More Spyware, Fewer Rules: What Trump’s Return Means for US Cybersecurity

President Joe Biden’s administration has tried to make powerful US tech firms and infrastructure operators more responsible for cybersecurity.

But when Trump takes office in January , he will almost certainly eliminate or significantly curtail those programs.

Trump appointees are almost certain to smother what remains of those efforts to combat online misinformation.

Trump is unlikely to continue the Biden administration’s campaign to limit the proliferation of commercial spyware technologies, which authoritarian governments have used to harass journalists, civil-rights protesters, and opposition politicians.

Trump and his allies maintain close political and financial ties with two of the most prolific users of spyware tools, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates .

Cyber Command was elevated to a full combatant command during his first term.

Cyber Command could also harness other tools to constrain China , including authorities he created during first term to block the use of risky technology in the US .

“The Trump administration will look at the full set of policy levers when deciding how to push back on China in cyberspace,’s Kevin Allison says.