CTA, Others Suggest Presidential Tech Platform

In an open letter to the presidential candidates, tech groups signaled they had not heard enough talk on the campaign trail about tech issues including on intellectual property, data privacy and access to spectrum.

They offered up help in the form of a technology sector presidential platform they would like to see the candidates stand on and for.

The planks in that platform included: "Support effective protection of all major forms of intellectual property"; "Ensure the technology-enabled sharing economy or on-demand platforms are allowed to compete and grow in an open market"; "leverage best practices that have proven effective in advancing cybersecurity and encourage other governments to do the same"; "Advance policies that protect privacy while fostering innovation and growth and ensuring the free flow of data across borders"; "Adopt policies that pave the way for high-speed, next-generation broadband deployment and competition on the Internet and for Internet services"; and "Support robust freedom of expression on the open Internet."

Groups signing on to the letter included the Consumer Technology Association, the Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA) and the Software Alliance.

“As the candidates further develop their policy proposals, we hope they will realize how the tech industry can offer not just innovative products for consumers, but smart economic growth for the country," said CCIA president Ed Black.

“Also, candidates often hear from the movie and recording industries that more enforcement is always better for trade agreements and they don’t realize the vital importance of adding balanced measures like liability protections and fair use for the tech industry. These aid overall economic development and consumer empowerment.”

John Eggerton

Contributing editor John Eggerton has been an editor and/or writer on media regulation, legislation and policy for over four decades, including covering the FCC, FTC, Congress, the major media trade associations, and the federal courts. In addition to Multichannel News and Broadcasting + Cable, his work has appeared in Radio World, TV Technology, TV Fax, This Week in Consumer Electronics, Variety and the Encyclopedia Britannica.