Patrick Hedger is a contributor at the Competitive Enterprise Institute’s Center for Technology and Innovation. With a focus on Internet and telecommunications policy, Patrick provides everything from commentary to detailed research and analysis on how limited government-policies best facilitate innovation and competition in the marketplace.
Prior to joining CEI, Patrick served as Director of Policy at FreedomWorks Foundation where he oversaw the organization’s work on regulatory reform, including a successful campaign to support the Federal Communications Commission’s Restoring Internet Freedom Order in 2017.
Patrick is a twice-graduate of George Mason University, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Government and International Politics and a Master of Public Policy degree. Patrick is a proud Floridian from the Tampa Bay area. In addition to strong interests in international travel, Formula 1 racing, and economic literature, he is an avid, yet often disappointed fan of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Authored by Patrick Hedger
News
Antitrust Investigations against Tech Threaten to Hamper Pandemic Response and Recovery
The Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) released a new report today arguing that large technology companies are making invaluable contributions to our quality of life…
New CEI Report Finds Bipartisan Embrace of Harmful, Interventionist Tech Policies
Neither major political party holds a monopoly on bad ideas when it comes to federal policy towards the technology sector, according to a…
House Hearing with Big Tech Companies Unwarranted on Antitrust Grounds
The Subcommittee on Antitrust, Administrative and Commercial Law of the House Judiciary Committee is holding a hearing Wednesday noon on ““Online Platforms and Market Power,…
Blog
How Narrowly Are We Going to Define Markets for Tech Antitrust?
- By: Patrick Hedger
One of the key points of contention in any antitrust analysis is defining the scope of the market in question. Ignoring existing competitors by narrowing…
A Bright Spot for Tech on USMCA Day
- By: Patrick Hedger
Today the new U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement goes into effect. Despite its many flaws, it contains a beneficial provision related to the tech sector. The language of…
A Cellular Network or a Jobs Program? Sprint/T-Mobile Critics Launch Misguided Attacks
- By: Patrick Hedger
The recently-approved Sprint/T-Mobile merger is already coming under fire after layoffs were announced. But even the harshest critics begrudgingly acknowledge that the jobs being eliminated…
Op-Eds/Articles
The Bulwark
Taking Up Trump’s Sec. 230 Petition Would Be a Mistake
- By: Patrick Hedger
Growing Republican participation in the war on “big tech” has many in the party on the precipice of sacrificing one of the Trump era’s more…
Inside Sources
Government Contact Tracing Won’t Help Get Americans Back to Work, but Innovation Will
Contact tracing identifies people who have an infectious disease (cases) and people they came in contact with (contacts) who may have become infected.
The Bulwark
The GOP Section 230 Strategy Will Benefit Trump and Only Trump
- By: Patrick Hedger
By now most people will have seen various Republican politicians, including President Trump, lash out at tech giants in one way or another. The attacks…
Studies
Repeal #NeverNeeded Antitrust Laws that Hinder COVID-19 Response
Big technology firms have been invaluable in easing the burden of quarantine for millions of consumers[1] and businesses.[2] Unfortunately, the Department of Justice, the Federal…
Terrible Tech 2.0
View Full Document as PDF Executive Summary If you are looking for bipartisanship in Washington, D.C., the technology policy sector may be your…
Repeal of #NeverNeeded Regulations Can Help People Stay Home and Safe During the COVID-19 Crisis
As individuals and businesses continue to address the COVID-19 health crisis, access to technologies and services that have enabled large swaths of the economy to…
Citations
Breitbart
Online Divisions: Twitter, Facebook Diverge on Trump’s Words
- By: Patrick Hedger
Breitbart cites Research Fellow Patrick Hedger on President Trump and social media censorship: “It’s really a no-win scenario’’’ for social media companies, said…
The New York Times
Trump’s Order on Social Media Could Harm One Person in Particular: Donald Trump
- By: Patrick Hedger
The New York Times cites Research Fellow Patrick Hedger on President Trump’s executive order on social media: “Conservatives must appreciate the fact that…
Bloomberg Law
Charter Fights FCC Subsidies in Upstate New York Broadband Push
- By: Patrick Hedger
Bloomberg Law cites Research Fellow Patrick Hedger on FCC subsidies: Patrick Hedger, a research fellow for the Competitive Enterprise Institute, said Charter likely…
Regulatory Comments
CEI Comments on 5.9 to FCC
On behalf of the Competitive Enterprise Institute (“CEI”), we respectfully submit these comments in response to the Federal Communications Commission’s (“Commission”) Notice…
Podcast Episodes
Consumer Welfare and Big Government with Patrick Hedger
In episode 14, we talk about the drama with Silicon Valley Bank and the proposal from Wayne Crews for an Abuse-of-Crisis Prevention Act, how to...