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
Legal Brief
Brief of Amicus Curiae of CEI, Cato Institute, Reason Foundation et al. in Ulbricht v. United States
CEI and other organizations submitted a brief on warrentless seizure of IP address data.
Townhall
Legal Authority in the Clouds
Townhall covers CEI’s support of the CLOUD Act of 2018. Cloud storage and computing is an emerging technology increasingly in use worldwide.
The Daily Caller
There’s a Newfound Hatred of Silicon Valley
The Daily Caller discusses opinions on Silicon Valley with Wayne Crews. For quite a long time, Silicon Valley was the angelic, do-no-wrong industry, adamantly…
Comment
CEI Comments to Montana Rural Broadband Subsidy Alternatives
View Full Document as PDF The Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) respectfully submits these comments regarding the Montana Public Service Commission’s Notice of…
Reason
National I.D. By Any Other Name Still Stinks
Reason covers the release of a new report published by the Cato Institute and authored by Jim Harper. There have been many pushes to…
Cato
CTIA—The Wireless Association v. City of Berkeley
Cato covers their petition filed to the Supreme Court with CEI and Cause of Action Institute in CTIA—The Wireless Association v. City of Berkeley. Residents…
Study
The New National ID Systems
View Full Document as PDF The past few years have seen growing awareness and concern about U.S. government surveillance of the American…
Blog
Rumors of Nationalized 5G Point to Need for Reform of Existing Networks
Consumers will suffer from government efforts to create a nationalized 5G telecommunications network, and the rumoured plan to move in that direction needs to be …
U.S. News & World Report
Cutting Off Consumers
A new regulation will burden low- and middle-income Americans reliant on payday loans. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau just released a new rule against payday…
The Washington Times
Conservatives Fear More Left-Leaning Media With AT&T, Time Warner Merger
The Washington Times quotes Wayne Crews on the traditional importance of deregulation in communications for conservative policy and how traditional media conglomerates are losing influence…
The Hill
Right-Leaning Groups Back International Data Privacy Bill
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.
Blog
Increasing Public Awareness Bolsters Potential for Blockchain Applications
Blockchain is a software architecture that seems very likely to unleash profound global forces if it crosses over into the mainstream.
Letters
CEI Joins Coalition Letter Urging Congress to Oppose Using the Congressional Review Act to Overturn the FCC Restoring Internet Freedom Order
View Full Document as PDF Dear Senators & Representatives: We, the undersigned organizations, representing millions of taxpayers and consumers nationwide, urge Congress…
Forbes
A CES Takeaway: Don’t Fear Robots and Artificial Intelligence, Fear Politicians
Maroon 5 keeps popping up on my Pandora stations, so artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning still have a ways to go. Even if AI…
Blog
Supreme Court Should Safeguard Rights to Digital Property in Microsoft Case
The Court should recognize that communications and data are property, and cut off the “innovative” use of subpoenas to collect data that should require a…
Forbes
Net Neutrality and Senate Democrats’ Renewed Love for the Congressional Review Act
The Congressional Review Act (CRA) is the law by which the Republican Congress and the Trump Administration eliminated 14 of…
News Release
CEI Files Brief in Microsoft Supreme Court Case, Argues for Consumer Privacy Protections
This week, the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) filed a Supreme Court amicus brief in support of the respondent in United States v.
Bloomberg Politics
China Uses Facial Recognition to Fence In Villagers in Far West
Bloomberg Politics discusses new surveillance technology being tested in China with Jim Harper. China’s state surveillance apparatus is trying out a new tool in…
The New York Times
Blockchain or Blockheads? Bitcoin Mania Mints Believers and Skeptics
John Schwartz, writing for The New York Times, discusses Bitcoin with Jim Harper. Sometimes life shows you what absurd really…
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…
Forbes
Who Will Own the Infrastructure in the Smart City?
There is great enthusiasm for the smart city concept. Integration of autonomous vehicles, drones and networked communications are expected to manage congestion, lead to fewer…
Forbes
The Consumer Electronics Show and Public Policy: Can There Be Separation of Tech and State?
The buzz and pre-show anticipation have begun for the 2018 Consumer Electronics Show(#CES2018) hosted by CTA, the …
Bloomberg Politics
Bitcoin Falls Into Gray Area of Disclosure Rules for Congress
Bloomberg Politics discusses Bitcoin with Jim Harper. To guard against insider trading and financial conflicts, members of Congress and federal officials must file regular…
The Washington Post
Bitcoin Got a Big Boost in 2017. Here are 5 Other Cryptocurrencies to Watch in 2018.
The Washington Post discusses cryptocurrencies with Jim Harper. Mainstream investors spent much of last year trying to figure out how to jump in on …
Blog
Tech Crystal Ball 2018
Expert predictions on top tech issues for the new year.
Blog
Who Will Regulate Tom Wheeler?
When free competition suffers, it is government intervention that is the problem, not the companies doing the competing.
