Where 2024 U.S. presidential candidates stand on tech issues

Artificial intelligence

The recent boom of generative AI has propelled the technology, including machine learning and deep learning, into the spotlight. AI is also causing concern among political leaders, with the European Union advancing the EU AI Act, while regulation is becoming a hot topic for Congress.

Kamala Harris (D), U.S. vice president, has supported developing principles for AI use under the Biden administration. Harris is particularly focused on ensuring equal access to AI benefits and protecting workers from AI risks. During remarks Harris made in London on Nov. 1, 2023, she said she believes the private sector, governments and civil society have a "moral, ethical and societal duty to make sure that AI is adopted and advanced in a way that protects the public from potential harm and that ensures that everyone is able to enjoy its benefits."

Donald Trump (R), former U.S. president, supported federal investment in AI research and development. Trump issued an executive order in 2019 that focused on the U.S. driving technical breakthroughs in AI and creating standards for the technology's use.

Marianne Williamson (D), author and political activist. Her potential policy on AI is unclear, but in June, she posted on X: "Hard to imagine a greater man-made danger to humanity than nuclear bombs but AI might be it." She said the threat of AI outweighs its benefits.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (I), environmental lawyer, supports AI regulation, particularly AI safety.

POSITION UNCLEAR

Candidates whose positions on AI could not be ascertained include Cornel West (I), academic and political activist.

Big tech regulation

Republicans and Democrats often disagree on the approach to regulating big tech companies, such as Meta, Google, Apple and Amazon, which are being scrutinized for business competition and data practices. While Democrats focus on business models, with some in Congress suggesting breaking the companies up, Republicans focus on regulating social media platforms for censoring content.

Kamala Harris (D) has a history with Silicon Valley that might affect her approach to regulating the tech industry. She received support and campaign funding from big tech companies during her time as California's attorney general. However under the Biden administration, antitrust lawsuits have targeted big tech firms including Google and Apple.

Donald Trump (R). During the Trump administration in 2020, the Department of Justice (DOJ) sued Google for alleged monopolization of online search. In 2021, Trump targeted social media platforms, suing Meta, X and YouTube owner Google for removing him from their platforms.

Marianne Williamson (D) said the U.S. government should regulate big tech but has not detailed specific actions.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (I) accuses big tech platforms and the federal government of conspiring to "surveil and censor the public."

Cornel West (I) wants to break up big tech companies.

China and tech

World leaders are looking to broaden their tech supply chains beyond China, which exercises control over areas of manufacturing and mining, including critical components of clean energy devices, such as solar panels and lithium batteries for electric vehicles. China is also a significant producer of semiconductor chips used in phones and computers.

Kamala Harris (D) would likely stay tough on China, as she's been aligned with most of Biden's policies. The Biden administration implemented additional export controls on China in 2022, restricted companies' abilities to invest in certain technologies in China in 2023, and maintained tariffs on aluminum and steel added during the Trump administration.

Donald Trump (R) ordered tariffs on Chinese imports, including products such as solar panels, steel and aluminum.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (I) doesn't believe in taking trade action against China but agrees with bringing tech industries, such as semiconductor manufacturing, back to the U.S.

POSITION UNCLEAR

Candidates whose positions on China and tech could not be ascertained include Marianne Williamson (D) and Cornel West (I).

Climate policy

The next U.S. president will set the tone for climate policy, incentives and regulatory advances, affecting how CIOs will align business sustainability goals to federal demands. New policies could require businesses to assess and report on carbon emissions throughout their supply chains, develop more sustainable business practices and invest in clean energy. On this issue, there are sharp differences between Democrats and Republicans.

Kamala Harris (D) has taken a strong stance on climate issues even before her tenure as vice president. She co-sponsored the Green New Deal as a U.S. senator, which was reintroduced in 2019 and aimed to transition the U.S. to 100% clean energy usage over the next decade. Under the Biden administration, Harris saw passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, which provided clean energy incentives to businesses and consumers.

Donald Trump (R) has denied climate change. During his term as president, he reversed former President Barack Obama's Clean Power Plan, which set limits on carbon pollution from power plants. He rolled back other environmental protections as he championed oil, natural gas and coal industries.

