WASHINGTON – In 2004, when Barack Obama was running for the U.S. Senate, he made his first visit to Google’s campus and saw firsthand how a search on the Internet worked. It left such a strong impression that he returned during his first presidential run vowing to protect the industry.
Now, near the end of his administration, the extent of Obama’s commitment to Silicon Valley has become clear. And nowhere is that more evident than net neutrality, an issue where the president pressured the government to pass regulations with major implications for how consumers experience the Internet.
The rules, passed Thursday by the Federal Communications Commission, limit Internet providers from auctioning off the fastest download speeds to the highest bidders, all but ensuring that Web firms – not cable companies – will retain control of what consumers see on their browsers. It marked a major win for Silicon Valley, an industry that has built a close relationship with the president and his staff over the last six years.
The affinity between the White House and the tech industry has enriched Obama’s campaigns through donations, and it has presented lucrative opportunities for staffers who leave for the private sector.
On Thursday, former White House press secretary Jay Carney joined Amazon as its senior vice president for worldwide corporate affairs. Former Obama campaign manager David Plouffe runs policy and strategy for Uber, the car service start-up. And several other former administration officials are peppered throughout Silicon Valley in various positions, lobbying on important policy issues related to consumer privacy, taxes and more.
History may view Obama as the first tech president, a leader who began his term clutching a BlackBerry and in every step along the way has embraced an industry that has evolved into a powerful force in policy and politics.
In addition to net neutrality, Obama has supported immigration reforms favored by tech firms such as Facebook, Microsoft and Yahoo and decried by labor unions. He has pushed for patent reforms that Apple and Google have championed. The president even sided with the tech industry – and against dependable Democratic allies in Hollywood – to block a copyright bill in early 2012.
But Obama’s close ties with Silicon Valley have rankled some conservatives and rival businesses, who say tech companies have grown too powerful to go unchecked.
“For the president to come out on net neutrality as forcefully as he did and interfere with an independent regulatory agency isn’t good governance, and, I think, in part, was done to be supportive to friends,” said Jeffrey Eisenach with the American Enterprise Institute. “There is no question the presidency is more closely aligned with Silicon Valley, just as George W. Bush was more aligned with oil and manufacturing. You are who you represent.”
The relationship between Silicon Valley and the White House isn’t without tension. The tech industry howled when it was revealed the National Security Administration was conducting a massive surveillance program on Web users. And some tech executives gripe privately that Obama’s support of immigration and patent reforms hasn’t translated into new legislation that directly can help their businesses.
Washington Post staff writer Karen Tumulty contributed to this report.
