R Street’s Technology and Innovation policy program conducts research and advocacy around the public policy frameworks that govern both established and emerging technologies. Our goal is to push back against laws and regulations that impede economic progress or individual liberty, and to advance policy solutions that allow technology to move at the speed of innovation.
Technology and Innovation
The Issue
Publications
On Thursday Jan. 20, the Senate will hold a hearing on S. 2992, the “American Innovation and Choice Online Act” (AICOA). This is one of a series of bills aimed at the tech sector that, if passed,…
Jason Fischer bill targets Google, Apple app fees
Wayne Brough & Sarah Wall
From Florida Politics:
Last year, similar bills targeting app stores cropped up across the Northeast, writes Sarah Wall of R Street.
…
Critics of the bill claim government overreach, with…
Cross-Checking Cross Check: Recommendations to the Facebook Oversight Board
Chris Riley
The Oversight Board– better known to many as the Facebook Oversight Board– has invited public input as it formulates a “policy advisory opinion” regarding the Meta corporation’s so-called…
The R Street Institute respectfully submits these comments in response to the request for public comment issued by the Oversight Board in connection with its consideration of a request by Meta for a…
The Debate on Universal Service Fund Reform: A Primer
Jeffrey Westling
From American Action Forum:
Rather than changing the contribution base and expanding services that must support universal service, some have proposed funding the USF through direct appropriation…
It’s rare for Democratic state legislators in the Northeast to see eye-to-eye with Republicans in the heartland. But anything can happen in 2022, and if last year was any indicator, these two…
Maybe government doesn’t know what’s best for business
Marc Hyden
I am starting to believe that there’s nothing that many politicians hate more than successful businesses. Nowhere is this more evident than in the tech space, where many well-known companies are…
, USPTO
USPTO announces new Public Advisory Committee members
Charles Duan
From USPTO:
The new members of USPTO’s Patent Public Advisory Committee (PPAC) include Charles Duan, Suzanne Harrison, and Heidi S. Nebel, while the new members of the Trademark Public…
Sen. Cotton: Be Careful What You Wish For
Steven Greenhut
“Democracy,” H.L. Mencken wrote, “is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard.” Every new legislative session offers abundant evidence of the…
Populism at the FTC Undermines Antitrust Enforcement
Wayne Brough
From ProMarket:
The best way to do this is to seek out non-partisan expertise, as well as input from stakeholders, rather than relying on ideological predispositions in which economic analysis…