Marianne Williamson (D) supports a "full scale climate emergency mobilization effort." She aims to reduce global warming and lead the planet toward long-term sustainability.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (I) wants to advance U.S. climate policy and "rebuild a broad environmental coalition to clean up this country."

Cornel West (I) wants to declare a climate emergency and end all oil and gas projects on federal lands and waters. He also wants to place a federal moratorium on "false climate solutions," such as carbon-capture technologies, and rescind the Inflation Reduction Act.

Cryptocurrency regulation

Regulating digital assets became an essential topic for Congress and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission following the collapse of cryptocurrency exchange FTX in 2022 and its founder Sam Bankman-Fried's arrest on fraud charges. While the SEC currently holds cryptocurrency companies accountable as a federal law enforcement agency, there is no set regulatory framework for cryptocurrency in the U.S. as federal leaders debate the best approach forward.  

Kamala Harris (D), as part of the Biden administration, released a framework for the responsible development of digital assets in 2022. The Biden-Harris administration also increased the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's resources for a crypto enforcement unit. 

Donald Trump (R) said Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are "not money, and whose value is highly volatile and based on thin air" in a 2019 post on X. He said unregulated digital assets can facilitate illegal behavior. However, since leaving office, Trump has heavily invested in cryptocurrency, holding nearly $3 million in digital assets.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (I) had "no knowledge" of cryptocurrency exchanges such as Bitcoin at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, since then, Kennedy said he recognizes the innovation within the digital assets economy and the independence it fosters, warning that creation of a U.S. Central Bank Digital Currency could potentially limit that independence.

POSITION UNCLEAR

Candidates whose positions on cryptocurrency regulation could not be ascertained include Marianne Williamson (D) and Cornel West (I).

Cybersecurity and business

The public policy debate over cybersecurity has a clear divide. As cyberattacks on critical infrastructure, healthcare institutions and federal officials rise, some lawmakers want the federal government to strengthen its cybersecurity policies and bolster incident reporting from businesses. Other lawmakers argue stringent security requirements could hurt SMBs with limited resources. A president's view on this issue can help set the direction of legislation.

Kamala Harris (D) advanced international collaboration on cybersecurity initiatives in 2021. She said the U.S. supports the Paris Call for Trust and Security in Cyberspace that involves working with other countries on advancing cybersecurity and preserving a secure Internet. During a speech in London, raised concerns about the risks to cybersecurity that AI poses.

Donald Trump (R) issued an executive order in 2017 as president to improve the nation's cybersecurity through market power. Trump asked for an examination of federal policies and practices for promoting the market transparency of cybersecurity risk, which would provide customers, investors and regulatory bodies with information about a firm's cybersecurity practices that could in turn influence investment decisions.  

POSITION UNCLEAR

Candidates whose positions on cybersecurity and business could not be ascertained include Marianne Williamson (D), Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (I) and Cornel West (I).

Data privacy

Multiple bills introduced in Congress over the last two years aimed to create a federal data privacy law that would set guardrails for businesses collecting user data and establish consumer protections. The data privacy issue has become prominent, particularly since the rise in popularity of social media app TikTok, which Chinese firm ByteDance owns. Multiple U.S. states have banned the app from government devices.

A federal data privacy law has yet to pass in the U.S. as Republicans and Democrats struggle to agree on what such a law should entail.

Kamala Harris (D) supported the president's call to action for Congress to pass a federal data privacy law through the Biden-Harris administration's executive order on artificial intelligence. Harris has raised concerns specifically about the impact of the Supreme Court's decision in 2022 to overturn Roe v. Wade on the privacy of women's health data.

Donald Trump (R). In 2017, Trump repealed Federal Communications Commission rules instilling online privacy protections for consumers from internet service providers. However, his administration began working on a consumer protection privacy policy in 2018 that never came to fruition.

POSITION UNCLEAR

Candidates whose positions on data privacy could not be ascertained include Marianne Williamson (D), Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (I) and Cornel West (I).

Digital divide

Setting aside funds for improving broadband and telecommunications access across the U.S. to reduce the digital divide, or the gap between communities with access to internet and those without, can be a complicated issue for policymakers in Congress. While there is bipartisan agreement that the digital divide needs to be closed, there is disagreement on whether federal spending and regulation is the avenue through which to do it. 

