Big Tech Has Become a Creature of the Swamp

In October of last year, Senator Amy Klobuchar gave a candid, if depressing, assessment of the effect of all that DC spending: "We have not done a thing to update US competition, privacy and tech laws." There's nothing. I think it's a pretty good idea. What's the reason? Lobbyists are hired by tech to work in the Capitol.

The power of the lobbying effort can be seen in the nomination of Sohn for the FCC. Sohn has focused on empowering consumers. She made enemies in the businesses of rapacious telecom companies. Her confirmation has been held up by those interests. A new congress could kill her nomination if she isn't confirmed soon. The commission is not unanimous with two Democrats and two Republicans.

News reports claim that a multimillion-dollar effort from special interests is targeting key states and vulnerable Democrats to withdraw support from the reform bills. The campaign has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on Facebook and Google ads in order to get their point across.

Tech entrepreneurs used to want to stay away from DC. They were not aware of what was going on. They were arrogant to think they could build businesses and ignore the government. Their instinct to avoid politics in America was a good one. The bad behavior of those companies makes it likely that some sanctions will be imposed. Lawmakers, regulators, and even the public wish for harsher sanctions, but they won't be. The tech interests and their DC activities are just like everyone else, according to a long time staffer on the Hill. It wasn't a nice thing to say.

It's time to travel.

Since the mid 1990s, when the internet became accessible to everyone, there have been arguments about regulating it. The debates before tech companies spent millions on lobbying were similar to the ones we suffer through today. I wrote about the Communications Decency Act in a 1995 Newsweek article. The amended bill was included in the 1996 bill.

The Exon amendment isn't limited. It may not be able to solve the problems that kids face. Jerry Berman is the director of the Center for Democracy and Technology.