Whether it is lifting net neutrality regulations, allowing AI to reach its full potential to benefit mankind, educating policy makers about content moderation, clearing legacy regulations at the Federal Communications Commission, advocating for greater spectrum efficiency, or defending business practices that benefit consumers but are disliked by antitrust enforcers, CEI punches above its weight. Coalition activity, relationships with tech and telecom journalists, media appearances, policy events, Capitol Hill outreach, op-eds, and in-depth studies combine to make CEI influential in the tech and telecom policy area.
Tech and Telecom Issue Areas
Featured Posts
Blog
Time’s up for the equal time rule
Merriam Webster’s dictionary defines “anachronism” as a person or thing that is chronologically out of place, “especially: one from a former age that is…
Blog
Otherwise Objectionable episode 6: ‘The Rest of the World’
The sixth episode of Otherwise Objectionable, the narrative-driven podcast that tells the true story of Section 230 of the 1996 Telecommunications Act, focuses on…
Blog
How valuable will anonymous comments be to the Ferguson FTC?
Comments to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for its “Inquiry on Tech Censorship” are due next month on May 21, 2025, and the public has…
Search Posts
Foundation for Economic Education
Ma Bell Suppressed Innovation for Thirty Grueling Years
"Oh, for the days of Ma Bell!” is not a lament we’re likely to hear. And for good reason. Before the breakup of AT&T, America’s…
Blog
Politics and Economics Collide with Pokémon Go
It seems strange to think it’s been barely a week since Pokémon Go became the dominant pop culture phenomenon of the summer. Publications better known…
The Hill
Big Brother? How SOPRA can help restore proper authority
The Internet as we know it may soon become unrecognizable. That’s because the freewheeling “network of networks” soon will be regulated by bureaucrats. The D.C.
Foundation for Economic Education
Fear Not Malevolent AI Robots
I’ve recently become hooked on Michael Solona’s new podcast series, “Anatomy of Next: Utopia,”a fascinating analysis of our most advanced and rapidly developing technologies…
Blog
The Custody Battle for Your Internet Privacy
Google, Facebook, and YouTube; how do these large websites stay free? Internet advertising is part of a huge economy of $27.5 billion that allows the…
Comment
CEI and Tech Freedom Comments to the FCC on Protecting Broadband Customers’ Privacy
Full Document Available in PDF Chutzpah, wrote Leo Rostein in his 1968 classic, The Joys of Yiddish, is “that quality enshrined in a…
Blog
Chicago Home-Sharing Rules a Loss for Residents
Chicago’s Mayor Rahm Emanuel negotiated an armistice with the sharing economy last week. Uber, Lyft, and Airbnb have promised comply with the new rules, which…
Blog
Will the Sharing Economy Give Us Greater Economic Mobility?
Last night the R Street Institute sponsored a fascinating policy panel here in Washington, D.C., “Boost or Barrier? Upward mobility in the on-demand economy.”…
Blog
RealClear Radio Hour: Innovation Economy & State Fiscal Breakdown
This week on RealClear Radio Hour, guests Garrett Johnson and Eileen Norcross explain the importance of developing a more technologically nimble and fiscally responsible government.
Blog
Coming Soon: International Mayors for Inconvenient Travel
While we wait to see whether Gov. Andrew Cuomo will sign legislation targeting home-share listings in New York, the governmental response to the sharing economy’s…
Blog
New York Rules DFS a “Game of Skill,” Maintains Ban on Internet Poker
Human beings have been gambling since at least the dawn of recorded history and perhaps one of the most enduring games is poker.
Blog
New York Legislature Piles on Fines for Home-Share Listings
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is currently reviewing legislation recently passed by the state’s Senate and Assembly that would establish new penalties for advertising one’s…
Fortune
Here’s Why the Drone Industry Just Had A Milestone Moment
Fortune discusses the Federal Aviation Administration's new rules on small unmanned aircraft systems with Marc Scribner. Not everyone is pleased with the new…
PC World
New FAA rules mean you won’t get Amazon drone delivery anytime soon
PC World discusses the Federal Aviation Administration's new rules on drones with Marc Scribner. Marc Scribner, a fellow at the Competitive Enterprise Institute,…
Daily Caller
Business Leaders Unsurprisingly Tepid About FAA’s New 624-Page Drone Rulebook
The Daily Caller discusses the Federal Aviation Administration's new regulations on drones with Marc Scribner. “The new FAA drone rules are disappointing and…
News Release
CEI Comments on FAA Drone Regulations
Today, June 21, 2016, the Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration finalized their operational rules for commercial use of small unmanned aircraft systems. Transportation policy expert Marc Scribner responded:…
Blog
RealClear Radio Hour: Futurism and Genius
This week’s guests share a contagious, limitless optimism about our technological future and individual achievement.
