After advising President Biden on expertise and competitors coverage for almost two years, web neutrality advocate Tim Wu is leaving the White House. The Biden administration introduced the departure this week, noting Wu’s remaining day on the National Economic Council would fall on January 4th. Wu grew to become a particular advisor to the president in . He held an identical place in the course of the Obama administration.

Wu  he’s leaving the federal authorities to spend extra time together with his household. His publish on the White House had required Wu to commute between New York and Washington DC, leaving his younger kids with out their father for stretches of time. “There’s a time where the burden on family is too much,” he mentioned. “I’ve been feeling the balance has shifted.” Wu advised The Times he plans to return to Columbia University, the place he was a legislation professor earlier than his newest authorities stint.

Wu is leaving the White House at a essential second in the course of the Biden administration’s efforts to rein in Big Tech. Last 12 months, he co-authored the chief order that instructed the Federal Communications Commission to and promised better scrutiny of mergers. In July of this 12 months, the Federal Trade Commission to dam the acquisition of VR developer Within. Earlier this month, the company additionally moved to forestall Microsoft’s merger with . Both circumstances are at the moment earlier than the courts and are anticipated to be robust battles for the FTC.