Senator Warner on Big Tech: Status Quo Won't Cut It

Senate Intelligence Committee Vice Chairman Mark Warner (D-VA) said that we have now seen how "the misuse of technology threatens our democratic systems, our economy, and our national security." "Western companies who help authoritarian regimes build censored apps or walled-garden versions of the internet are just as big a threat to a free and open internet as government actors," he said. He suggested it might be time to consider a regulatory body like the Federal Communications Commission for digital media. "For over two decades…the US has maintained – and promoted – a completely hands-off approach," he said. "And today, the large technology platforms are, in effect, the only major part of our economy without a sector-specific regulator." Sen Warner said it is time to stop trying to convince ourselves and the international community that our internet governance regime is "working fine" and take steps to fix it. That should start with more transparency about whether info is coming from a human being or a bot, he said, taking the opportunity to put in a good word for his Honest Ads Act.