News Release
Plan to Break Up Tech Companies “Bad News for Consumers, Innovation”
According to reports, Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) is set to announce a new plan to use antitrust regulations to “break up” large and innovative technology…
News Release
Congress Should Stay Out of Broadband Regulation and “Let the Free Market Keep Working”
Today, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will roll out a new piece of legislation aimed at reversing the FCC’s decision to repeal so-called “net neutrality” rules…
Politico
Takeaways from the DOJ’s Merger Defeat
Politico cited Associate Director of the Center for Technology and Innovation Jessica Melugin on the AT&T and Time Warner merger. The Justice Department’s headline-grabbing…
News Release
Court Rejects Antitrust Lawsuit Against AT&T/TimeWarner Deal: CEI Comment
Today, a federal court rejected an antitrust challenge to a merger deal between AT&T and TimeWarner. CEI technology policy expert Jessica Melugin praised the ruling…
Blog
Net Neutrality Regulation Still a Bad Idea
The debate at today’s House Committee on Energy and Commerce hearing was largely between making blocking, throttling, and fast lanes illegal and going further to…
News Release
Real World Outcomes Show Vacuity of Arguments Supporting so-called “Net Neutrality”
On Friday, supporters of so-called “net neutrality” regulations will take their case to the Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit in Mozilla v. FCC,…
Blog
Agenda for the 116th Congress: Tech and Telecom
As technology and telecommunications evolve, new challenges inevitably arise for policy makers. New mandates or prohibitions should be avoided in all but the most exceptional…
Blog
New Cable Franchise Rules to Benefit Consumers
In September of last year, the Federal Communications Commission issued a further notice of proposed rulemaking clarifying how the amount that cities are allowed to…
Blog
End of the Road for Net Neutrality Comeback Attempt
The end of the 115th Congress meant the end of using the Congressional Review Act to void the Federal Communication Commission’s repeal of Obama-era net…
Blog
Year in Review 2018: Internet Sales Tax
On June 21, 2018, in South Dakota v. Wayfair, the U.S. Supreme Court reversed fifty years of precedent by allowing states to collect sales taxes…
Blog
Best Books of 2018: Life after Google
Are Tucker Carlson’s predictions of Google taking over the future keeping you up at night? Sooth yourself with the creative destruction described in “Life after…
Blog
Last-Minute Delay in CVS-Aetna Deal Could Threaten Consumer Benefits
U.S. District Court Judge Richard Leon surprised many on Monday when he announced he may halt the integration of CVS pharmacy’s assets with the nation’s…
Study
Antitrust FAQ
1. What is antitrust? Today’s body of antitrust laws is the culmination of over one hundred years of unclear objectives, contradictory interpretations, and controversial court decisions.
Inside Sources
Cities Should Stop Slowing Down America’s 5G Revolution
The Federal Communications Commission recently approved a proposal to speed up deployment for the next generation of wireless service, known as 5G. The plan puts states and…
Blog
Discard Static Market Analysis, Let Sprint and T-Mobile Merge
The Competitive Enterprise Institute has been making a convincing case for a swift and condition-free approval from regulators of the proposed Sprint and T-Mobile…
The Daily Caller
Opinion: Why the Government Should Stand Aside and Allow T-Mobile and Sprint to Merge
On Sept. 11, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced it needed more time to review the pending merger of T-Mobile and Sprint. Meanwhile, the Department…
News Release
CEI: Dept. of Justice is Right to Challenge Legality of California “Net Neutrality” Law
The Department of Justice recently filed a lawsuit against the state of California, claiming the state’s newly-signed law regarding “net neutrality” seeks to regulate interstate…
Blog
U.S. Justice Department Challenges California Net Neutrality Rules
News Release
CEI Commends FCC Vote to Streamline 5G Buildout – America’s Next Generation of Wireless Technology
Today, the Federal Communications Commission voted to streamline the buildout of 5G infrastructure, America’s next generation of wireless technology. The Competitive Enterprise Institute’s Jessica Melugin,…
News Release
CEI Applauds Sensenbrenner Bill to Stem Fallout from Supreme Court Decision on Internet Sales Tax
Rep. James Sensenbrenner (R-WI) introduced the Online Sales Simplicity and Small Business Relief Act of 2018 today, aimed at protecting taxpayers and online entrepreneurs from…
The Sun
Online Firms Like Amazon Face Higher Taxes to Help Struggling High Streets, Philip Hammond Hints, but Will it Put Up Prices?
