US President Joe Biden speaks during the 2023 DNC Winter Meeting in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US, on February 3, 2023.
Elizabeth Franz | Reuters
US President Joe Biden will take aim at technology companies and discuss data privacy and internet security when he delivers his annual State of the Union address on Tuesday evening, the White House said.
During the speech, Biden will call on both parties to support a ban on targeted advertising to children and youth online, and will demand transparency about technology companies’ algorithms and how they collect Americans’ personal data.
Biden also argues that it’s the company’s responsibility, not the consumer’s, to minimize the amount of information they collect.
The White House said social media companies often do not follow their terms of service regarding minors. Biden will discuss how his administration plans to build on the Surgeon General’s advisory on youth mental health, the Department of Health and Human Services’ new Center of Excellence on Social Media and Mental Health, and the Children’s and Media Research Promotion Act.
Biden will also call for bipartisan support to impose limits on the personal data that tech companies can collect, particularly on sensitive data such as health information and geolocation, the White House said.
The president’s position on Tuesday would echo his writing in the January assessment, where he argued that Congress needs to pass legislation that puts up new fences for the technology industry.
“We need bipartisan action from Congress to hold Big Tech accountable,” Biden wrote.
Biden’s notable call for bipartisanship on technology issues. A divided Congress will complicate the landscape for legislation in any area. Biden’s decision to focus on technology suggests it may be a rare area of ​​hope for progress while working across the aisle.
On Tuesday, for the first time since 2019, the president and leaders of Congress will be allowed to bring guests to the State of the Union address, which will include all members of the House of Representatives and the Senate, all nine justices of the Supreme Court, most members of the president’s cabinet, and the diplomatic corps.
It will also be the first time Biden will deliver a historic speech to a divided Congress since Republicans won control of the House in November’s midterm elections.
— CNBC’s Lauren Feiner contributed to this report.
