State of the Union Highlighted Issues Crucial to Ensuring That Tech Benefits All Americans, Says OTI

Following President Biden’s 2024 State of the Union Address, the Open Technology Institute (OTI), a New America program fostering equitable access to digital technology and its benefits, issued the following statement from Prem Trivedi, Policy Director of OTI:

During a crucial election year address to the nation, President Biden mentioned several issues at the heart of ensuring that technologies are designed, used, and governed in ways that promote security, safeguard democracy and human rights, and further economic well-being.

President Biden spotlighted the urgent need for “affordable high-speed Internet for every American.” But he stopped short of urging Congress to extend the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), a vital program that will run out of funding as early as next month. The ACP has provided broadband internet access to over 22 million American households, allowing them to participate more fully in modern life. Broadband is essential to an equitable AI future in which all Americans can, as the president noted, “harness the promise” of AI. OTI calls on Congress to do its part by passing the ACP Extension Act of 2024.

We also believe strong consumer protections should be at the core of U.S. technology policy. OTI commends the president for his welcome attention to unnecessary hidden fees, also known as “junk fees.” Research by OTI and others has long identified junk fees in internet service bills—including installation and activation fees, equipment fees, and early termination fees—as deceptive and burdensome for internet users.

Strong privacy laws also protect consumers, strengthen democracy, and keep people more safe online. President Biden rightly pointed out that bipartisan federal privacy legislation is key to keeping children safe. OTI has persistently called on Congress to reintroduce and pass comprehensive federal privacy legislation, like the 2022 American Data Privacy and Protection Act, as doing so is a crucial first step in protecting all Americans’ privacy and security—and in regulating artificial intelligence. Privacy protections, paired with algorithmic accountability mechanisms required by legislation like the Algorithmic Accountability Act, provide a meaningful way to address harms while also laying the groundwork for future AI legislation that balances innovation and internet users’ rights. President Biden also rightly highlighted other “perils” that AI may exacerbate, such as manipulated media and disinformation.

Over the coming year, OTI looks forward to continuing to work with the Biden administration, Congress, civil society, and industry to ensure that all Americans have equitable access to technology and its benefits.