Is Joe Biden A Threat To The Web?

Sam Gustin says: In a word, no, but that's the question some tech watchers are asking now that Barack Obama has chosen Sen. Joe Biden as his running mate.

There was a ripple of unease over the weekend over what News.com's Declan McCullagh called Biden's "mixed record on technology"--in contrast to Obama's vigorous embrace of key web issues such as net neutrality, which has fueled the perception that he's the "tech candidate."

To hear McCullagh tell it, the internet community has plenty to be concerned about.

Headlined "Joe Biden's pro-RIAA, pro-FBI tech voting record," McCullugh's piece offers a bill of particulars against Biden, portraying him as an enemy of online privacy and peer-to-peer networks and an ally of the FBI, the RIAA and the MPAA (when was the last time you saw these three on the same side of an argument?).

Specifically, McCullagh zeroes in on Biden's support of anti-encryption legislation and the Patriot Act, which would make it easier for the government to snoop on emails, as well as his support for tough copyright rules advocated by the the recording industry and Hollywood.

Biden also comes in for criticism for his support of (quixotic) legislation which would attempt to keep bomb-making materials off the internet, as well as his support for web filters in schools and libraries.

Another charge? Earlier this year, Biden called for spending $1 billion of taxpayer money to scour peer-to-peer networks for "illegal activity"--which might sound terrifying to some in the online, peer-to-peer community--but the bill was actually aimed at cracking down on the traffic of child pornography.

Finally, Biden is accused of sounding "skeptical" on net neutrality because he doesn't favor preemptive legislation which would enshrine the principle in law--it would seem he believes the F.C.C. already has the authority it needs to maintain net neutrality.

Top tech blog Gizmodo picked up on McCullagh's piece and warned that "Biden is no friend to file sharing, net neutrality protection or online privacy. Addressing its audience, the blog added that the Delaware Democrat "considers a lot of what you do care about criminal activity."

These fears, while present, are overblown. Obama has been very clear about his support for net neutrality, as well as internet privacy and free speech, and people should expect Biden to fall into line in short order, as is expected of vice-presidential candidates.

Sam Gustin