Trump Administration Restructure’s AI, Social Media Regulatory Framework in 2025
The very second the world welcomed the new year, 2025 came and brought with it a set of the new tech laws in the US under the upcoming Trump administration, entering the battlefield of regulations on AI and social media, taking center stage amid endless debates on free speech and personal liberties.
With AI advancements, policies such as AI Bill of Rights indicate a shift in the required regulatory structure. Biden’s focus emphasized personal liberties through protections like the AI Bill, while Trump’s advocated for free speech with fewer rules and regulations.
Opinions on antitrust laws relating to Big Tech question wider consequences of AI regulation’s broader importance. These discussions, in turn, enable a greater need for dialogue on social media regulation, with the debates surrounding antitrust laws and big tech along with responsibility and ensuring the safety of users always being at the lead.
Trump’s AI Tech Law Regulations
As AI emanates rapidly, policies and regulatory activities are expanding to keep pace. The Trump administration’s approach to AI regulation will differ significantly from that of its predecessor.
Under Biden, the AI Bill of Rights and an executive order on AI laid foundational guidelines to protect privacy, safety, and civil rights. In that very same context, AI developers were required to report safety test results, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology was tasked with creating rigorous safety standards. In parallel, federal agencies were informed to use AI responsibly in adherence with AI Bill of Rights.
At the other extreme end of the line, the Trump administration plans a less regulatory stance on intelligent technology. President Trump announced intentions to discard Biden’s AI executive order, under the pretense of “protecting free speech.”
Andrew Ferguson, President Trump’s appointee for the top antitrust and consumer protection seat in his upcoming government, expressed deeply rooted opposition to “unwarranted restrictions on AI” and extensive federal AI legislation.
Social Media Regulation of Section 230
Regulation of online platforms has been a continuous issue between Republican and Democratic administrations. Section 230 – law protecting the platforms from responsibility for user generated content – has faced varying approaches at federal and state levels, often targeting misinformation and hate speech.
During his 2017-2021 term, the Trump administration opposed Section 230 for tech laws claiming it facilitated censorship of conservative voices. Contrary to Trump, the Biden administration’s argument centered on transparency and accountability, urging companies to take responsibility for not tackling toxic content.
As Trump gets ready to return to office as of January 20, Congress is set to revisit requests that would scale back content moderation practices in favor of free speech protections which would be the alteration done by the Trump tech laws.
States like California and Connecticut enacted laws forcing platforms to disclose policies on handling hate speech and misinformation. Although some of those state laws are under challenge in the US Supreme Court on First Amendment grounds.
Debates will continue on how to balance platform neutrality with accountability in 2025, setting the pace in an evolving regulatory landscape both at the federal and state levels.
Policies? Or Mere Thoughts?
From ministering connections to navigating dangers, over the years, social media has dramatically changed into one of the most hazardous jungles out there. Once seen as a tool for rebuilding relationships and sharing ideas, platforms are now rife with misinformation, cyberbullying, and manipulative algorithms.
To top it off, these changes create alarms in terms of user safety and society as a whole. Without strict regulations in 2025, social media’s very nature will drag users into darker spaces. Tech laws policymakers must be bold in their implementation of an update to antitrust law to combat big tech misinformation to ensure that social media returns to its positive purpose and protects users from increasing further into harm.
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