The Sun cited Associate Director of the Center for Technology & Innovation Jessica Melugin on Internet Sales Tax. “But experts have warned that…
Comment
Testimony of Jessica Melugin on the Supreme Court’s Wayfair Decision for the House Judiciary Committee
Thank you for the opportunity to submit testimony. I am Jessica Melugin, Associate Director of the Center for Technology and Innovation and the Competitive Enterprise…
Fox Business
VIDEO: Jessica Melugin Discusses South Dakota v. Wayfair Ruling on Fox Business
Associate director of the Center for Technology & Innovation at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, Jessica Melugin, discusses the Supreme Court’s disappointing…
The New York Times
Supreme Court’s Wayfair Decision Will Hurt Online Shopping
Thursday’s Supreme Court decision has changed how states can tax online shopping. In South Dakota v. Wayfair Inc., the court upheld a state law that…
Blog
Supreme Court Devastates Small Online Businesses and Consumers in South Dakota v. Wayfair
Today’s Supreme Court decision in South Dakota v. Wayfair is extremely disappointing and will likely cost online sellers and consumers dearly. Stopping state regulatory…
News Release
CEI on Supreme Court’s Wayfair Ruling That Will Devastate Small Online Businesses and Consumers
The U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling today cuts against the longstanding American ideal of “no taxation without representation.” This ruling will devastate many small online businesses,…
Blog
Last Chance for the 115th: Keeping the Internet Sales Tax at Bay
Bad Internet sales tax legislation (mercifully) continues to stall in Congress. Pro-tax expansionists like Rep. Kristi Noem (R-SD) made a big political push to tie…
Washington Examiner
Online Sales Taxes Won’t Solve States’ Budget Problems
For almost 20 years, state and local politicians have lobbied Congress for permission to reach across their borders and collect sales taxes from online businesses…
News Release
Net Neutrality Regulations Are Harmful, Unnecessary, and Unconstitutional
Today, the Senate passed a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution, expressing disapproval of the Federal Communications Commission’s Restoring Internet Freedom Order. The resolution is an…
News Release
Net Neutrality Regulations Are Not Neutral, Harm Innovators and Consumers
A group of Senators are pushing for a vote on a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution to overturn the Federal Communications Commissions’ (FCC) Restoring Internet…
Washington Journal
VIDEO: Jessica Melugin Discusses Internet Sales Tax on Washington Journal
Jessica Melugin, associate director of the Center for Technology & Innovation at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, joined Washington Journal on C-SPAN to…
News Release
CEI Experts Respond to Supreme Court Hearing on Internet Sales Tax in Wayfair Case
Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) Associate Director of the Center for Technology and Innovation Jessica Melugin responded to today’s Supreme Court argument in South Dakota v…
News Release
CEI Opposes Internet Sales Tax in the Name of Federalism in Wayfair Amicus
On April 17, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear the internet sales tax case South Dakota v. Wayfair, Inc., which could have a huge impact on people…
CNBC
How Amazon Wins if Internet Sales Tax Goes Into Effect
In April, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear a case that could affect the future of online commerce, specifically small online sellers and those who…
Blog
Wayfair Supreme Court Case Could Upend How We Buy and Sell Things Online
In April, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear a case, South Dakota v. Wayfair, Corp, that could have a huge impact on people who sell…
Blog
Online Sales Tax Bill a Small-Business Killing Tax Hike
The Wall Street Journal editorial board was entirely correct yesterday when they said, “Republicans have spent the last year cutting taxes and regulations, which…
Blog
5G Will Work—If Government Gets out of the Way
To usher in a new era of 5G virtual reality, 4K video, and self-driving cars, a major network upgrade is needed. The greater data demands…
Study
Online Sales Taxes Make Government Bigger and Undermine Federalism
View Full Document as PDF The rapid growth of online retailing has prompted state and local government officials to seek greater authority…
