SAN FRANCISCO, December 1, 2009 – Digital Age Paul Reveres have been warning the world lately about the impending internet lock-down that they fear will result from the growth in popularity of permission-based development environments such as Apple’s iPhone.

Unlike the World Wide Web where everybody is free to execute their ideas without having to obtain prior permission from an infrastructure provider, Apple requires developers to submit their iPhone applications for approval before they can be offered to the public.

WASHINGTON, November 4, 2009 – While representatives of countries were scheduled to begin meeting today in Seoul, South Korea, to negotiate a confidential international anti-counterfeiting trade agreement, some public interest and consumer groups continue to press for more transparency of the negotiations. On November 3 a number of groups signed a letter addressed to President Obama and carbon copied to other key administration officials calling for greater transparency of the talks.

WASHINGTON, September 22, 2009 – Public and transparent broadband data has now been elevated to the level of a fundamental principle, at least in the Monday speech by Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski. But it’s worth reflecting on the time – not so long ago – when the quest to collect this kind of broadband data was an unrealized vision at the losing end of a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit.

WASHINGTON, June 8, 2009 – Late Friday afternoon, the Federal Communications Commission announced that Blair Levin, former chief of staff to Clinton FCC Chairman Reed Hundt, will be rejoining the commission “to help coordinate its development of a national broadband plan.”

June 18 – Technologies exist that allow Chinese internet users to evade government censorship, but their deployment is being thwarted by American companies based in China, panelists said Wednesday at a hearing of the United States-China Economic and Security Review Commission.