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
Subsidy-free capitalism may require a constitutional amendment
Automobiles, electrification, ample consumer goods and mass marketing, a construction boom, and access to credit helped fuel the Roaring Twenties of a century ago.
Wall Street Journal
‘Net Neutrality’ Faces a Stiff Judicial Test
The Federal Communications Commission voted Thursday along partisan lines to reclassify broadband internet access service as a common carrier telecommunications service under Title II of…
The Wall Street Journal
‘Net Neutrality’ Faces a Stiff Judicial Test
The Federal Communications Commission voted Thursday along partisan lines to reclassify broadband internet access service as a common carrier telecommunications service under Title II of…
Search Posts
Blog
Crony Capitalism and the Space Program
Over at The Weekly Standard today, I describe how the desire of politicians to steer pork to their constituents is undermining…
Op-Eds
Lawless Net Neutrality vs. the “Resolution of Disapproval”
Today, the U.S. Senate takes up S.J.Res.6, the FCC Internet and Broadband Resolution of Disapproval, for up to four hours of debate. The controversy…
Reason
New Anti-Piracy Legislation Would Break the Internet Without Stopping Piracy
Blog
The Heavy-Lift Empire Strikes Back
Readers of this space will recall that there was a leak of an internal NASA document a couple weeks ago that…
Daily Caller
Government Bureaucrats Can’t Prevent Data Breaches
Sony’s popular PlayStation Network suffered a massive data breach earlier this year, exposing 100 million users’ credit card numbers, home addresses and more. Numerous other…
Cato At Liberty
Three Libertarians Raise Concerns about the Stop Online Piracy Act
ARS Technica
The Stop Online Piracy Act: Big Content’s Full-On Assault Against the Safe Harbor
News Release
CEI Expert to Speak on Rogue Websites at AFP Summit
Washington, D.C., November 4, 2011—CEI Associate Director of Technology Studies Ryan Radia is speaking tomorrow on a panel at the American for Prosperity Foundation’s…
ARS Technica
Reforming the FCC’s Regulatory Process
Blog
Spectrum Crunch Hype is No Scam
In a recent Washington Times op-ed, Mark Hyman of the Sinclair Broadcast Group makes some compelling arguments calling for a spectrum inventory. His suggestion…
News Release
E-Verify Hill Briefing: Video & Highlight Reel Now Available
Washington, D.C., November 1, 2011 — On Monday, October 24, the Competitive Enterprise Institute hosted a Capitol Hill briefing on E-Verify, the controversial electronic employment…
ARS Technica
Dying to Grow?
We are constantly bombarded with information about the purported risks or protective effects of one or another food, dietary supplement, chemical, drug, or activity. In…
Blog
The House Considers Legalizing Online Gambling
Defenders of online gambling testified before the House today to beg for their right to gamble legally. Poker Players Alliance Chairman (and former U.S.
Blog
The Great Danes of Space
Wired welcomed a new author to its Science Blogs on Monday afternoon -- Kristian von Bengtson, an aerospace engineer and co-founder of Copenhagen Suborbitals.
ACLU
I Went to Washington and Democracy Broke Out
ACLU
“Verbal Brawl” Erupts at House E-Verify Briefing
Read Write
New Law Would Require Warrants for GPS Surveillance
The Hill
This Week in Tech
SCPR
E-Verify Briefing Turns Into Shouting Match
SCPR
Google, Facebook Go Retro in Push to Update 1986 Privacy Law
SCPR
TechFreedom: Search my electronic communications? Not without a warrant
Blog
Pay the Americans Now, or Pay the Russians Later
I’m attending the International Symposium on Personal and Commercial Spaceflight in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Also attending is Alan Boyle, science correspondent for MSNBC, who…
Blog
Shuttlyndra and the Smoking Rocket
Over at Pajamas Media today, I have some interesting news on the Shuttlyndra situation, which would be a huge scandal if…
SCPR
Digital Data Privacy Rules Turn 25
Blog
SEC Jumps into Cybersecurity Debate
Much of the cybersecurity focus this year has been on Congress’s efforts to mandate data breach notifications and security standards. Now the Securities and…
PC World
US Lawmakers Push to Limit Gov’t Mobile Tracking
PC World
Groups Say Bipartisan Backing Will Boost Location Privacy Bill
PC World
Bipartisan Coalition Opposes Warrantless Electronic Tracking by Government
News Release
CEI President to Join U.S. Senators in Press Conference on Privacy Reforms
Washington, D.C., October 17, 2011 – Tomorrow at 11:00 a.m., CEI President Fred L. Smith will join U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Mark…
Blog
Continuing Irrational Risk Aversion by NASA
About a month ago, I discussed the potential consequences of NASA's extreme aversion to loss of crew. Over at NASA Space…
Blog
The Future of Air Travel?
