He started the speech with criticism of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, underlining the importance of uniting with U.S. allies to stand against his actions. So far, the Biden administration has imposed economic sanctions and limited Russia’s access to technology, in addition to closing off American air space to Russian flights.
Across the U.S., experts have been warning about the increased risk of Russian cyber attacks as opposition to Russian military action mounts.
He also talked about the COVID-19 pandemic, crediting the American Rescue Plan Act for its economic impact in recovery efforts, and noted the role the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will play in modernizing infrastructure, including building EV infrastructure and providing high-speed Internet.
In order to compete with China and other nations, Biden urged Congress to move on the Innovation and Competition Act, which he said would include “record investments in emerging technologies” and manufacturing. He cited Intel’s decision to invest $20 billion to bring chip manufacturing to Ohio, as well as Ford and GM’s commitments to electric vehicle production as examples.
He also referenced covidtests.gov, which has received an influx of visitors since its launch, announcing that individuals can order additional tests through the website beginning next week.
With regards to the immigration system and border security, his remarks touched on scanner technology that has been installed at the border to detect drug smuggling.
However, his mentions of technology were not all positive. He took aim at social media companies, criticizing the “national experiment” platforms have been conducting on U.S. children, and called for companies to be held accountable.
He cited the testimony of Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen, who brought to light some of the company’s questionable practices and shared her belief that the company was prioritizing advertising profits over safety.
In a similar vein, the president also underscored the need for stronger online privacy protections at the federal level, a stop to the collection of childrens’ personal data and a ban on targeted advertising for children.
While congressional hearings have given way to increased bipartisan focus on social media’s role in child safety, platforms have largely been left alone to regulate themselves.
Biden ended his address with a Unity Agenda for the nation that included four key issues to take on, including putting an end to the opioid epidemic; mental health, especially that of children; increasing support for veterans; and increased funding for cancer research.
“We are stronger today than we were a year ago, and we will be stronger a year from now than we are today,” he said.
Biden’s speech follows the majority of US governors’ 2022 State of the State addresses, which highlighted technology to varying degrees.
