Big Tech, Addressing Cyber Attacks, and Strengthening U.S. Competitiveness — with Ro Khanna

Cybersecurity & Innovation

Ro Khanna emphasizes the need for a robust cybersecurity strategy to enhance U.S. global competitiveness. He advocates for a "Manhattan project" on cybersecurity, focusing on securing critical infrastructure and leveraging international diplomacy rather than offensive cyber attacks 1. Khanna also highlights the bipartisan Endless Frontier Act, which aims to significantly boost science and technology funding, ensuring the U.S. leads in critical technologies like AI and synthetic biology 2.

It will make the largest increase in science and technology funding since the Apollo years in the 1960s.

--- Ro Khanna

This act seeks to distribute resources across the country, not just to elite coastal universities, fostering nationwide innovation.

   

Tech Regulation

The conversation shifts to the influence of big tech and the challenges of antitrust enforcement. Ro Khanna discusses the potential unwinding of tech giants like Facebook from WhatsApp and Instagram, emphasizing the need for fair treatment of sellers on essential platforms 3. He also addresses the broader issues of wealth disparity and democratic speech, noting that breaking up companies doesn't solve deeper societal problems 3.

We need to overturn or vacate Trinko, which is the Supreme Court decision...that these companies can do almost anything they want on their own platforms.

--- Ro Khanna

Khanna calls for stronger regulatory bodies with technologists who understand the complexities of tech companies, alongside more significant fines and sanctions 4.