First-generational suborbital crafts would reach 2,200 miles per hour, with an eventual goal of hitting 13,750 miles per hour. A trip from London to Sydney…
Blog
Shuttlyndra and Bipartisan Crony Capitalism
Over at Pajamas Media today, I tell a tale of crony capitalism that makes Solyndra look like a model of government…
Reason
Warrantless GPS Tracking, Union Dues, and Fleeting Expletives: The Supreme Court Suits Up for Another Term
Blog
Google’s Rick Santorum Problem
Rick Santorum has a Google problem, and everybody knows about it -- mostly because Rick Santorum won't stop talking about it. Last week,…
Reason
Not Without A Warrant
Blog
Blame Congress and Pork, Not NASA
Over at National Review today, I have a lengthy but necessary rebuttal of a misbegotten post at…
Blog
The Fable of the Shoes
Jonah Goldberg praises Ron Paul's stance on health care, and takes to task the status-quo bias of even many Republicans, recalling…
News Release
E-Verify Bill Proposes Massive New Regulatory Mandate
Washington, D.C., September 21, 2011 — Today, the House Judiciary Committee passed the Legal Workforce Act (H.R. 2885) which mandates use of the electronic employment…
Blog
Some Commercial Crew Questions For NASA
One of the great controversies of the new space policy announced last year was the intent of NASA to turn over the transportation of cargo…
Blog
House Hearing on Effects of EU Privacy Directive
Yesterday the House Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade held a hearing addressing the economic consequences of the European Union’s internet privacy regulations. The…
Legal Brief
Brief of Amici Curiae Cato Institute, Reason Foundation, and Competitive Enterprise Institute in Support Of Petitioners in Mayo v. Prometheus Labs
Full Document Available in PDF Summary of Argument Prometheus’s patents are…
Blog
Infrastructure Si, Infrastructure Bank No
In his Forbes column, James Glassman provides a counterpoint to the Obama proposal to create a national infrastructure bank. Rather than direct funds through…
News Release
Think Tanks Urge Supreme Court to Reject Abstract Process Patents
Washington, D.C., September 15, 2011 – The Competitive Enterprise Institute, Cato Institute, and Reason Foundation have submitted an amicus curiae brief…
Blog
California Wins as Amazon Deals
Friday, I wrote for The Daily Caller about the negative impact a tax deal between Amazon.com and the state of California would have the debate…
Blog
Belt Tightening At FAA’s Office of Commercial Space Transportation
Last week the House Appropriations Committee released its draft bill for funding of Transportation, Housing and Urban Development. Of particular note is the appropriation…
Reason
A Plan Better than Obama’s to Create Jobs
Blog
Time To End Apollo Redux
Over at Cosmic Log, the blog of MSNBC science correspondent Alan Boyle, there is an interview with me based on a…
Blog
The “Overhead Smash” Of ITAR
Over at Beltway Confidential today, Tim Carney asks if one of the unintended (or perhaps not-so-unintended) consequences of Dodd-Frank will be to…
Blog
NASA’s Costly Risk Aversion
Over at Pajamas Media this past weekend, I describe the current travails of the International Space Station in the wake of…
Reason
Is Apollo’s Past Spoiling Our Future in Outer Space?
