After a long week of being glued to CNN, we have a President-Elect Joe Biden and Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris! As excited as half of the country is about this victory, the real work begins now. One of the biggest issues of concern is data privacy even though it was not at the forefront of the campaign.
The mobilization of technology and access to data seems to be so easy. Scrolling past the Privacy Policy to select the “Agree” button to start using an app or easily selecting the “OK” button on a website before reading what a cookie is has become the norm. People care about data privacy but they do not take the time to read the policies already in front of them. Tech and mobile policies need federal backing as this issue has become bigger than what the states can handle. The new Biden administration supports data privacy regulation and the need for internet neutrality regulation (American Action Forum). However, it is unclear where the priority of tech is on the long list of issues that Biden will now be faced with.
The next four years will have to tackle the growth and influence of tech giants that use data as currency. Antitrust laws, liability protections and other security laws are going to be important to this administration to go as far as the Justice Department will be willing to go in terms (CNET).
I expect technology and the digital divide in this country will improve. My rights and protection from companies using and selling my information must be regulated. My information is not a data playground. From fraud, identity theft, hate speech, I want to feel safer online. From COVID changing the way we work, educate, interact with each other, travel and more, technology is proven to be ever-changing even when we think we are ahead.
The Los Angeles Times reported, “Biden’s campaign has pledged to expand “broadband, or wireless broadband via 5G, to every American,” bringing internet access to rural areas, urban schools and tribal lands, including with a $20-billion investment in rural broadband.”
It would be interesting to see if we can vote online by 2024. We can pay bill online, file taxes online, tap our credit cards to make a payment at a grocery store. We should be able to vote online by now. But, the risk of foul play with our right to vote out there online, we could be more at risk without these policies and laws in place.
Keep the faith and spread the faith that with Biden and Harris, we can get back the soul of this country and protect its data.
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