News Release
CEI Argues Against Adding Internet Sales Tax to Omnibus Spending Bill
Today, Competitive Enterprise Institute’s Jessica Melugin joined U.S. Senators Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) at a press conference to…
Blog
Don’t Bring Net Neutrality Regulations Back from the Dead
Republicans on Capitol Hill are looking to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory with their recently introduced net neutrality legislation, Sen. John Kennedy’s (R-LA) Open Internet…
Blog
Don’t Let an Online Sales Tax Hike Creep into Omnibus Spending Bill
With the siren song of the omnibus spending bill calling, legislators would be wise to resist pressures to include increases in online sales…
Blog
CEI’s Ryan Radia Weighs in on Latest in Net Neutrality Debate
CEI has done its share on the topic for more than 10 years. Tune in to FreedomWorks live streams on February 26 to hear CEI’s…
Politico
FCC’s next step on net neutrality: Blocking the states
Politico quoted Jessica Melugin on the difficulties awaiting states or cities who would try to impose their own individualized versions of net neutrality highlighted by…
Blog
State Net Neutrality Regulations Constitutionally Unsound
Since the Federal Communications Commission voted to roll back federal net neutrality regulations, many states have opposed the measure with executive orders, lawsuits, and legislation.
Blog
Bringing Net Neutrality Back from the Dead Would Be a Big Mistake for Congress
Passing a Congressional Review Act resolution to nullify the Restoring Internet Freedom Order would be as bad an idea as net neutrality regulations themselves were.
Blog
Burger King Video Inadvertently Highlights Absurdity of Net Neutrality Claims
A new corporate video from Burger King ostensibly supports net neutrality regulations, but actually demonstrates exactly why such rules are unnecessary.
News Release
CEI Encourages Supreme Court to Uphold Interstate Commerce Protections
Today the US Supreme Court agreed to hear South Dakota v. Wayfair, Inc., a case that will test the idea of limiting a state’s tax…
Blog
Tech Crystal Ball 2018
Expert predictions on top tech issues for the new year.
USA Today
No, the Internet Is Not About to Be Destroyed
The headlines regarding the Federal Communications Commission’s upcoming vote on “net neutrality” regulations suggest impending doom. “FCC Is Revving Up to Destroy the Internet…
Blog
Four Reasons So-Called Net Neutrality Regulations Should Be Scrapped
The Federal Communications Commission's Internet Freedom Order means a return to the light-touch regulatory regime the Internet thrived under for twenty years. …
Blog
Beware the Online Sales Tax Grinch
Expanded sales tax authority is a small business killer. …
The Washington Examiner
Millions of Phony Public Comments Muddle FCC’s Net Neutrality Vote
The Washington Examiner covers Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai’s decision to move forward with Thursday’s vote to repeal Net Neutrality regulations. Federal Communications…
Blog
FCC Chairman Pai Correct to Dismiss Net Neutrality Vote Delay
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai has brought significantly more transparency to this process than was present when the Obama-era net neutrality regulations were passed two years…
Blog
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai joins CEI and other Experts to Discuss the Future of the Internet
Yesterday the R Street Institute and the Lincoln Network hosted The Future of Internet Freedom, featuring Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai,…
Blog
State Governments Want to Tax Your Cyber Monday Deals
Sales tax can only be applied to purchases when the seller has a physical presence in the buyer’s state. …
Blog
This Thanksgiving, I’m Thankful for Hysterical Net Neutrality Advocates
Do you want private entities in a marketplace in charge or do you want government regulators calling the shots?…
Politico
FCC’s next step on net neutrality: Blocking the states
CEI fellow Jessica Melugin quoted in Politico on the FCC’s next on net neutrality. Some states and cities could still try to impose…
Blog
Federal Communications Commission Moves Forward with Net Neutrality Reform
Details of the Federal Communications Commission’s plan to roll back Obama-era net neutrality regulations are circulating this week.