Blog
Building on the Optimism of “Uber-Positive” Attitudes
There’s a new resource for understanding the state of play between politics and developments in the sharing economy, the pleasantly slim volume by the Manhattan…
Blog
Wireless Net Neutrality: You Were Warned
Hundreds of people have been burrowing into this week’s D.C. District Court of Appeals 2-1 decision giving the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) everything it wanted…
Blog
FCC Cannot Rewrite Federal Law to Regulate the Internet
By upholding the entirety of the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC’s) Open Internet Order, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit has sanctioned the…
Daily Caller
Upholding Net Neutrality Will Put Us Back In The Slow Lane
The Daily Caller reports on the cost of federal regulations with Wayne Crews. This is but one recent example of the unintended consequences…
Blog
Congress Must Rein in FCC on Net Neutrality
Yesterday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit upheld the FCC’s 2015 “Open Internet Order” in US Telecom Association v. FCC.
Blog
“Open Internet” Ruling Will Encourage ISPs to Block Content
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit has upheld the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) “Open Internet Order” which purports to implement “net neutrality”…
Daily Caller
The FCC Is Now One Step Closer To Taking Over The Internet
The Daily Caller discusses with Ryan Radia a federal court's ruling to uphold the Federal Communication Commision's net neutrality plan. Ryan Radia, a…
News Release
Net Neutrality Ruling is a Loss of Freedom, Increase in Government Control
Today’s federal court ruling upholding the Obama Administration’s net neutrality plan is a boon for more agency power and an opportunity for Congress to rein…
Comment
CEI Petitions FCC to Reconsider Conditions Imposed on Charter-Time Warner Cable Merger
Full Document Available in PDF The Competitive Enterprise Institute, John France, Daniel Frank, Jean-Claude Gruffat, and Charles Haywood seek reconsideration of the…
Blog
FCC Could end up “Protecting” Consumers from Cheaper Internet Access
Net neutrality proponents have seen their lines splinter over the issue of “zero rating,” the practice of not counting data used to access certain sites…
Forbes
Bureaucracy’s Paradox: When Fewer Regulations Mean Less Freedom
"To limit abuse by the rulers, ancient Rome wrote down the law and permitted citizens to read it. Under Dodd-Frank, regulatory authority is…
Blog
Court Will Soon Decide Fate of FCC’s Ill-Conceived Internet Regulations
Any day now, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit is expected to release its decision in U.S. Telecom Association v. FCC.
