That’s at least how it works. then Sen. Ted StevensAlaska Republican, who was 81 at the time, attempted to explain the World Wide Web in 2006 on the Senate Floor. He said that the internet is not something you can “dump on.” It’s not big truck.
In 2018, Sen. Orrin Hartch of Utah, who was then 84, passed away. Question for Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook CEODuring his testimony following the Cambridge Analytica Data leakHow the social-media platform makes money even though it doesn’t charge users.
Zuckerberg responded with a confused expression.
“Senator, we run ads,” he deadpanned.
Congress has often been stumped by social media and big tech over the years. Many tech leaders, tech policy experts and lawmakers argue that Washington’s inept regulatory efforts to protect an industry in rapid change are partly attributable to the advanced age of its members.
Insider was told by Sen. Chris Murphy (a 49-year old Connecticut Democrat and member Generation X), that he has seen the pace at which all this technology has changed. “I’m young enough to know how technology works, but old enough to remember when it didn’t exist.”
Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook’s co-founder, testifies before the combined Senate Judiciary and Commerce Committee hearing at Hart Senate Office Building in Washington, DC on April 10, 2018.
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Tech’s ‘beef” with baby boomers
As technology and communications become more complex, Congress has been slow in crafting policy to address urgent public concerns, including digital privacy, net neutrality, cryptocurrency, and digital disinformation.
Technology laws can be confusing and complicated. Tech sector is increasingly worried about the lack of understanding by legislators when it comes to their industry’s needs.
“It’s all about connecting technology to what it means for my constituents. Ex-senior congressional aide, now working at a social media company, said that executives must tell a compelling story, communicate effectively and connect why members should care. “But I think that politicians that aren’t digital natives simply don’t possess the same personal experience as younger, more technologically savvy Americans.
The former aide, who was granted anonymity because of his company’s communication policy, added that he has a lot of sympathy for members of Congress — they’re expected to be conversant on every issue under the sun, from energy to healthcare to banking. According to the Gen Xer, Washington and Congress are a few years behind the American people in terms of recognition of issues and adoption technology. This is partly due to Congress’s aging.
“My main beef is that baby boomers just won’t get on the stage,” said the ex-aide. “They have really stifled an entire generation. It’s hard to name enough Gen Xers who have made an impact.
And while Congress works on a committee system with experts and staff who understand the technology and the issues at play, the majority of politicians are not digital natives — and they are the ones who ultimately cast votes.
The ex-aide said that “it’s a problem, not just for tech.” Complexity requires a high level of expertise. It becomes more difficult for legislators to understand the complexity of things.
In the past, there was a laissez-faire attitude that tech people wanted Washington to be left alone. However, this changed with events such as the Facebook-Cambridge Analytica data scandalA former senior Capitol Hill staff member, who is now the head of government relations at a company that makes software, shared his thoughts on Donald Trump’s 2016 victory.
Insider reports that, “With the rise of these major tech companies, I believe most of these CEOs would admit that they want regulations in the correct way and that they want clear rules that they are able to play and compete against.” The thing that CEOs need to remember is that they are not only operating in the US, but they also have to manage multinational corporations that must play in multiple regulatory jurisdictions around the globe.
Any type of policy is difficult, he said. “Age is a factor but it’s not the only one.” The factor. This is a multifactor issue.
Lawmakers debate the issue of age
Some Capitol Hill employees, despite doubts from the tech community, claim their ability to regulate tech is not related to their age, particularly those who serve on committees that directly deal with these issues.
Heather Vaughan, the minority communications director of the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, stated that lawmakers can understand the intricacies of technology with the help of outside researchers and experts in the field.
Vaughan said in an email that while he understands the criticism that older politicians may not be able to grasp new technologies, it was important to reject that notion of ageism. While younger politicians tend to use social networks more frequently, that doesn’t necessarily mean that older politicians can’t or won’t understand a topic due to their age.
Some members of Congress are in agreement: Technology doesn’t affect their ability to legislate.
“I don’t know whether it’s an older or younger thing. “I mean, some members just keep up with technology and others don’t,” stated Rep. Bill Foster (66), a Democrat from Illinois.
Foster, who currently serves on the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology, is the only current lawmaker with a doctorate. He believes that Congress’ understanding of technology does not need to be perfected in order for them to create good policy.
Foster said, “What they must understand is not just the nuts and bolts” of technology. “About 1,000 people understand the entire contents of a cell-phone.” They shouldn’t be allowed to use them, or that they can’t be productive with them.
Rep. Jerry McNerney is a 71 year-old Democrat who represents Stockton in California. Stockton is located northeast of Silicon Valley.
McNerney explained to Insider that he was 55 when I first got to Congress. He wondered if he would like me to fit in with the younger members. But, age doesn’t play as big a role.”
In recent years, however, there have been concerns among younger politicians from both major parties that older legislators may not be well-equipped to handle tech policy. A 42-year-old Missouri Republican, is one of them.
Hawley said that “I believe there are significant generational gaps in the Senate that cross party line, and that I’ve long believed that the tech issue is one where you can see some pretty significant generational difference,” Insider reported.