Orange County Register
Cellphone Merger a Good Call
Yahoo! News
Challenge To T-Mobile Deal Brings Out Fans and Critics
Blog
CEI Podcast for September 1, 2011: The Blocked AT&T-T-Mobile Merger
The Department of Justice sued this week to stop the proposed AT&T-T-Mobile merger. Associate Director of Technology Studies Ryan Radia thinks this is a mistake.
Blog
New Texas Satellite TV Taxes Dodged, But Cable Franchise Fee Abuse Persists
In April of this year, my colleague Ryan Radia and I wrote about a proposal making its way through the Texas State House to increase…
Los Angeles Times
U.S. Fears Lost Jobs If AT&T Merger is Approved
Los Angeles Times
The Day After: More Reaction To DoJ’s AT&T/T-Mobile Civil Suit
RBR
AT&T Vows to Pursue T-Mobile Merger Despite DOJ block
E Week
U.S. Suit to Block ATandT, T-Mobile Deal Draws Sharp Interest Group Reaction
Blog
The DOJ’s Antitrust Seers
The philosopher Yogi Berra once said that “It’s tough to make predictions, especially about the future.” Let’s apply his lesson to the proposed $39 billion…
News Release
DOJ Antitrust Lawsuit Subverts Free Enterprise, Job Creation
Washington, D.C., August 31, 2011 – This morning, the U.S. Department of Justice filed an antitrust lawsuit seeking to block the proposed acquisition of…
Blog
AT&T-T-Mobile Merger Delayed
A few months ago, the FCC said it would hand down a decision on whether to allow AT&T and T-Mobile to merge within 180 days.
Blog
The Texas Empire Strikes Back
Well, I made a prediction here yesterday: It will be interesting to see how those in Congress who have been demanding…
E Week
Privacy Mandates are Bad News for Web Users
When Congress returns from its summer recess, Internet privacy will be high on its agenda. Half a dozen bills introduced this session aim to address…
Blog
CEI Podcast for August 25, 2011: Mr. Fuddlesticks
Mr. Fuddlesticks is an anonymous YouTube user who posted embarrassing videos about the Renton, Washington police department. They convinced a judge to let them request…
Blog
Our Space Policy Chickens Have Come Home To Roost
With the retirement of the Space Shuttle last month, the U.S. and its international partners are now entirely reliant on non-U.S. providers for transportation to…
Blog
FCC Repeals 83 Regulations
The repeals will become official upon publication in the Federal Register.
E Week
MrFuddlesticks, the Renton Police Department and Online Civil Liberties
In the last two decades, the Internet has revolutionized the way people communicate and socialize. Unfortunately, our legal system has yet to adapt to the…
Human Events
Big Brother Goes Green
Human Events
Medical Magellans
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rules are supposedly intended to ensure the safety and efficacy of new drugs and medical devices. It is FDA’s technology…
Pittsburgh Live
Request for Social Media Curbs in Britain Spark Debate
Letters
Coalition Letter to US Senate on REAL ID Act
We, the undersigned organizations, representing millions of Americans urge you not to support the so-called “REAL ID Act”, whether attached to the emergency supplemental spending…
Legal Brief
Amicus Brief in Granholm vs Heald
Full Document Available in PDF As interstate commerce has grown, businesses have used a variety of…
Letters
Letter to Senate Committee on C.S.T. on Cable Prices and the Consumer Price Index
We write to share with you our analysis of the idea of a la carte regulation of cable television channels, in which you have shown…
Blog
TSA Chatterboxes Not as Friendly as they Seem
You may get some extra-special attention from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) in the near future — but this isn’t just another pat-down or…
Comment
Written Submission Of the Competitive Enterprise Institute Regarding the Telecom & High Tech Manufacturing Sector
Full Document Available in PDF Commerce Secretary…
Study
Freedom of Information vs Right to Privacy
The free movement of information throughout the economy and in government benefits Arizonans as citizens and consumers. At the same time, the right to privacy…
Comment
Comments on Telemarketing Rulemaking Comment Before the FTC
The Competitive Enterprise Institute has several concerns about the FTC’s proposal to create a Do Not Call registry. Part I outlines existing Do Not Call…
Letters
Letter to Assistant AG on Microsoft Settlement
The staff of the Antitrust Division has designated a limited set of comments on the proposed settlement as “major.” It plans to engage in special…
News Release
Award-Winning Space Policy Expert Rand Simberg Joins CEI as Adjunct Scholar
Washington, DC, August 2, 2011 – The Competitive Enterprise Institute is pleased to announce space policy expert Rand Simberg has joined CEI as an…
Comment
Echostar Communications Corporation and Hughes Electronics Corp.
