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| Why Americans are still waiting for our first tech president | Why Americans are still waiting for our first tech president |
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| As Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders have shown, any candidate hoping to connect with voters in the 2016 election can’t do so without a strong online presence. But embracing the internet as an organizing tool isn’t enough. To become the nation’s first genuine tech president, a candidate must also champion internet policies that safeguard users and ensure the network’s survival and continued growth. | As Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders have shown, any candidate hoping to connect with voters in the 2016 election can’t do so without a strong online presence. But embracing the internet as an organizing tool isn’t enough. To become the nation’s first genuine tech president, a candidate must also champion internet policies that safeguard users and ensure the network’s survival and continued growth. |
| Shortly after Barack Obama announced his candidacy for the White House in late 2007, he took to the stage at Google headquarters to unveil a set of policies on key tech issues, including net neutrality. Later in his campaign, he promised to “strengthen privacy protections for the digital age and … harness the power of technology to hold government and business accountable for violations of personal privacy”. | Shortly after Barack Obama announced his candidacy for the White House in late 2007, he took to the stage at Google headquarters to unveil a set of policies on key tech issues, including net neutrality. Later in his campaign, he promised to “strengthen privacy protections for the digital age and … harness the power of technology to hold government and business accountable for violations of personal privacy”. |
| Related: Tech policy activists find Bernie Sanders is best bet – while Trump is the worst | Related: Tech policy activists find Bernie Sanders is best bet – while Trump is the worst |
| Obama’s administration made good on his pledge to protect the open internet, passing strong net neutrality protections in 2015. But Obama has fallen far short on privacy protections – a fact underscored throughout hundreds of thousands of NSA documents revealed by Edward Snowden. | Obama’s administration made good on his pledge to protect the open internet, passing strong net neutrality protections in 2015. But Obama has fallen far short on privacy protections – a fact underscored throughout hundreds of thousands of NSA documents revealed by Edward Snowden. |
| One out of two isn’t good enough for any president who truly seeks to protect our rights to connect and communicate. | One out of two isn’t good enough for any president who truly seeks to protect our rights to connect and communicate. |
| Last Monday, the Republican party huddled behind closed doors with telecom and tech lobbyists to craft its own tech policy platform. The meeting included trade groups representing the likes of Amazon, Apple, AT&T, Comcast, Google, Microsoft and Verizon. | Last Monday, the Republican party huddled behind closed doors with telecom and tech lobbyists to craft its own tech policy platform. The meeting included trade groups representing the likes of Amazon, Apple, AT&T, Comcast, Google, Microsoft and Verizon. |
| Absent from the Republican meeting were people like you and me, for whom the internet is more than a business, serving as a way to seek out jobs and educational opportunities, connect with loved ones and participate in our democracy. | Absent from the Republican meeting were people like you and me, for whom the internet is more than a business, serving as a way to seek out jobs and educational opportunities, connect with loved ones and participate in our democracy. |
| Meanwhile, the Democratic party has announced a series of hearings to gather public input on a general party platform. It hasn’t asked for specific input on tech policies. | Meanwhile, the Democratic party has announced a series of hearings to gather public input on a general party platform. It hasn’t asked for specific input on tech policies. |
| Recently a coalition of digital rights groups including Free Press sent a letter to both parties asking them to consider policies that put the needs of internet users before the companies, including expanding affordable access options to those who can’t pay the high price to get online. The Republican platform committee has agreed to meet with us. We are still waiting for a response from Democrats. Still, both parties could do a lot more to take internet users into account. | Recently a coalition of digital rights groups including Free Press sent a letter to both parties asking them to consider policies that put the needs of internet users before the companies, including expanding affordable access options to those who can’t pay the high price to get online. The Republican platform committee has agreed to meet with us. We are still waiting for a response from Democrats. Still, both parties could do a lot more to take internet users into account. |
| We came out by the millions in 2012 to defeat web censorship legislation – the Pipa and Sopa bills – that would have blacked out large tracts of internet content. We formed a coalition of grassroots advocates in the wake of Snowden’s 2013 revelations and have continued to fight for reforms to national security laws. And in the last two years, millions more pushed the FCC to turn against the influential phone and cable lobby and pass strong net neutrality protections, oppose cable industry mergers and secure broadband subsidies for low-income families. | |
| We’re more than an unruly mob. Internet users are a political constituency with a specific list of demands. On Monday, a coalition of public interest organizations that played leading roles in these policy fights will release the 2016 Internet Policy Platform and send it to the leaders of both major parties, including their presumptive nominees, as a roadmap to becoming America’s first tech president. | We’re more than an unruly mob. Internet users are a political constituency with a specific list of demands. On Monday, a coalition of public interest organizations that played leading roles in these policy fights will release the 2016 Internet Policy Platform and send it to the leaders of both major parties, including their presumptive nominees, as a roadmap to becoming America’s first tech president. |
| Guardian readers are getting an exclusive look at the platform here. It’s been endorsed by more than a dozen internet rights, social justice and consumer advocacy organizations, including 18 Million Rising, ColorOfChange, Demand Progress, Free Press, the National Hispanic Media Coalition, New America’s Open Technology Institute and Public Knowledge. | Guardian readers are getting an exclusive look at the platform here. It’s been endorsed by more than a dozen internet rights, social justice and consumer advocacy organizations, including 18 Million Rising, ColorOfChange, Demand Progress, Free Press, the National Hispanic Media Coalition, New America’s Open Technology Institute and Public Knowledge. |
| We built the platform around six guiding principles supported by millions of Americans who have become forceful advocates for internet rights. These principles – free speech, access, choice, privacy, transparency and openness – are what make the internet a democratic medium like no other. They must be upheld by anyone seeking elected office – not just our next president. | We built the platform around six guiding principles supported by millions of Americans who have become forceful advocates for internet rights. These principles – free speech, access, choice, privacy, transparency and openness – are what make the internet a democratic medium like no other. They must be upheld by anyone seeking elected office – not just our next president. |
| The internet isn’t just a tactical tool for campaign organizing. Candidates need to pay attention to internet users and protect the interests of everyone who’s fighting for policies to keep the network open, secure and available to everyone. | The internet isn’t just a tactical tool for campaign organizing. Candidates need to pay attention to internet users and protect the interests of everyone who’s fighting for policies to keep the network open, secure and available to everyone. |
| Timothy Karr is the senior director of strategy for Free Press, a nonpartisan organization that advocates for universal access to an open and affordable internet. Free Press doesn’t support or oppose any candidates for public office. | Timothy Karr is the senior director of strategy for Free Press, a nonpartisan organization that advocates for universal access to an open and affordable internet. Free Press doesn’t support or oppose any candidates for public office. |