Kamala Harris (D) alongside Biden included $65 billion in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to expand the administration's Internet for All initiative, which aims to improve high-speed connectivity for U.S. residents. The initiative falls under the administration's Investing in America agenda, which focused on the digital divide and included investments outside of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

Donald Trump (R) invested $86 million to expand rural broadband access in the U.S. through the Dept. of Agriculture. He also sought to reduce the regulatory oversight capabilities of the FCC in an attempt to remove barriers for businesses. 

POSITION UNCLEAR

Candidates whose positions on the digital divide could not be ascertained include Marianne Williamson (D), Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (I) and Cornel West (I).

Facial recognition technology

Facial recognition is a technology that uses biometric software and AI capabilities to identify a person in photos or videos. Some of the biggest tech companies have used the tech conservatively -- as a security feature to unlock devices or, in the case of Meta, as a photo tagging service that it shut down in 2021. But its use by government and law enforcement officials has been scrutinized and commercial development as well as the debate it raises around privacy is still in its infancy.

Kamala Harris (D) is concerned about risks posed by AI, including technology like facial recognition. Harris announced the White House Office of Management and Budget's government-wide AI policy in March 2024, which requires federal agencies to implement core AI safeguards by Dec. 2024. One of those safeguards includes allowing travelers to opt-out of TSA's facial recognition use during check-in at the airport.

Donald Trump (R) supported facial recognition technology in airports to stop criminals from fraudulently using U.S. travel documents.

Marianne Willamson (D) advocates for immigration justice and rejects the use of facial recognition surveillance programs that she said are "riddled with racial discrimination issues."

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (I) on his campaign website accuses the U.S. government and tech platforms of surveilling the public and advocates for greater transparency. He posted on X that he is concerned about normalizing government use of facial recognition technology.

POSITION UNCLEAR

Candidates whose positions on facial recognition technology could not be ascertained include Cornel West (I).

Gig work and unions

Under the gig employment model, workers are independent contractors rather than employees and use apps to manage their schedule and assignments. That's in contrast to temp services, where workers typically have status as employees. Currently, there is a policy debate over whether gig workers should be employees, eligible for benefits and legal protections. In 2023, the National Labor Relations Board issued a rule that may help expand unionization to gig work. How candidates see the role of unions might reveal how they feel about unionization of gig workers and the tech industry generally.

Donald Trump (R). His administration adopted a rule that made it easier for businesses to classify workers as independent contractors. He is an opponent of unions.

Marianne Williamson (D) described the Writers Guild of America strike "as a pivotal moment in the counteroffensive against vulture capitalism."

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (I) backed the UAW strike and said he will support labor.

Cornel West (I) said the U.S. has an "oligarchic economy" that benefits the wealthy.

H-1B work visa program

Without legislation by Congress, a president cannot change the annual 85,000 H-1B visa cap. However, regulatory and administrative capabilities give a president the power to affect corporate access to the program.

Donald Trump (R) promised to reform the program. As president, his administration challenged visa petitions from offshore outsourcing firms through administrative oversight and visa rule changes. In the closing days of his presidency, his administration issued a rule to raise wages of H-1B workers by adopting a wage-based distribution system instead of the lottery, a proposal the U.S. federal court struck down. In 2024, Trump's focus has been on broader immigration issues and border security.

Marianne Williamson (D) calls for expanding "the number of visas available to immigrants."

POSITION UNCLEAR

Candidates whose positions on the H-1B visa program could not be ascertained include Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (I) and Cornel West (I).

Noncompete ban

In April 2024, the Federal Trade Commission voted 3-2 to pass a ban on employers entering into noncompete agreements with employees, a move the agency hopes will boost competition and increase employee wages. Regardless, the debate about noncompetes and their usefulness continues, and the FTC ban is likely to face legal challenges during the next administration.

Kamala Harris (D) supports the FTC's ban on noncompete agreements. In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Harris wrote that the FTC's ban was a "huge win," noting that "non-compete restrictions are anti-competition and anti-worker."

Donald Trump (R) continued an Obama-era policy during his administration banning no-poach agreements, another type of restrictive covenant between employers and employees. However, it's unclear how Trump would approach the FTC's noncompete ban, since Trump used a noncompete clause in 2016 for campaign employees, and the two Republican FTC members voted against the ban.

