policies that focus on getting broadband to unserved areas, serving schools and students, enabling remote health services, and providing affordable services for low-income families.”

Expect new faces at the FCC, says Mignon Clyburn

“We will see a couple new faces at the Federal Communications Commission, although I have no idea who it will be,” said Mignon Clyburn during an event that aired Friday as part of the Reboot 2020 virtual conference.

See also Broadband Breakfast Live Online’s interview with Clyburn as part of its “Champions of Broadband” series in “Mignon Clyburn, Coy on Future Federal Communications Commission Role, Says Agency Lacks Authority to Clarify Section 230,” August 6, 2020

Clyburn said that a Biden win means that Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai would leave the agency. She predicted that Commissioner Brendan Carr would follow his departure shortly after. She noted that the Senate has a strong role in picking the replacement commissioners.

Clyburn said she believes the Biden FCC’s first policy initiatives would be focused on recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

“In 2017, Trump presented an infrastructure package to Congress that never transpired,” said Clyburn, adding that it was a shame, because the infrastructure plan was “a winning formula.”

“In 2021, look for infrastructure to make a comeback. The Democrats are ready, poised, and believe broadband is critical infrastructure,” said Clyburn. “We’re going to see a fixation on leveraging the digital tools needed for full participation in the 21^st century.”

Clyburn criticized the Trump FCC, saying the agency favored legacy providers during funding initiatives, resulting in critical resources being wasted.

“I just want the agency I care about to be better,” said Clyburn.

Federal Trade Commission reported close to antitrust case against Facebook

Politico reports that the Federal Trade Commission is planning to sue Facebook for antitrust violations before the end of November, according to three people familiar with the probe. The decision would be the agency’s first major swing at the social media giant, amid larger antitrust efforts against search engine giants Google.

The suit, which has been in the works for 16 months, is expected to allege that Facebook unfairly stifled competition when it swallowed up smaller rivals. It would further assert that Facebook maintained its competitive position by utilizing user data, collected on the app, to keep users engaged.

The charge could ultimately force Facebook to unwind its acquisitions of photo-sharing app Instagram and messaging platform WhatsApp.

The FTC is considering handling the case internally, which would cut out states from joining the litigation. FTC Chair Joe Simons reportedly favors keeping the suit in-house, preferring to bring it before the agency’s administrative law judge.

Administrative cases are less public than federal court proceedings and the agency has never before brought a case of this magnitude internally.