The Competitive Enterprise Institute is a non-profit public policy organization dedicated to the principles of free enterprise and limited government. Since its beginning in…
Study
Hidden Truth: The Perils and Protection of Off-Label Drug and Medical Device Promotion
Full Document Available in PDF What can you do if you learn you have a life-threatening…
Blog
Mandatory Data Retention Rears its Ugly Head Again
This morning the House Judiciary Committee began markup on H.R. 1981, the “Protecting Children from Internet Pornographers Act of 2011,” which would among other things force…
News Release
Free Market Coalition Opposes Digital Dragnet
Washington, D.C., July 27, 2011 — This morning, the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on the Judiciary will mark up H.R. 1981, a bill that…
Cop Block
Alyona Show: How to Cop Proof Your Cell Phone
News Release
House Holds Hearing Today on Future of Cybersecurity
The House Energy and Commerce Committee is today conducting a hearing on “Cybersecurity: An Overview of Risks to Critical Infrastructure.” The following is a…
Blog
Why Not the Era of Innovation?
On Thursday, Russia boasted that the world was now moving into the “Era of the Soyuz.” With the landing of the last U.S. shuttle, the…
Economic Times of India
Will Rivals Do to Google What Facebook Did to MySpace?
Letters
CEI Joins Coalition in Support of the Wireless Tax Fairness Act
Full Document Available as PDF CEI has signed a letter along with a coalition of other…
Bellingham (WA) Herald
Government to Google: All Search Results Must Appear First
According to legend, when Winston Churchill and his lifelong foe Clement Attlee ran into each other at a row of urinals in the House of…
Bellingham (WA) Herald
Scientists Developing Fungus-Resistant Wheat
Blog
Regulation of the Day 182: PowerPoint Presentations
A political party in Switzerland is seeking to ban Microsoft PowerPoint presentations in meetings.
Blog
Amazon.com Fights Board of Equalization
Amazon.com is standing strong against California’s attempts to extort money from the online bookseller. Just a few days ago, Governor Jerry Brown (…
Blog
Restricting Your Right to Superlatives: Anna Eshoo and the FCC
A California Democrat is seeking to expand the bureaucracy of the FCC in order to protect Americans from dropped calls. Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.)…
Blog
Going to Jail for Linking? What Sen. Amy Klobuchar’s S. 978 Could Mean for You
Earlier this month, the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously approved S. 978, a bill that would expand the scope of felony criminal copyright infringement under…
Blog
Tyranny in Farmville
Two days ago, the advocacy group Consumer Watchdog filed an anti-trust complaint with the FTC seeking an investigation of Facebook’s allegedly anti-competitive practices. These…
Mercury News
Why Google probe should worry consumers
Is Google too big? Some government officials in Washington, D.C., certainly seem to think so. Last week, the Federal Trade Commission launched a formal…
Ecomerce Times
1plusV Lobs Another Antitrust Grenade at Google
News Release
CEI Experts Respond to Today’s Senate Hearing on Consumer Data Security
Washington, D.C., June 29, 2011 – Today, the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation held a hearing on “Privacy and Data Security: Protecting…
Blog
Supreme Court: California’s Ban on Violent Video Game Sales to Minors Violates Free Speech
California's ban on the sale or rental of violent video games to minors has been struck down by the Supreme Court as a violation…
News Release
Conservative, Libertarian Leaders Discuss Regulatory Burdens, Fiscal and Privacy Concerns of Mandatory E-Verify Legislation
Washington, D.C. — On Thursday, June 30th, conservative and libertarian leaders will host a press conference call on controversial immigration enforcement legislation the House Judiciary…
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