The longtime technician, Tim Wu, is joining the Biden administration as an adviser on technology and competition, a sign that the White House is likely to pursue policies that drive Big Tech.
Wu will serve on the National Economic Council as a special assistant to the president for technology and competition policy, the White House said this morning. Wu confirmed the news in a tweet.
Wu is best known in technological circles as the man who coined the term ‘net neutrality’ in the early 2000s. He has previously held various positions at the federal level, including advisory roles at the Federal Trade Commission and the National Economic Council. He has also been a professor at Columbia University Law School since 2006, where he teaches first amendment and antitrust law.
His book from 2010 The main switch argued that the open internet, as we knew it, was leading to a closed future with walled gardens. In 2018 he publishes another book, The curse of greatness, in which he argued that the failure of U.S. regulators to enforce antitrust laws led to “a new gilded era” and all the attendant problems.
Several prominent progressive Democratic lawmakers applauded the move. “Tim was a longtime advocate for antitrust, and he pushed public officials to break out and curb Big Tech,” said Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Who called for Big Tech riots during her unsuccessful presidential election 2019. ‘I’m glad to see him in this role.’
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Who recently proposed a bill that would be the biggest overhaul of antitrust since 1976 if passed, also issued a statement in support of Wu’s new work. “It is clear that this government is serious about promoting competition in the United States,” Klobuchar said. “America has a big monopoly problem that needs to be addressed urgently … I look forward to working with Tim to modernize antitrust enforcement, strengthen our economy and protect workers and consumers.”
Those who oppose his policy goals are apparently worried about how seriously the White House may take him now. One lobbyist in the industry, who is critical of Wu, told Protocol that the appointment “should not be blown away by hand … It could be dangerous.”
That being said, Wu’s new role does not put him in the position of jumping in with a metaphorical sledgehammer and breaking companies. The White House can make all the proposals it wants, but actual monopolistic enforcement comes from the Department of Justice and the FTC, both of which are still waiting to have new leadership nominated or confirmed. (Wu’s appointment to the NEC makes it clear that he did not end up with one of the agencies, although the Washington rumor mill considered him a candidate for both.)
However, both agencies are already neck deep in important cases against Big Tech Firms. The FTC and a coalition of 47 states filed competition charges in December to break Facebook, arguing that the acquisition of Instagram and WhatsApp was competitive and that it should not have been allowed.
Similarly, the DOJ and several groups of countries have filed major cases against Google, arguing that the search advertising phone giant is all competing. Although the costumes, which are now mostly consolidated, do not explicitly want a break from Google, they emphasize that ‘structural remedies’ may be needed.