News Release
CEI Says Pai’s Roll Back of Net Neutrality Regulations is ‘Immediate Victory’ for Transparency and ‘Promising Sign’ for Upcoming Vote
Competitive Enterprise Institute adjunct fellow Jessica Melugin offered a response to the news that the Federal Communications Commission is announcing its plan today…
News Release
CEI Applauds FCC Vote to Relax Media Ownership Rules
Today the FCC voted 3-2 to relax outdated restrictions on media ownership. CEI technology fellow, Jessica Melugin praised the development: “The FCC’s…
Blog
Predictable Attempts to Extend Government Control over Internet Content
Technology companies should take this opportunity to fight against harmful government restriction on business practices, innovation, and investment. The future of the Internet depends on it.
Blog
Experimental Tech Helps Get Puerto Rico’s Telecom Services Back on Line
The freedom to try something without getting explicit and advanced permission from regulators is what allows innovations to be tried, tested, and either integrated or…
Blog
Politicians and Entrepreneurs: Let Internet Flourish without Burden of Government Regulation
If government is the creator of monopolies and the suppressor of innovation, why not push back against both FCC and FTC regulation of the Internet? …
Blog
Federal Communications Commission Rightly Relaxes Media Ownership Rules
The FCC’s announcement that it will relax media ownership rules is good news for consumers. It’s heartening to see the agency act to eliminate…
News Release
CEI Applauds FCC Announcement Relaxing Media Ownership Rules
Today the FCC announced plans to revise media ownership rules, freeing up the industry to function with greater competition and less restrictions. These changes are…
Blog
Net Neutrality Rules Threaten Internet Free Speech
The supposed good intentions of net neutrality advocates don’t justify the real world harm of those regulations. …
Blog
Who Benefits from FCC’s “No-Blocking” Rule?
The Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) 2015 Open Internet Order included a “no-blocking” rule that prohibits Internet service providers (ISPs) from charging content providers a fee…
Blog
Net Neutrality: Market Competition or Political Control?
The Internet is no exception to the rule that markets work better than the federal government does.
Fortune
States Are Secretly Trying to Tax Your Online Purchases
States and localities currently cannot tax online purchases made from companies outside their own borders. Yet over the past two decades, state and local…
Inside Sources
Point: Net Neutrality Bad for Consumers
The FCC’s proposed rollback of its 2015 Open Internet Order has put the term “net neutrality” back in the political zeitgeist. The phrase itself is…
Washington Free Beacon
Report: Net Neutrality Leads to Higher prices, Less Innovation
Washington Free Beacon covers CEI’s Net Neutrality report authored by Jessica Melugin and Ryan Radia. Keeping Obama administration-era net neutrality rules would result…
Politico
CEI Makes Case for Net Neutrality Rollback
Politico Morning Tech covers CEI’s Net Neutrality report authored by Ryan Radia and Jessica Melugin. The Competitive Enterprise Institute, in a report…
The Hill
Congress Must Put an End to Online Taxation Without Representation
The recent reintroduction of the misnamed Marketplace Fairness Act (MFA) is the latest in the effort to expand taxes on internet sales. Proponents of taxing…
News Release
Should We Regulate the Internet? CEI Argues FCC’s Net Neutrality Rules Threaten Freedom, Innovation and Harm Consumers
Consumers should be aware that net neutrality regulations will result in higher prices and less innovation for their broadband services.
Study
A Net Neutrality Primer
View Full Document as PDF If you have watched Last Week Tonight with John Oliver recently, you will have noticed that its…
News Release
CEI Comments on FCC Chairman Pai’s Renomination
Today Competitive Enterprise Institute adjunct fellow Jessica Melugin commented on FCC Chairman Ajit Pai’s re-nomination to the Federal Communications Commission by President Trump:…
Blog
FCC Chairman Pai Ends Obama-era Investigation of ‘Zero-rating’ Data Plans
Newly promoted FCC chairman Ajit Pai signals a reversal of policy on Obama-era net neutrality rules.
News Release
Competitive Enterprise Institute Congratulates New Federal Communications Commission Chair Ajit Pai
Blog
Wyoming Considers Disastrous Sales Tax Proposal
The U.S. Supreme Court made clear in the case of Quill v. North Dakota (1992) that Congress, not the individual states, has the authority to regulate…
Blog
Utah Keeping Amazon Sales Tax Deal Secret
The Utah State Tax Commission refuses to make public the details of the deal reached with Amazon due to what’s been reported as a “confidentiality…
Study
First Steps for the Trump Administration: Support Technology and Innovation
View full document as PDF The frontier sectors that define the new high-tech economy are uniquely vulnerable to political predation and cronyism.