Washington Examiner
Critics charge FCC with suppressing comments on privacy ruling
The Washington Examiner reports on a coalition CEI signed urging the Federal Communications Commission to extend its deadline for comment on broadband rules. …
Washington Times
Conservatives trend liberal over Facebook
Conservatives are hopping mad about Facebook allegedly manipulating its Trending Topics to discriminate against right-leaning news stories. And some want to do something about…
Blog
FCC’s Cable Box Mandate: Costly, Illegal, and Unnecessary
Regulators at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) want to dictate how cable and satellite television providers design their so-called “set-top boxes”—a fancy term for…
New York Times
Monopolies, Like Google, Are Innovators, Which Is Good for Consumers
Last week, the European Commission brought new antitrust charges against Google, alleging the company unfairly favors its own services on smartphones running its Android operating…
Blog
Congress Must Pass Email Privacy Act
This week, the U.S. House of Representatives will vote on the Email Privacy Act (H.R. 699) sponsored by Rep. Kevin Yoder (R-Kan.). The Competitive Enterprise…
Comment
CEI and Tech Freedom Comments to the FCC on “Set-Top Box” Regulations
Full Document Available in PDF The FCC claims it is trying to “Unlock the Box” to “empower consumers to choose how they…
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
Congress Should Strip the FCC of the Power to Regulate Broadband Prices
The U.S. House of Representatives will soon vote on a bill known as the “No Rate Regulation of Broadband Internet Access Act.” Just as…
Blog
Netflix’s Throttling Scandal: Possibly Illegal, But Not an FCC Matter
As one of the chief agitators behind the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) controversial effort to regulate Internet service providers like public utilities, Netflix has long portrayed…
Forbes
Protecting Our Semi-Privacy After The Department Of Justice Apple iPhone Hack
The Department of Justice-sponsored unlocking of the Apple iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino murderers without Apple’s help reaffirmed that an overly encryption-based…
Blog
The Sharing Economy Is More than Just Uber
In an article for The New York Times, columnist Farhad Manjoo worries that the Uber model of app-based service companies has run its course. He points out…
U.S. News & World Report
Apple Employees: Just Say No
The FBI is putting relentless pressure on Apple to hack the encrypted iPhone recovered from the San Bernardino shooters. For thwarting ongoing efforts to force…
Blog
After the Incentive Auction: Reimbursing Broadcasters for Channel Relocation Costs
This month, the FCC will kick off a much-awaited incentive auction that could reshape America’s airwaves.
Blog
FCC’s New Privacy Mandates – What’s Next, Internet Czar?
Today, the Federal Communications Commission unveiled a proposal to regulate how broadband providers may collect and use their customers’ information. If the FCC’s impending privacy…
Blog
Barack Obama as FCC Chairman
The saga of executive branch overreach continues, and we got a twofer today. The House Judiciary Task Force on Executive Overreach held a hearing this…
Blog
UnChartered Cronyism: The FCC’s Attempts to Block Cable Merger
When you hear about “crony capitalism,” what comes to mind? The Export-Import Bank? The ethanol mandate? Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac? Tax credits and loan…
Blog
The One Year Anniversary of Net Neutrality
In the pen and phone era, one of the many examples of the descent into arbitrary lawmaking influencing an entire sector of the economy is…
The Hill
Tech group sues feds over drone registrations
The Hill reports on CEI's response to the FAA's drone registration rules. Critics have been threatening to sue the FAA over the registration…
Blog
Permanent Moratorium on Internet Taxation in Customs Bill
Today the Senate voted 75-20 in favor of the conference report accompanying H.R. 644, the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act of 2015, the so-called customs…
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…
Engadget
Confusion over FAA drone registry results in privacy problems
Engadget mentions Marc Scribner's statement in response to the FAA's refusal to allow public comments on its drone registration plan. The FAA decided to apply…
Letters
CEI Joins 20 Organizations Opposing Utah Internet Sales Tax Proposal
Full Document Available in PDF Dear Utah State legislator: On behalf of our organizations and the millions of citizens we represent, we…
Al Jazeera
US prepares skies to track recreational drones
Al Jazeera reports on the Federal Aviation Administrations rule requires operators of drones must have a permit, and quotes Marc Scribner's comments on the rule. …
Blog
Coalition Tells Congress to Keep the Internet Tax-Free
Today, the Competitive Enterprise Institute joined 44 organizations in signing a coalition letter urging Congress to extend and make permanent the Internet Tax Freedom Act (ITFA).
Forbes
CES 2016, Where Technology And Government Collide
At the 2016 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) here in Las Vegas, I got around to taking a few snapshots. There is the Consumer Technology Association’s…
The Hill
Drone user sues feds over registration rules
The Hill discusses CEI's objections to the new FAA drone registration requirements. The Washington, D.C.-based Competitive Enterprise Institute said the FAA violated federal…
Blog
Why the Omnibus Shouldn’t Include Cybersecurity Legislation
Later this week, the House is slated to vote on a $1.1 trillion “omnibus” spending bill to fund the federal government through next fall. Naturally,…
Politico
Drone regs attract a little praise, lots of prodding
Politico reports on the FAA's drone regualtions and quotes Marc Scribner on the final rule. Marc Scribner, a transportation expert at the Competitive…
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…
The Blaze
Is Congress About to Expand Govt Surveillance?