Marianne Williamson (D) has spoken out against noncompete clauses and wants to work with Congress to end them. Williamson believes noncompete agreements drive down employee wages and deny employees the opportunity for better employment, according to her website.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (I) claims to be a strong supporter of labor rights, including rights to meaningful wages and benefits. He has not addressed noncompete agreements specifically.

Cornel West (I) wants to establish a worker's bill of rights that provides greater protections to workers. He has not addressed noncompete agreements specifically.

Remote work policy

Teleworking by federal employees is a partisan issue. Congressional Republicans are seeking limits on remote work, while Democrats have expressed support for liberal telework policies. Federal agencies argue that telework options are necessary to compete with private sector companies for specialized jobs in the labor market, especially IT.

Donald Trump (R) is a long-time critic of remote work, believing it hurts productivity and collaboration. When Yahoo ended remote work in 2013, Trump signaled his approval, tweeting that "when employees are working at home they can never have the same cohesiveness as working together as a group."

POSITION UNCLEAR

Candidates whose positions on remote work could not be ascertained include Marianne Willamson (D) and Cornel West (I) and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (I)

Section 230 and online content moderation

Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act shields digital platform operators such as Meta, X and YouTube from liability for content posted by third parties. Democrats want to limit Section 230 liability protections. Republicans want Section 230 changed to restrict social media platforms from moderating content.

Kamala Harris (D) as part of the Biden administration outlined areas of reform for big tech platforms following a listening session in 2022, including removing the immunity granted to social media platforms through Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. However, Harris' history with Silicon Valley might result in a different approach to regulating big tech including content moderation outside of the Biden administration.

Donald Trump (R) wants to repeal Section 230. He issued an executive order in 2020 to curb digital platforms' ability to remove certain online content.

Marianne Williamson (D) believes the federal government needs more regulations governing social media platforms.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (I) believes in limiting platforms' ability to remove online content. He alleges on his campaign website that government institutions and tech companies are conspiring to "surveil and censor the public."

POSITION UNCLEAR

Candidates whose positions on Section 230 and online content moderation could not be ascertained include Cornel West (I).

Space industry

Space is the next business frontier as federal agencies such as NASA partner with commercial companies to study long-duration stays, and businesses continue to launch their own satellites and develop the space tourism industry. The U.S. president will play a critical role in guiding regulations and setting the space policy for the nation.

Kamala Harris (D) has boosted international collaboration on space initiatives. The U.S. alongside France committed to establishing regular dialogue on a "whole-of-government approach to space cooperation." She has also pinpointed the benefits of using space-based data to address the global climate crisis.

Donald Trump (R) signed a space policy in 2017 that pushed for astronauts to return to the moon and encouraged explorations to Mars and beyond. He also signed a law establishing a new branch of the U.S. military, the U.S. Space Force, in 2019.

Marianne Williamson (D) supports space exploration but is cautious about how it's done. In a post on X, Williamson said the "weaponization of space is a tragic perversion of our values."

POSITION UNCLEAR

Candidates whose positions on the space industry could not be ascertained include Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (I) and Cornel West (I).

Supercomputers and federal R&D

The U.S. government funds some of the world's priciest supercomputers, generally beyond private sector budgets, and provides research access to universities and businesses. These supercomputers enable advanced simulations for applications like hurricane predictions, drug discovery and engine testing. Political candidates' stances on supercomputing might emerge when comparing U.S. capabilities to China's and could be tied to their positions on federal R&D expenditures.

Donald Trump (R), as president, funded the $600 million Frontier supercomputer at the federally funded Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the first system exceeding an exaflop. As of June 2023, it topped the Top 500 list of the world's most powerful supercomputers. Trump's budget proposals have wavered between increases and decreases in R&D.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (I). His federal R&D views are unclear, but his commitment to science may be questioned because of his stated opposition to the use of vaccines.

POSITION UNCLEAR

Candidates whose positions on supercomputers and federal R&D could not be ascertained include Marianne Williamson (D) and Cornel West (I).

Editor's note: This guide was originally published Nov. 8, 2023 and has been updated to reflect changes in candidate stances and campaign statuses.

Makenzie Holland is a news writer covering big tech and federal regulation. Prior to joining TechTarget Editorial, she was a general reporter for the Wilmington StarNews and a crime and education reporter at the Wabash Plain Dealer.

Patrick Thibodeau covers human capital management and ERP technologies. He has worked for more than two decades as an enterprise IT reporter.