Blog
Future Cyber Mondays Could Take a Hit from Proposed Internet Tax
Adobe Digital Insights predicts that Cyber Monday’s sales will surpass last year’s sales by 11.5%, for a total of $3 billion this year.
Study
Why Internet Sales Taxes Bolster Bigger Government
View Full Document as PDF The rapid growth of online retailing has led to calls from state and local officials for greater…
RealClear Markets
Wal-Mart’s Jet.com Buy Puts Online Sales Tax at the Forefront
Argus Leader
Online sales tax coming to your inbox
Argus Leader discusses the online sales tax with CEI's Jessica Melugin. In a letter to Congress in 2013, groups such as Americans for…
Blog
PITFA a Poor Hostage for Internet Sales Taxes
Despite the premise of many a political cartoon, U.S. senators aren’t stupid. But a few of them are hoping to bamboozle at least 60 of their…
Watchdog.org
The Internet Grinch Tax Threat
Proposals to expand sales tax collection on Internet purchases just won’t go away. And this holiday shopping season—which kicked off with a $3 billion Cyber…
Study
Understanding an Internet Sales Tax
21st century taxation without representation? Attempts to expand states’ abilities to tax online sales across borders are wildly unpopular and fly in the face of fiscal conservative…
Blog
What Will a Chaffetz Speakership Mean for Internet Freedom?
With House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy’s (R-Calif.) gaffe regarding the Benghazi investigation, the race to replace outgoing Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) appears much more open. Days later,…
The Heartlander
Heartland Institute Joins Coalition Opposing Internet Sales Tax Bill
The Heartlander cites CEI`s Jessica Melugin on the internet sales tax: Jessica Melugin, an adjunct fellow with the Competitive Enterprise Institute, says RTPA…
Sourcing Journal
House Introduces Internet Sales Tax Bill
Sourcing Journal quotes CEI`s Jessica Melugin on the Internet Sales Tax Bill: Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) and Rep. Steve Womack (R-AR) on Monday…
The American Spectator
Chaffetz Greases Wheels For Online Sales Tax
The American Spectator quotes CEI`s Jessica Melugin on the Internet Sales Tax Bill: Jessica Melugin, an adjunct fellow at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, claims in …
The Hill
Latest Internet sales tax bill gives states unprecedented taxing power
This week’s introduction by Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) of yet another Internet sales tax bill illustrates the importance of understanding this complex issue and the…
The Daily Caller
Chaffetz Greases Wheels For Online Sales Tax
The Daily Caller quotes CEI`s Jessica Melugin on the Internet Sales Tax Bill: Jessica Melugin, an adjunct fellow at the Competitive…
Blog
Marketplace Fairness Act Is More about Tax Revenue and Rent-Seeking than Fairness
Yesterday, Sens. Mike Enzi (R-Wy.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), and Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.) reintroduced the speciously named Marketplace Fairness Act (MFA) in the…
The Roanoke Times
A New Idea for Tax Fairness Online
The misleadingly named Marketplace Fairness Act died a quiet death during the House of Representatives’ lame-duck session, but is it really the end? What does…
Roll Call
The Grinch Who Taxed The Internet
Austin American Statesman
Texans Should Beware of Internet Sales Tax
Texas is one of the nation’s best states for doing business, according to a recent CNBC survey. Lone Star lawmakers deserve credit for the pro-growth…
The Oklahoman
Think Tank Fellow: Taxing At Place Of Origin Is The Best Method
Starved for cash, cities in Oklahoma and across the nation are looking to new sources of revenue. Their latest target? The Internet. Municipal officials are…
Forbes
The Real Reason Amazon Flip-Flopped On Internet Sales Taxes
Proponents of the Marketplace Fairness Act claim it’s about fairness to traditional retailers and cash-strapped states. But the flip-flop by Amazon.com, now one of…