State of the Union: Pres. Biden calls for bipartisan support to ‘hold social media companies accountable’

SAN JOSE, CA (KGO) — President Biden took a direct hit at big tech during his State of the Union address Tuesday, calling for bipartisan support for better industry regulation.

He said it was time to finally hold social media accountable for what he called an experiment they were doing on our children for profit.

RELATED: Watch President Biden’s Full State of the Union Address 2023, Read Transcript

“The time has come for bipartisan legislation to stop Big Tech from collecting personal data about children and teens online,” he said. “Ban targeted ads to children and impose stricter limits on the personal data these companies collect about all of us.”

“This is a real problem in the virtual world,” said San Jose State professor and technical expert Ahmed Banafa. Speaking from the heart of Silicon Valley, he is not surprised by the president’s tone.

“Tech companies have a responsibility to look at people, not profits,” Banafa told ABC7 News. “And if they have that mindset, they will understand that you are dealing with human life, and the consequences will be huge.”

President Biden’s comments come after his Wall Street Journal op-ed last month on what he called “major technological abuses.”

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However, tech experts say getting bipartisan support could be a challenge.

“On the one hand, there are a lot of concerns about censorship, right? And the perception that the tech industry is imposing its political ideals on the country,” said Ian Scherr, editor-in-chief of CNET. “And on the other side of the aisle, there are people who are concerned about the spread of disinformation, extremism, concern that technology companies are infiltrating our lives.”

Newly elected Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders issued a Republican response. She became known as President Trump’s press secretary.

She is now the first female governor in Arkansas history and currently the youngest governor in America. Gov. Huckabee Sanders said she doesn’t believe almost anything she’s heard from the president. Biden.

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“While you are reaping the consequences of your failures, the Biden administration seems to be more interested in awakened fantasies than in the harsh reality that Americans face every day. Most Americans just want to live in freedom and peace, but we’re being attacked by the left… a culture war that we didn’t start and never wanted to fight,” she said.

The Governor continued: “We are told every day that we must participate in their rituals, salute their flags and worship their false idols, while big government colludes with big tech to rob you of the most American thing – your freedom of speech. … It is not normal. This is crazy and wrong.”

The president’s focus on big tech on Tuesday followed a mention of mental health. Biden made connections with social media and influenced school-aged children.

“Let’s do more in the field of mental health, especially for our children,” he said. “When millions of young people struggle with bullying, violence, trauma, we need to give them greater access to mental health care in school.”

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