Tim Wu is joining the Biden administration, likely signaling increased scrutiny for Big Tech.
Tim Wu, a Columbia law professor, famously coined the phrase “net neutrality” and has been a vocal critic of the tech industry. Wu has also been a proponent of more aggressive antitrust action against Amazon, Facebook and Google.
He has been hired by the Biden administration specifically to work on Technology and Competition Policy.
Happy to say I'm joining the Biden White House to work on Technology and Competition Policy at the National Economic Council. Putting this twitter feed on hold for now — so long!
— Tim Wu (@superwuster) March 5, 2021
Big Tech has been in the spotlight more and more over antitrust concerns. While ominous, Wu’s appointment isn’t necessarily a bad thing for tech companies. Steve Ballmer, former Microsoft CEO, said Big Tech should take a more proactive approach, embrace additional regulation and move forward with clear guidelines it can operate within.
“If I’m in these guys’ shoes, I say, come on, let’s get down there and let’s regulate me and let’s get it over with so I know what I can do,” Ballmer said in a “Squawk Box” interview.
“I’ll bet money that they will not be broken up,” Ballmer continued in his comments to CNBC.
“I also don’t think the case of Apple is the same as Google is the same as Amazon,” Ballmer added. “In a sense putting them all together makes good theater but it doesn’t necessarily mean good policy.”