Hawley noted that younger members tend to be more critical about big tech.
“I think folks who are a little younger — I mean, listen, I can’t say I’m a young man anymore. I would. However, people who are younger may have been a bit more aware of the tech issue,” Hawley stated.
Andrew Yang, the former Democratic presidential candidate, was instrumental in forming the Forward Party for middle-of the-roadIn the past, older legislators have been criticized for not being able to handle tech issues.
Yang stated this in a July interview. Yahoo News — the same month he unveiled the new Forward Party — that the average senator is 64 years old. He said, “The truth of the matter is that if some of these technologies weren’t used, you don’t realize how important they are.”
Congress’ tech fluency
According to data, Generation Z is more tech-savvy than the older generations. More than 95% of Americans aged 18 to 49 reported owning a smartphone. StudyPew Research Center. Smartphone ownership falls dramatically for those over 65, with 61% saying they have one..
Senate Majority leader Chuck Schumer, a 71 years-old New York Democrat, is proud to be called Senate Majority Leader. Their flip phones are their lifeline. The senator was often seen talking on a dated flipphone around Capitol.
Chuck Schumer, Senate Majority leader, speaks with the media using his flip-phone.
Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call
Garrick Hileman is a visiting fellow at London School of Economics. He has been a long-term researcher on cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology. He said that new technologies are more popular among younger people and that users tend to be better able to comprehend technology.
Hileman mentioned a conversation he had about CoinDesk’s decision to allow cryptocurrency traders to be reported by its chief content officer Michael Casey.
A journalist who reports on an asset owned by them may be questioned about their ethics.
Insider learned that CoinDesk’s findings showed that journalists who use cryptocurrency are able to write fluently, and better understand what they’re writing about. And I believe that this is true for any technology. I believe that a member of Congress will be better able to understand the internet if they are actually using it, whether via email or cryptocurrency.
While there are some exceptions, he said that in general younger people have greater tech fluency then the baby-boomer generations.
Stefan Eich, an assistant professor in government at Georgetown University was shocked by the quality of questions and lack of knowledge displayed during congressional hearings about Facebook’s Libra. Libra, a cryptocurrency that was created by social-media giant Facebook in 2019, was shut down in January.
Eich claimed that the overwhelming majority of Congress had no idea what was happening, regardless of party.
Eich said that even if they were given a question that had been researched by someone, it was clear that they made mistakes reading it out and didn’t get what they were trying to say.
However, he stated that some of the younger members were able to nail it.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was the youngest woman to ever serve as a member of Congress PossibilitiesHe said that some of the most important questions were his.
He stated, “That kinda confirms that the suspicion might be that age might have something do with it.”
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is a New York Democrat who attended a House Financial Services Committee hearing regarding Facebook Libra.
Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call
Eich, who is also an expert on money in politics, found that the most powerful questions were not very technical. Eich stated that they instead focused on power.
He said that although they did not ask technical questions, they were able to see through the smokescreen and use their technology knowledge to avoid asking them. “Those were the questions that older people couldn’t ask because they were too enchanted by the technology.”
Ocasio-Cortez (32), demonstrated her knowledge of Libra by asking questions that went beyond the basics of the currency’s structure. David Marcus, Facebook’s crypto boss, asked her why she allowed the social-media giant to consolidate its many activities and create one digital currency. She also asked about a Question regarding governance over the reserveIn which she noted that the group of organisations Facebook created to monitor the currency was largely made up of corporations, and not democratically elected representatives.
The congresswoman stated that they were discussing a currency controlled and maintained by a undemocratically chosen coalition of large corporations.
Eich pointed out that less tech-savvy older legislators don’t attract top tech talent. He said that younger members of Congress are more knowledgeable and aware of the things they don’t know. This allows them to hire competent people.
Eich stated, “Experts are more inclined to start looking for people with interest,” “Why would anyone want to work for an elderly senator who can’t even get their iPad up and running? It’s more likely that you’ll start working for a young member who is actually interested in technology.
Elaine Kamarck is a senior fellow of the Governance Studies Program and the Director of the Center for Effective Public ManagementAccording to the Brookings Institution: The generational gap will decrease over time
Kamarck stated that “With each year, the workforce becomes more tech-savvy so as the workforce is tech-savvy then these disparities between ages really tend to disappear.” “My guess is that this will also happen in Congress,” Kamarck said.
Kamarck was working in the Clinton administration while the net was growing in popularity in 1990s and 2000s. Kamarck, a young and savvy baby-boomer president, led an initiative called “reinventing Government” that aimed to encourage a more tech-savvy US bureaucracy.
Federal lawmakers could be one way to increase Congress’ collective tech IQ. Reconstitute a congressional Office of Technology AssessmentHouse Republicans led then Speaker Newt Geingrich cut funding for the office. According to the Library of Congress, the office provided “objective and authoritative analysis of complex scientific and technical issues” for congressional members and committees.
Major tech companies continue to increase federal lobbying expenditures, spending together more in 2021 that any other year in historical records.
