‘Big Tech’s’ Access to USTR Challenged

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass) continues her crusade to highlight the ability of major technology corporations  to unduly influence ongoing negotiations on digital trade under the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework.

May 2 the senator released an investigative report prepared by her staff charging that “BigTech” is using “revolving door hires to gain backdoor access to key US Trade Representative and Commerce Department officials to prevent new regulations that could curb monopolies.

“At this critical time, Big Tech is working to undermine the Biden trade and competition agenda and instead push trade negotiators to pre-empt domestic and international regulatory efforts, hiring dozens of former government officials and lobbyists to gain insider access to U.S. trade officials and influence trade negotiations – and this report contains new evidence of the extent to which they have been effective,” according to the report.

The report contains findings from a previously undisclosed tranche of email communications between high-level U.S trade officials and Big Tech firms that point to Big Tech’s influence over USTR during the Biden Administration, according to the senator’s staff.

The report charges that former USTR officials hired by companies involved in digital trade are being given special access to US Trade Representative Katherine Tai and other officials. It specifically cites former Deputy USTR and US Ambassador to the World Trade Organization Michael Punke, who joined Amazon after leaving government employ.

In the report, Senator Warren offered four recommendations to prevent undue influence:

• USTR and the Commerce Department must ensure that any IPEF digital trade rules complement – rather than conflict with – policymakers’ efforts to promote competition in the digital economy, regulate AI and protect online privacy;
• USTR should make IPEF texts public;
• Commerce and USTR should commit to transparency on all public engagement, including visitor logs, public appearances, and informal modes of external engagement and
• the Administration and federal trade agencies should work to implement strong ethics reforms and Congress should pass the senator’s Anti-Corruption and Public Integrity Act.

Report: Big Tech's Big Con: Rigging Digital Trade Rules to Block Antitrust Regulation