Technology, People and Policy.
It’s no surprise that Mark Zuckerberg has called for “updating the rules for the Internet” – he signaled as much last April in his testimony before the U.S. Senate, inclining his head towards the yoke of regulation. But things have changed significantly since then and Zuckerberg has missed his moment to lead on the design […]
As Zack Whittaker reported, a new Federal Election Commission ruling will allow a private company firm, Area 1 Security, to provide services to federal political campaigns at a discounted rate without violating laws that prohibit in-kind donations. This is an important step, but its importance should not be overstated, especially given how much more work […]
In what could be a seismic ruling, the Third Circuit held that Amazon is a legally responsible seller of defective marketplace items, exposing it to potentially enormous liability. This represents the worst loss yet for Amazon over marketplace sales. However, it’s consistent with the long-term jurisprudential arc against online marketplaces. Rulings like this highlight the […]
As we pass the middle of July, it’s clear that there will be no summer slow down as it relates to tech policy conversations. From IP legislation to the President’s social media summit, Facebook’s record fine, tech bias and antitrust hearings, things are staying busy. All this and more in this week’s Protego Press Roundup. […]
This week the Trump Administration invited far-right trolls for a social media summit held at the White House. Media Matters has compiled a list of known attendees, reporting that “Some of these figures have ties to white nationalists and far-right figures, and others have pushed extremism and conspiracy theories themselves, such as the “QAnon” conspiracy theory, anti-Semitic attacks […]
This article was originally published on Just Security. Even by President Donald Trump’s standards, Thursday will be a wacky day at the White House. As CNN has reported, “the White House has requested the presence of far-right internet personalities and trolls, some of whom have pushed conspiracy theories, lies and misinformation.” The occasion? It’s Trump’s “Social […]
Americans pay significantly higher prices for drugs than patients in other nations and these costs represent the largest share of a consumer’s health care premium. The cost of drugs has become a pocketbook issue for American voters and both the president and Congress have taken note. There have been several hearings on drug pricing, and […]
It’s the last week of June, and almost the halfway point of the year. And, even though we’re 494 days from the 2020 general election, the Democratic debates are surfacing conversations about the role of tech in society, from the value of your data to what content moderation might look like going forward. All this […]
The Trump era is one where conservative politics are increasingly defined, not by abstract rights or principles, but by “winning.” Instead of lofty ideas, it’s an era that’s all about defining and attacking your enemies. The politicization of neutral institutions and state power, once considered taboo, is also increasingly seen as a valid means to […]
This week ends the spring season, and just like the weather the tech policy world is starting to heat up. Be it Facebook’s new crypto currency Libra, Senator Josh Hawley’s new proposal to compel large tech companies to be politically neutral on content moderation, or the US government’s hearings on manipulated media, it’s a full […]
Every year, the United States government blocks about 40 proposed mergers due to competition concerns. The government does so after conducting a many-months investigation of the proposed deal, including reviewing hundreds of thousands of pages of internal company documents, interviewing key executives throughout the affected industry, and analyzing data about prices and competition. When that […]