Senior Biden administration officials will hear from experts on a range of Big Tech topics such as competition, privacy and youth mental health during a White House roundtable on Thursday, a source familiar with the plans told Axios.
Why it matters: The event marks the administration’s sharpest focus on the tech industry to date.
Driving the news: The topics slated for discussion also include misinformation and disinformation, illegal and abusive conduct, algorithmic discrimination and lack of transparency, the source said.
- Senior White House officials from the Chief of Staff’s Office, National Economic Council, Office of Science and Technology Policy, National Security Council, and other parts of the administration are expected to attend.
- Experts in the issues, including a law professor, a pediatrician and others are expected to detail the harms the platforms cause and the need for greater accountability.
The big picture: President Biden called for strengthening privacy protections and warned about the negative affects of social media on young people’s mental health during his State of the Union address this year, but the administration has focused on other legislative priorities as privacy and tech antitrust bills have languished in Congress.
