Developers Alliance Key Takeaways
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The foundation for American competitiveness is our digital economy, maintaining that innovation edge is critical.
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Developers Alliance welcomes the administration’s focus on the 21st-century economy and proactively seeking it.
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Digital innovators must remain front-and-center as new policies are crafted, or risk being governed by policies that do affect their reality.
Today’s executive order on promoting competition in the American economy takes broad steps to bring reforms to a variety of sectors that have been greatly impacted by various competition policies. We support the Biden Administration’s efforts to promote economic reforms to ensure a thriving 21st-century economy and will work with them in the coming months to ensure developers and developer-led companies thrive. While we believe many of these sweeping reforms positively impact developers, we encourage the Administration to not act in haste with regards to major policy changes as increased regulation can unintentionally, negatively impact a rapidly growing ecosystem.
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We support the administration’s orders regarding non compete agreements, occupational licensing, and employer wage collaboration. Developers are skilled professionals that should be allowed to leverage their experience and skills in an in-demand field. Further, empowering developers as skilled workers allows for greater financial stability and professional creativity which benefits the ecosystem as a whole.
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While increased scrutiny on mergers is something the Administration should undertake, they should bear in mind that many small companies, specifically within the tech sector, have an end goal of acquisition. By limiting this or placing excessive restrictions on this practice the administration would be disincentivizing smaller developer-led companies from joining the tech economy as their economic incentives will be significantly weaker.
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Further, developers do not believe that prior mergers should be challenged as this creates a bad precedent and long term instability that harms companies of all sizes while creating a constant state of uncertainty in the economy.
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Developers support the Administration’s proposal of a “Broadband Nutrition Label” as we believe it contributes to industry transparency. The developer workforce requires the internet to function and as a means to create and market their products and services, thus proper access to broadband for all is essential. Further, widespread broadband in homes is necessary to build foundational computer technology skills; younger generations are the future of a highly-skilled, competitive developer workforce and affordable broadband access in homes allows for America to remain technologically competitive. Fostering a broadband policy environment that allows for more Americans to receive stable, affordable internet allows for a thriving developer workforce, and thus a strong tech economy, for years to come.
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Developers acknowledge the Administration’s concerns with regards to data collection and transparency and are eager to work alongside them to ensure user data is handled with care and in compliance with the law. Data is an enabling resource that drives digital innovation and underpins the modern economy. Establishing a national data policy, however, is no small feat as it must be comprehensive and well-executed in order for it to be functional and effective. We praise the administration for tasking the FTC to establish rules on data surveillance and accumulation and encourage them to work with private sector partners to ensure that a pro-competitive, national, and easy to follow framework is implemented so that developers have a clear understanding of the requirements necessary, as well as a means to underwrite their products and services.
“We look forward to working with the Biden Administration as they move forward with policies that reform the competition landscape, specifically as it relates to the technology industry,” stated Sarah Richard, Policy Counsel & Head of US Policy. “Developers are an important part of the 21st-century workforce and any reforms or regulations of their industry should ensure a strong ecosystem framework so that they are encouraged to create quality products and services.“
This statement is available as a PDF here.
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About The Developers Alliance
The Developers Alliance is the world’s leading advocate for software developers and the companies invested in their success. Alliance members include industry leaders in consumer, enterprise, industrial, and emerging software development, and a global network of more than 70,000 developers.
