Infrastructure
Virt Seeks To Serve As The Hub To Find And Join Virtual Events
Launched last week, virt.com hopes to take advantage of the rise in virtual events by crowdsourcing them in one place.
Joe Biden
Government’s Reactive Nature Hobbling Tech Regulation, Expert Says
Congress may need another big tech breach to move earnestly on regulation, says consultant.
Judiciary
Supreme Court Declares Trump First Amendment Case Moot, But Legal Issues For Social Media Coming
April 5, 2021—Despite accepting a petition that avoids the Supreme Court deliberating on whether a president can block social media users, Justice Clarence Thomas on Monday issued a volley that may foreshadow future legal issues surrounding social media in the United States. On Monday, the Supreme C
Infrastructure
Biden Sets Goal Of 2030 To Provide Affordable Broadband Access For All Americans
March 31, 2021 – President Joe Biden unveiled his administration’s next major spending plan Wednesday, which includes $100 billion toward a target goal of providing all Americans with affordable access to broadband by 2030. The broadband promise makes up a large chunk of the $2.3-trillion “American
FCC
FCC’s Jessica Rosenworcel, Advocacy Groups Applaud Congress Passing Stimulus Bill With Broadband
WASHINGTON, March 10, 2021—The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 passed the House on Wednesday, paving the way for its signing by President Joe Biden. The $1.9-trillion bill passed the Senate with amendments on March 6 and returned to the House, where it passed by a vote of 220-211. The stimulus pack
CETF
California Tech Fund Wants to Use Public Private Partnerships to Close Digital Divide
March 8, 2021 – The California Emerging Technology Fund, a nonprofit foundation focused on digital equity in the state, called on internet service providers and business leaders to form public-private partnerships to close the digital divide under President Joe Biden. “America can close the Digital
Section 230
Section 230 Reform Requires Citizen Participation, Says Sen. Amy Klobuchar
In the conversation to reform Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which governs liability for internet intermediaries, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn, said Tuesday the public must get involved. “We can’t fight Google and other million-dollar companies with duct tape and Band-Aids,” Klobuchar
ECF
Wireless Infrastructure Advocates Urge Municipalities to Work Collaboratively on 5G Facilities
February 25, 2021— Municipalities and the nation’s carriers must work together to deploy and extend networks as the era of 5G quickly approaches, experts said Wednesday. Tensions have been picking up between industry and local governments about access to infrastructure to extend broadband networks b
EBB
Biden Administration Should Approach Broadband Considering Adoption and Digital Literacy
February 12, 2021— The Biden administration has the opportunity to do what his predecessors failed to: Take a different tack on broadband that will include considering it critical infrastructure, experts say. “We have to look at [broadband] adoption and digital literacy and affordability,” said Anna
Montana Democrats Push for Rural Broadband, Hints for Big Tech under Biden, Parler CEO Fired
February 8, 2021—Montana state Democrats have announced a legislative package that aims to fill the rural broadband gap. State Rep. Katie Sullivan has introduced LC 2670, a bill that would see the creation of either a broadband manager or an advisory board under the state’s executive. The goal of t
Biden-Harris Administration
Considering the Geopolitics of the Internet Under the Biden Administration at State of the Net
January 27, 2021 – Keynoting Wednesday’s State of the Net Conference, former Federal Communications Commission Chairman Michael Powell urged the new administration of Joe Biden to promote broadband, fiber, 5G wireless networks – as well as allowing consumers to move seamlessly across wired and wirel
White House
Biden Signs ‘Buy American’ Executive Order to Bolster U.S. Manufacturing
January 25, 2021—As one of his first actions made in the Oval Office, President Joe Biden signed an executive order on Monday aimed at ensuring American-made products are favored when purchases are made by federal agencies. “Federal law requires government agencies to give preferences to American fi
Biden-Harris Administration
Transition Between White House Social Media Accounts More Complicated Than in 2016
January 21, 2021—Tech platforms are approaching the 2021 presidential transition with caution, lest their tools get used to livestream another historic insurrection, after providing the platforms which amplified ideology that resulted in a problematic string of events preceding Donald Trump’s last d
Free Speech
UPDATED: Twitter Locks Account of President Donald Trump and Deletes Three Inciting Tweets
Update, 7:07 p.m. ET, January 6, 2021 – Twitter has deleted both of the Tweets identified in the story below. They also deleted a third Tweet, sent soon after 6 p.m. ET, which read: “These are the things and events that happen when a sacred landslide election victory is so unceremoniously & viciousl
AEI
Broadband Breakfast Live Online on Wednesday, January 6: Broadband and the Biden Administration, Part 3
Our Broadband Breakfast Live Online events take place every Wednesday at 12 Noon ET. You can watch the January 6, 2021, event on this page. You can also PARTICIPATE in the current Broadband Breakfast Live Online event. REGISTER HERE. Also read “Building Better Broadband Underscores Joe Biden’s Top P
Social Media
Facebook Lifts Its Political Ad Ban In Georgia, Leading Up To Senate Runoff
December 23, 2020 — Less than a week after President-elect Joe Biden secured a victory in the 2020 presidential election, Facebook’s post-election plan began to backfire. Since the 2020 election, Facebook has sought to avoid intense and continued criticism over its policies on political ads. Now, as
