Justice Department
New Antitrust Bills, NY’s $15 Broadband Blocked, Trump’s Subpoena to Apple
Congress introduces 5 antitrust bills, a federal judges blocks New York’s $15 internet, and Trump secretly subpoenaed Apple in 2018.
Justice Department
Biden Justice Department Withdraws Net Neutrality Suit, Section 230 Changes, Community Digital Infrastructure
February 9, 2021 – The Justice Department on Monday withdrew its lawsuit against California for proposing net neutrality laws in the wake of a 2017 vote by the Federal Communications Commission that repealed those rules. The move signals a shift in how the White House and the new FCC could approach
Justice Department
Aussie Law Would Make Tech Giants Pay For News, Loon’s Bubble Bursts, Peter Huber Dies
January 25, 2021—Australia’s Parliament is considering legislation that would require certain U.S. internet companies to subsidize local news content producers by imposing obligations such as payment for links to news content. The Australian government announced the legislation last month after an i
Justice Department
‘My Whole Soul is in This,’ Joe Biden Says During Inauguration as 46th President of the United States
January 20, 2021—“We must look forward to the future in our uniquely American, bold and optimistic way,” said President Joe Biden during his inauguration on Wednesday. Recalling the words Abraham Lincoln uttered after writing the Emancipation Proclamation, Biden said “my whole soul is in this.” “The
Justice Department
Data Policy is Central to Antitrust Litigation, Say TPI Experts
January 20, 2021—When data gathering and usage are the lifeblood of the digital ecosystem, combating monopolies in the big tech industry will take more than just antitrust lawsuits, said industry experts during a Technology Policy Institute panel on Tuesday. Antitrust litigation undervalues how much
Defense Department
New Rules Against Chinese Products, Telegram and Violence, Trump’s Overlooked Impact on Tech
January 19, 2021—The U.S. Department of Commerce issued a new rule on Thursday, following up on Executive Order 13873, concerned with “Securing Information and Communication Technology and Services Supply Chain.” This rule will further the protection of U.S. citizens’ data and personal information a
Justice Department
Democrats Want Biden to Drop Net Neutrality Suit Against States, AT&T and Digital Divide, Cornell’s Broadband Program
January 15, 2021 –Representative Anna Eshoo, D-California, led a group of Democratic members in the House of Representatives in writing a letter urging the incoming attorney general, Merrick Garland, to withdraw the Department of Justice from the lawsuit currently filed against California for the st
Justice Department
Google Hit With Third Antitrust Lawsuit, This One by Both Democratic and Republican Attorneys General
December 17, 2020 — As many as 38 state attorneys general filed the latest antitrust suit against Google on Thursday. The suit alleges that the company has operated an illegal monopoly in online search and search advertising markets. This will be the second antitrust lawsuit filed against Google in
Justice Department
Biden Administration Should Take a Trial-and-Error Approach to Antitrust, Say Brookings Panelists
December 1, 2020 — Experts recommended the incoming Biden administration take a trial-and-error approach to antitrust policy, during a Brookings Institute webinar on Tuesday. The new administration should “use litigation as a tool for learning,” said Matt Perault, associate professor and director of
Justice Department
Federal Trade Commissioners Disagree About Role of Antitrust Lawsuits Against Big Tech
October 20, 2020 — In the midst of the largest lawsuit against a tech giant in decades, Google, the Technology Policy Institute hosted a conversation with two current and two former Federal Trade Commissioners discussing the state of antitrust in the United States. The Tuesday event aired as part of
Justice Department
Hostile Reactions to Trump’s Section 230 Proposed Changes, AT&T and Standalone 5G, No More ‘High-Touch’
Technology and advocacy groups voiced strenuous opposition to the Trump administration’s proposal to Congress that would, if passed, limit the ability of tech giants like Facebook, Google, and Twitter to claim immunity for content on their internet platforms. The Justice Department proposal to Congr
Justice Department
With Robocall Complaints Down, Who Can STIR Up Action to Restore Public’s SHAKEN Trust?
September 11, 2020 – Given the way that robocalls “implicate a wide jurisdiction,” Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai stressed the need for collaboration to end the crisis of unwanted calls and specifically lauded the so-called STIR/SHAKEN protocol for phone number verification. Iro
Justice Department
Trump Justice Department Says Section 230 Changes Needed to Target ‘Bad Samaritans’ and Enforce Transparency
September 1, 2020 – Justice Department attorney Lauren Willard said that the Trump administration wanted to change Section 230 to incentivize big tech platforms to address criminal activity and to provide transparency when they take down lawful content. Speaking at an American Bar Association webina
Justice Department
Amazon Regulation Doubts, Uber CEO Suggests Gig Worker Benefits, Google Competitor Meets With Justice Department
Amazon is essentially a private government and most Americans doubt it can be regulated, The Atlantic reported on Monday. In a much-publicized hearing in late July, CEOs from four of the world’s biggest technology companies testified about their allegedly anticompetitive practices. Among them was Am
Justice Department
Daniel Hanley: Google and Facebook Are Essential, Let’s Regulate Them That Way
Google and Facebook have extraordinary control over information and communications systems in the United States. These two corporations dominate internet search, social media, and digital advertising, and each one serves as the gateway to the internet for billions of people. Google and Facebook have
Justice Department
EARN IT Act, Impacting Section 230, Advances in Senate with New Encryption Amendment
June 2, 2020 —The heavily contested Eliminating Abusive and Rampant Neglect of Interactive Technologies Act advanced out of the Senate Judiciary committee, with the addition of a new amendment. During a Thursday hearing, Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., pushed for an amendment that would ban state and fed
