White House to huddle with tech firms on coronavirus
The White House will convene representatives from the largest technology companies on Wednesday to discuss ways the federal government and the industry can coordinate their response to the unfolding coronavirus outbreak.
Facebook, Google, Amazon, Apple, Microsoft and Twitter are all expected to participate in person or via teleconference, a spokesperson for the Office of Science and Technology Policy said. U.S. Chief Technology Officer Michael Kratsios will lead the meeting.
It was not immediately clear whether other White House officials or agency representatives would participate.
The internet companies have in many ways found themselves at the epicenter of the outbreak, both in person and online. Most of the major tech platforms restricted nonessential travel for employees and canceled their participation in major technology conferences to reduce the likelihood of community spread.
Several have also taken the extraordinary step of instructing employees to work from home, especially those in areas like Seattle that have seen the largest number of confirmed cases. Both Facebook and Amazon disclosed in the last week that Seattle-area employees contracted the virus.
The social media platforms have also been battling the rampant spread of coronavirus misinformation, choosing to prominently display links to reputable sources like the CDC. Amazon and other online retailers have also been called on to eradicate products that falsely claim to treat the illness and to halt sellers from dramatically raising prices on in-demand goods like hand sanitizer.
