White House Wants Regulators to Keep Hands Off Tech Industry

The White House’s top tech adviser redoubled the Trump administration’s commitment to deregulate the tech sector and scorned countries that seek to restrict the information flowing across their borders. Michael Kratsios, the deputy U.S. chief technology officer within the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, outlined the administration’s strategy for spurring the growth of emerging technologies. The plan echoes the president’s overall laissez-faire approach to economic policy while calling for stronger intellectual property protections on technologies developed in the US. Among the administration’s top priorities is tearing down regulatory barriers that can “kill a nascent technology before it ever has a chance to fuel economic growth or create jobs,” he said, echoing the sentiments of many in the tech industry. But while preemptive restrictions could stifle innovation, regulations can play a role in addressing issues that arise as technologies develop, he added. “As policymakers, it’s our role to foster an environment free of barriers to innovation,” said Kratsios. “Our national security and economic future depend on it.”