Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama unveiled a nine-page technology policy plan Wednesday ( PDF).
In his technology and innovation plan, the Democratic candidate strongly supports network neutrality, supports diverse media ownership, patent reform, safeguards for privacy rights, and protecting children while preserving the First Amendment.
Obama apparently supports Net Neutrality.
“Users must be free to access content, to use applications, and to attach personal devices,” Obama said in the plan, released by his campaign. “They have a right to receive accurate and honest information about service plans. But these guarantees aren’t enough to prevent network providers from discriminating in ways that limit the freedom of expression on the Internet.”
Obama supports updating surveillance laws and restrictions on how information may be used, as well as technology solutions to track and verify how the information actually has been used. He said he will increase protection of e-health records and location data, while boosting funds for tracking down and punishing distributors of spam, spyware, phishing scams, and telemarketing intrusions.
Obama also calls for more aggressive government support of broadband access. Specifically, he says subsidies for phone carriers should be given only to those offering both regular phone service and Internet broadband to rural areas. To date, carriers offering merely phone service have been able to claim subsidies from the so-called Universal Service Fund, giving them little incentive to roll out out broadband.
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