Some of the big tech companies have reportedly sent President-elect Donald Trump a fine-combed list of their priorities when it comes to policy and issues, especially focused on encryption, immigration reform and protection liabilities related to digital platforms.
The letter came from the Internet Association, the 40-member trade group with members including Facebook, Amazon, Google, Uber and Twitter. The association seeks to heal the relationship between Trump and the industry, which did not see eye to eye during the campaign.
Michael Beckerman, president of the Internet Association, wrote in a letter that “the internet industry looks forward to engaging in an open and productive dialogue.”
It will be interesting how Trump responds. There are some elements of the letter that may coincide with Trump’s plans, such as those related to regulation on the sharing economy and limited barriers for stateside internet companies hoping to grow internationally. There are also some elements that may not go over as well, per some concepts brought up during the campaign.
The Internet Association is looking at immigration reform to support high-skilled labor staying in the U.S. The letter, however, did not mention the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP), which the technology industry supported.
Beckerman continued the letter by seeking to work with Trump and Congress to “cement the internet’s role as a driver of economic and social progress for future generations.”