The Blaze cites Ryan Radia's work on the inclusion of CISA in the latest Omnibus: The Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act, which already…
The Hill
Critics threaten lawsuit over drone registration rules
The Hill discusses the FAA drone regulations with Marc Scribner. The Washington, D.C.-based Competitive Enterprise Institute said Monday the FAA violated federal requirements…
USA Today
FAA begins drone registry Dec. 21
USA Today reports on the FAA drone regulations and quotes Marc Scribner on the final rule. Marc Scribner, a transportation expert at the…
GoGeomatics
FAA Task Force recommends registration for drones over 9 ounces
GoGeomatics references Marc Scribner on the FAA's plan to regulate drones. However, there is considerable doubt that the FAA will be able to…
The Washington Times
How to Keep the Internet Free and Innovative
Unless the courts or Congress rein it in, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) might soon transform itself into the Internet Regulation Commission. On December 4,…
USA Today
Net Neutrality Rules to be Argued in Court
USA Today discusses CEI's involvement with opposing the FCC's net neutrality rules. USTelecom, a trade association that counts among its members AT&T and…
Study
Myths and Facts about the Wire Act
Full Document Available in PDF Myth: The 1961 Federal Wire was intended to ban all online gambling. Fact: At the time of…
Study
Debunking Myths about Internet Gambling
Preventing states from legalizing and regulating online gambling would push American online gamblers back into the black market.
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…
Homeland Security Today
Planning A Drone As A Holiday Gift? FAA Task Force Calls For UAS Registration
Homeland Security Today discusses the FAA drone registration mandate plans with Marc Scribner. According to Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) transportation policy expert Marc…
Politico
DHS chief suggests ‘legislative teeth’ for Visa Waiver tweaks
Politico highlights Marc Scribner's insights on the FAA drone registration mandates. The Competitive Enterprise Institute said it is “disturbed by the way in which…
News Release
Drone Task Force Report to FAA on Mandatory Drone
The drone registration task force has now issued its recommendations to the FAA concerning plans to require registration for commercial/civilian drones. But the FAA’s plan…
Blog
Net Neutrality Questions FCC Commissioners Need to Answer
In a House Energy & Commerce Committee oversight hearing on Tuesday, November 17, all five Federal Communications Commissioners will testify. Net neutrality, the FCC’s broad push…
Watchdog.org
Drones: FAA wants to be the DMV for flying toys
Blog
CFPB’s Database Should Be Bipartisan Privacy Concern
The behemoth Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) played a big role in Tuesday night’s GOP presidential debate on Fox Business, both during the commercials and…
Blog
Passcode for Liberty: Why the Government Shouldn’t Restrict Encryption (Video)
Most Americans own a smartphone and use cloud computing services such as Gmail, Dropbox, and Facebook. Increasingly, we store sensitive data on our devices and…
St. Cloud Times
Register all drones? Fears surround DOT mandate plan
The St. Cloud Times discusses with Marc Scribner the problems behind FAA drone regulations. "Do we expect pilots to see tiny numbering on these…
RealClear Policy
Undermining Encryption
Ryan Radia discusses the problem with encryption restrictions in RealClear Policy: For most Americans, communicating over the Internet has become routine. We now…
Blog
As Senate Cybersecurity Vote Nears, CISA Remains Seriously Flawed
If Congress wants to lift barriers to beneficial information sharing without endangering individual privacy, it’s essential that legislation contains robust safeguards against unwanted uses of…
One News Now
Feds: Drones are a hazard to be regulated
One News Now interviews CEI's Marc Scribner on the federal government's plans to regulate drones. Foxx et al. have announced the formation of…
Watchdog Arena
Your drone papers, please: Feds preparing registry for unmanned flight
Watchdog Arena sites Marc Scribner's research on the problems with federal regulations on drones. As the Competitive Enterprise Institute’s Marc Scribner points out…
Politico
Drone registration rule gets underway
Politico mentions Marc Scribner's research on the new drone proposal in daily news update on transportation. Pointing to an analysis by drone lawyer…
Watchdog.org
Fed, states preparting new regs for commercial, personal drone use
Watchdog.org discusses the Federal Aviation Administration's fear of drones and resulting regulations, and looks to Marc Scribner to understand the effects of such regulations.
