Rep. Ro Khanna argues that big tech must balance ethics and regulation online

• Rep. Ro Khanna, California, has proposed regulations regarding Big Tech to protect user rights.
• He advocates for a balance in legal regulation and internal ethics as Twitter continues to face controversies.
• “I believe the trajectory of technology remains a force to good,” he said to Politico.

Rep. Ro Khanna, a self-described technology optimist, is back advocating for balance between Big Tech ethics and consumer-protecting regulation in California as controversy continues following Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter.

Silicon Valley representative supports moderate regulation of online platforms. This includes consumer data privacy and antitrust protections. He proposed the 2018 Internet Bill of Rights, a list containing principles to guide future legislation on tech-related issues. However, he noted that Politico“There hasn’t been a lot action” towards creating new laws after his proposal, and no new antitrust legislation was passed.

As Twitter has become central to the conversation around Big Tech in recent months — with potential international sanctions looming for Musk’s banning of journalists from the platformAnd some legislators calling for investigationsIn government requests to remove content prior to the change in leadership — Khanna recently made headlines as a rare Democratic voice criticizing the platform’s handling of the Hunter Biden laptop story2020

“I said this as a complete Biden partisan and convinced that he didn’t do any wrong.” Matt Taibbi reportedRep. Ro Khanna sent an email to Vijaya Gadde at the time, informing her that she was concerned about censorship. “But the story now is more about censorship that relatively innocuous email and it’s become bigger than it would have been. It is also now leading to serious efforts to curtail section 230 — many of which would have been a mistake.”

Khanna is positive about the potential of technology companies to benefit society despite his concerns over Twitter.

“Khanna stated that most people are happy that they can search online for information in a way that is probably more efficient than President Reagan’s. PoliticoHe maintained his positive outlook on technology’s positive potential, which he has maintained since his election in 2016. “They are grateful for the huge advances in medical science that technology has made in Silicon Valley. They’re grateful for the extraordinary achievements and climate, such as solar panels and batteries, electric vehicles, and solar panels. I believe the technology trajectory is still a force to be positive.”

Khanna said that such technology must be regulated “in service of higher purpose,” with a realistic framework to allow tech companies create solutions to social issues.

Khanna stated, “I believe we need technology to solve the climate problem.” Politico. “We need technology in order to bring back manufacturing. Technology is necessary to democratize America’s voice. I don’t mind that there isn’t Walter Cronkite telling Americans the truth. I think it’s a good thing that there are so many voices in this country.

Khanna explained that the current dominance by online platforms like Twitter over political and economic life is a major factor in our political and financial lives. PoliticoThis leads him to believe that more people need to have access to technology to address data privacy and inequity issues and that more technology companies are needed for a digital monopoly to be prevented.

Khanna stated that technology companies are the architects for so much of modern society. Khanna said that more people need to participate in it and more companies have an opportunity to shape it. Politico. “Alternatively, you have too many companies and too few people with power over American cultural life.”

Insider requested comment from Rep. Khanna but was not immediately contacted by the office.