Both Meta and Amazon.com ranked among the Top 10 companies and organizations in terms of federal lobbying expenditures during 2021. According to nonpartisan research group OpenSecrets.
ByteDance, which is the parent company of TikTok’s video platform, spent zero on federal-level lobbying for 2018 Nearly $5.2 million in 2021.
This year, ByteDance counts four former members of Congress — Sens. John Breaux and Trent Lott and Reps. Jeff Denham and Bart Gordon — There are 40 registered lobbyistsIt’s currently being used in 2022.
Congress and tech policies
Congress is not completely unaware of the urgent need to pass legislation to address rapid technological advances.
In July, Congress was faced with increasing concerns about the availability of semiconductors. Passed the bipartisan CHIPS and Science ActThe US would receive $52 billion from the EU to increase semiconductor production.
Peiter Ztko, Twitter’s former security chief, has been replaced. TestimonyBefore the Senate Judiciary Committee regarding a whistleblower case he filed in August. In it, he claimed that the company had deceived consumers, federal regulators and board members about its security procedures. Zatko claims that Twitter servers ran out of date and vulnerable software. Executives withheld crucial information about the number. Data security breaches and user data protection issues.
Social-media executives, both current and past, testified to a September hearing. Audition in the SenateThe threat that social media poses to national security was the focus of their discussion. They stated that YouTube, Twitter and Meta companies prioritize profit over safety for their users.
Brian Boland (ex-VP of product engineering, marketing, Facebook) stated that Meta leadership chose to grow the business over keeping people safer.
The bipartisan legislation was introduced by the House Committee on Energy and Commerce in June. American Data and Privacy Act“To provide consumers with fundamental data privacy rights, establish strong oversight mechanisms, enforce meaningfully.”
Although the legislation is still in its early stages, if it passes, it will require companies and individuals to disclose how they collect, process and transfer user data. Users will also be able to access their data via the internet within 24 hours after requesting it.
Senator Brian Schatz, from Hawaii, has worked with Murphy. Legislationhe is also a 49 year-old Democrat and member Generation X. As a senator, he sits on the Senate Subcommittee on Communications, Media, and Broadband and has been involved in numerous pieces of tech-related legislation. Signed into law. The legislation was signed by President Joe Biden in recent days. Better Cybercrime Metrics ActSchatz’s bipartisan bill, “The Cybercrime Act”, will be enacted to help combat cybercrime. It will also protect users from scams online.
Recent attacks by members of the Republican Party on Google have escalated over email spam.
According to documents released by The Washington PostIn early August, the National Republican Senatorial Committee blasted Google for its recent fundraising woes, claiming that Google is encouraging Democratic efforts through its algorithms.
GOP Senator Chuck Grassley (Iowa), 88, spearheads the effort. He argued Google should behave more like the US Postal Service. Sending spam to Google is the same as refusing mail delivery.
Relatedly — and after much debate —the Federal Election Commission, a bipartisan regulatory agency, in August Google has approved the requestLaunch a pilot program to assist political candidates in avoiding spam filters on Gmail.
Private companies have tried over the years to clamp down on hate speech, as well as dangerous speech on their platforms. This has led to heated debates about content regulation.
Critics claim that the provision permits companies to Real harm is often ignored.Users, but others claim it protects users.neutral platforms“, even though the law does not mention neutrality.
Section 230 protects tech companies and helps them avoid lawsuits. This is Katherine Oyama, global head of intellectual properties policy at Google. Sent a letter to Congress in 2019.
After testifying before a Senate Judiciary and Commerce joint hearing, Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook, meets Senator Chuck Grassley (a Republican from Iowa) and shakes hands.
Zach Gibson/Getty Images
Technology policy: moving forward
Jessica Seale, a public policy professional and nonresident fellow with the Lincoln Network, a think-tank that promotes collaboration between government, technology and politics, believes that consumers-focused, quality tech legislation is still being thwarted despite all the efforts.
She mentioned Meta’s campaign for Congress to establish social-media regulations. This began in 2019 with a Zuckerberg. op-edThe Washington Post.
Seale stated that since the last op-ed and possibly before, Facebook/Meta has been buying ad space for and sponsoring daily newsletters by a lot Beltway publications,” Insider reported. Seale was referring to Washington news outlets like Politico and National Journal as well as The Hill. “Despite Meta and Facebook investing millions in this over the past three to four years, the needle hasn’t really moved, despite bipartisan outrage about it.”
Voters may be seeking more tech-savvy representation in the midterm elections. This is because companies might try to sell their data to third parties, or spread misinformation about the election.
As technology advances, and companies require more from Congress in order to protect their users and business models, it is possible that younger legislators and staff could have an advantage.
The gap between those who understand technology and social media may grow from the baby boomers to Generation Z. Although older legislators might not have a good understanding of Meta’s business model, or how the internet works in general, it is possible to regulate tech.
Murphy pointed out Schatz as one of the tech-savvy vanguard. Murphy stated, “It’s not coincidental that people such as Brian Schatz or others of my generation lead the conversation about how we deal with and regulate these new technologies.”
