Portrait of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
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Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Cyber Security

Focus on Tech Regulation (moderate)

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) connects cybersecurity and technology oversight to broader issues of national security, corporate power, and the spread of misinformation online.

She has strongly advocated for increased regulation of large technology companies, including demands that platforms like Facebook censor specific types of content, such as what she terms 'lies,' during political events.

Furthermore, AOC has raised alarms about insecure lines of communication within the U.S. government, explicitly stating that failing to secure these channels puts national security at risk, suggesting that this failure is as serious as placing 'nuclear codes in Instagram DMs.'

Context

As a member of the House Oversight Committee and later the Committee on Energy and Commerce, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has a role in overseeing federal agency operations and investigating matters of national security and corporate conduct, which often intersects with cybersecurity policy.

Her broader political focus on curbing corporate power and challenging establishment structures extends to the technology sector, framing debates around platform responsibility and the regulation of emerging technologies like AI.

Actions Taken

  1. Oversight Hearing
    At a House Financial Services Committee hearing, she pressed Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg on whether the platform would remove 'lies' from its site.
  2. Legislation
    In a 2022 Congressional proceeding related to federal cybersecurity, she co-introduced the bipartisan Fair Chance Improvement Act with Representative Nancy Mace.

Key Quotes

Every day that there is an insecure line of communication. that could be leaked that could be hacked that could be screenshotted. without without uh proper channels is a day that we are putting our national security at risk.

C-SPAN appearance during a hearing April 2, 2019 — Stressing the national security risk of insecure government communications.

I mean, really, what is next, putting nuclear codes in Instagram DMs?!? This is ridiculous.

C-SPAN appearance during a hearing April 2, 2019 — Illustrating the seriousness of unsecure digital communication channels.

So you won't take down lies or you will take down lies, it's just a pretty simple yes or no?

House Financial Services Committee Hearing October 25, 2019 — Demanding a direct answer from Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg regarding content moderation.

Related Positions

  • AI Regulation AOC actively campaigns for federal and state regulation of Artificial Intelligence, citing concerns about public health, patient data privacy, and national integrity, which are closely related to digital security.
  • Social Media Moderation Her demands for tech companies to censor certain speech directly relate to platform security and the spread of misinformation, a key component of the modern cybersecurity landscape.
Sources4

* This is not an exhaustive list of sources.