The Heartlander
Regulators Slamming the Brakes on ‘Permissionless Innovation’
The Heartland Institute cites Marc Scribner's research on the regulatory landscape surrounding automated-vehicles. Marc Scribner, a research fellow with the Competitive Enterprise Institute, says…
Daily Caller
Massive Potential Of Drones Could Be Undermined By Federal Regulators
The Daily Caller reviews Marc Scribner's paper on drone regulations. Regulators and legislators looking to curtail the use of civilian drones could be losing…
Politico
Dorgan’s lobbying checks align with newfound ATC stance
Politico details Marc Scribner's paper on drones as part of the daily transportation and infrastructure update. As lawmakers mull drone policy ahead of…
Politico
Dorgan’s lobbying checks align with newfound ATC stance
Politico details Marc Scribner's paper on drones as part of the daily transportation and infrastructure update. As lawmakers mull drone policy ahead of…
Blog
What Will a Chaffetz Speakership Mean for Internet Freedom? Part 2
Utah Republican Congressman Jason Chaffetz recently threw his hat in the ring in a bid to replace Speaker John Boehner, after House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy’s…
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,…
Blog
Court Upholds Legality of NSA’s Bulk Collection of Telephone Records
On Friday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit handed down its much-awaited ruling in Obama v. Klayman, one of several lawsuits…
Blog
Did North Dakota Just Authorize Pepper-Spraying Police Drones?
The Daily Beast’s Justin Glawe has written an article about a North Dakota law aimed at limiting law enforcement use of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), or…
News Release
Amicus Brief: Congress Has Never Given FCC the Authority to Regulate the Internet
Congress has continued to deny the Federal Communications Commission authority to regulate the Internet, argues the Competitive Enterprise Institute in its amicus brief filed today in…
Legal Brief
Amicus Brief: United States Telecom Association v. FCC
Full Document Available in PDF A handful of telecom companies sued the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) over its Open Internet Order, also…
Blog
Senate Prepares to Vote on Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act (CISA)
Today, the U.S. Senate is scheduled to vote on the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act (CISA), which is a serious threat to civil liberties and…
Products
Graham Hearing Could Touch On I-Poker Ban Bill
The Card Player cites CEI`s Michelle Minton on internet gambling regulation: While the hearing on July 8 isn’t centered on Internet gambling like…
The Heartlander
Online Poker Ban Gains Support in U.S. Senate
The Heartlander cites CEI`s Michellen Minton on the online poker ban: Hidden Agenda Competitive Enterprise Institute Fellow Michelle…
Blog
FCC Ignores Rule of Law in Attempt to Fine AT&T for Throttling Wireless Users
Today, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), on a three-to-two vote, found that AT&T violated federal regulations by failing to disclose that it was throttling certain wireless…
Simple Justice
The Public Accommodation Formerly Known As SJ
Simple Justice cites CEI`s Hans Bader on the Americans with Disabilities Act: Walter Olson, at Overlawyered, here and here, Amy Alkon…
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…
Washington Monthly
Why Is America Losing the Commercial Drone Wars?
The Washington Monthly quotes CEI`s Marc Scribner on FAA`s drone regulations. "The business press and tech websites are filled with stories slamming the…
Real Clear Policy
USA FREEDOM Act: A Win for Privacy
For years, unbeknownst to the American people, a top-secret government program overseen by the National Security Agency collected and stored "metadata" about nearly all U.S.
Fortune
The Verizon-AOL Deal Shows How Much AOL has Reinvented Itself
CEI's Wayne Crews is quoted in Fortune on Verizon's AOL buyout. “This is a positioning deal, to provide ad-serving to the mobile video…
Staff & Scholars
Jessica Melugin
Director of the Center for Technology & Innovation
- Antitrust
- Innovation
- Media, Speech and Internet Freedoms
Clyde Wayne Crews
Fred L. Smith Fellow in Regulatory Studies
- Business and Government
- Consumer Freedom
- Deregulation
Fred L. Smith, Jr.
Founder; Chairman Emeritus
- Automobiles and Roads
- Aviation
- Business and Government