Conservative and populist tech experts are slamming Kamala Harris and the Democrats for attempting to blame Biden-Harris inflation on AI algorithms. In addition to calling for nationwide rent control, Vice President Harris is now echoing far left law firms and non-profits in calling for laws against software that recommends rental prices based on market data.
In her speech outlining her economic policy in Raleigh last week, Kamala Harris denounced “corporate landlords collude with each other to set artificially high rental prices, often using algorithms and price-fixing software. It’s anti-competitive, and it drives up costs.”
Harris was referring to potential litigation against RealPage, a Dallas-based rental software company. According to Politico, the Justice Department’s antitrust division, led by Jonathan Kanter, is expected to sue the company for supposed antitrust violations – which is a “key part of” the Biden-Harris Administration’s “economic agenda.”
The suit is expected to allege that RealPage would “estimate supply and demand for their listings, allowing them to maximize rents.” Critics argue that giving these recommendations to multiple landlords using its platform constitutes price fixing.
The Justice Department’s likely action follows lawsuits from Democratic State AGs in the District of Columbia and Arizona. The District is outsourcing its lawsuit to Cohen Milstein, a far-left law firm that brags about partnerships with the NAACP, ACLU, and Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence. Its lawyers gave 94 percent of their political donations to Democrats and less than three percent to Republicans.
This crusade has been promoted by a host of far-left Soros and dark-money funded organizations such as More Perfect Union, The Groundwork Collaborative, and the American Economic Liberties Project.
Kamala Harris also endorsed the Preventing the Algorithmic Facilitation of Rental Housing Cartels Act, sponsored by ten Democratic Senators, including Amy Klobuchar, Richard Blumenthal, Ron Wyden, and Bernie Sanders, which would ban any software that recommends rental prices based on market data.
Antitrust law against Big Tech has been one area where populist Republicans and progressive Democrats have joined forces. Republican State AGs have joined Justice Department and FTC lawsuits against Facebook, Apple, and Google. Many antitrust reform bills have broad bipartisan support. However, Democrats’ attempts to blame high prices and rental fees on monopolies have received no Republican support.
Adam Candeub, a technology and telecom law professor at Michigan State who led the National Telecommunications and Information Administration under President Trump and has represented JD Vance in cases against Google, explains that this issue differentiates Republican populists from the Democratic party. “I support much of what Lina Khan and Jonathan Kanter have done against monopolies like Google, Apple, and Amazon, but blaming high prices and rental costs on tech is just an attempt to cover up for Biden-Harris’s failed policies.”
Nick Whitaker, a fellow at the Manhattan Institute who focuses on AI policy, similarly argued “prices are set by supply and demand. The Biden administration has failed to alleviate housing shortages, so they blame—and now even prosecute—’algorithms’ to excuse their own failure.” He noted that the Biden-Harris administration is focused on these “spurious concerns” like this while “not paying any attention to the key national security issues raised by AI”.
Candeub further added, “Words like ‘algorithmic collusion’ are superficially appealing to antitrust populists, but they don’t hold up upon any scrutiny.” Candeub pointed out, “we want companies to have accurate information about supply and demand. More knowledge creates more competition.”
Professor Candeub noted that the Biden-Harris FTC and DOJ’s attacks on algorithms are examples of going after innovation rather than protecting competition and meant to distract from the Administration’s policies, which lead to high prices. “Burdensome environmental regulations disincentive the building of new units and crime makes many cities uninhabitable for middle-class families. At the same time, immigration, and Chinese investment in the U.S. real estate market increase demand. Rather than address these issues, Kamala Harris is trying to scapegoat AI, distorting basic market incentives.”
JD Vance has made similar comments about focusing on antitrust enforcement on Big Tech. He noted that he doesn’t always agree with Khan, but “she’s been brilliant about trying to go after some of these big tech companies.” He was less concerned with companies that “he does not have a monopoly over free speech” and does not think we should use antitrust against innovators “trying to build a cool product.”
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship.