OneNewsNow
FCC Deep-Sixes Obama’s ‘Heavy-Handed’ Internet Regs
OneNewsNow discusses the repeal of Net Neutrality regulations with Ryan Radia. On Thursday the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted along party lines to undo “Net…
Blog
Disney and Fox Merger Will Boost Competition; That’s Good for Everyone
The Walt Disney Company has come to an agreement to buy most of 21st Century Fox’s assets for $52.4 billion, but before the deal…
News Release
CEI Responds to FCC Repeal of Net Neutrality Regulations
Today's FCC vote to restore Internet freedom is a victory for consumers. Building the networks of tomorrow will require enormous investment and risk-taking -- today's…
Blog
Preserving an Open Internet without the FCC
Brent Skorup and Chris Koopman of the Mercatus Center sat down earlier this summer and reviewed many of the questions relevant to the debate that’s reaching a fever-pitch…
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. …
Litigation
CEI v. FCC
After nearly a year and a half without response from the agency, the Competitive Enterprise Institute is representing individuals taking the Federal Communications Commission to…
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
Melugin Takes on 3 Common Net Neutrality Myths
If we want real Internet neutrality, we need less government, not more. CEI's Jessica Melugin dispels three common myths about Net Neutrality.
Comment
CEI, ICLE, and Tech Freedom Give Comments to Federal Communications Commission on Charter Cable Merger
VIEW FULL DOCUMENT AS PDF Introduction and Summary On behalf of the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI), the International Center for Law &…
Blog
Remove Barriers to Broadband Deployment to Help Consumers
The government should unleash the forces of market discipline in the broadband sector by reducing barriers to competition.
News Release
Removing Broadband Barriers will Protect the Free and Open Internet
Policy makers should encourage competition and innovation in America’s broadband market.
Blog
End CFPB’s Collection of Americans’ Financial Data
Last week, when the drama of the dueling directors began at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), I told The Washington Examiner that the…
Blog
Economics Will Be Our Ruination, Bitcoin Edition—and Some Notes on Securing Your Cryptocurrency
Asked about Bitcoin last week, economics Nobel laureate and Columbia University professor Joseph Stiglitz said, among other gems, “It ought to be outlawed. It…
Hudson Institute
Who Owns The Digital Information About You?
The Hudson Institute covers Carpenter v. United States and CEI’s amicus brief in the case with the Cato Institute and the Committee for Justice. Legal…
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…
Forbes
Who Owns the Digital Information About You?
Harold Furchtgott-Roth, writing for Forbes, covers Carpenter v. United States. Legal analysts claim that Carpenter v. United States, argued earlier this…
Blog
Supreme Court can Strike a Victory for Privacy in Carpenter v. United States
The “reasonable expectation of privacy” test invites courts into difficult line-drawing exercises when they try to apply the Fourth Amendment in hard cases.
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,…
The New York Times
Net Neutrality Hits a Nerve, Eliciting Intense Reactions
The New York Times covers the proposed rollback of Net Neutrality regulations. It usually doesn’t take much to get people on the internet worked…
The Wall Street Journal
Supreme Court to Weigh Warrantless Cellphone Data Searches
The Wall Street Journal covers Carpetner v. United States. A pillar of modern policing will come under Supreme Court scrutiny Wednesday as the government…
The Wall Street Journal
Is It Unreasonable to Expect Cellphone Privacy?
A case that comes before the Supreme Court Wednesday may erode or solidify Justice Antonin Scalia’s legacy. How the justices decide in Carpenter v. U.S. won’t matter…
USA Today
Supreme Court Weighs Privacy Rights in Digital Age in Pivotal Cellphone Case
USA Today covers the upcoming argument of Carpenter v. United States. Timothy Carpenter’s mistake in the armed robberies of cellphone stores in Michigan and Ohio…
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.
New York Times
Justice Department Sues to Block AT&T-Time Warner Merger
New York Times article discusses the Justice Department’s lawsuit to block the AT&T-Time Warner Merger Legal experts were divided on the merits…
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…
Blog
Federal Office of Financial Research Violates Privacy, Produces Little of Value
The American people would be better off without it.
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
CEI Submits Comments on New Automated Driving System Federal Guidance
Today, the Competitive Enterprise Institute, joined by the R Street Institute, submitted comments to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in response to the…
Comment
CEI and R Street Comments to NHTSA on Automated Driving Systems 2.0: A Vision for Safety
View Full Document as PDF On behalf of the Competitive Enterprise Institute (“CEI”) and the R Street Institute (“R Street”), we respectfully…
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.
Forbes
The Significance of Sen. Al Franken’s Call to Impose Net Neutrality on Google, Facebook and Amazon
Antitrust and technology market regulatory interventions are staging a comeback, even in the era of President Donald Trump’s push for broad…
Blog
Fed Confirms Government Regulation Is Not the Answer to Equifax Data Breach
More regulation will not help protect the financial system against cyber attacks, such as the Equifax hack.
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…
Letters
CEI Joins Coalition in Support of International Communications Privacy Act
View Full Document as PDF Dear Chairman Grassley, Ranking Member Feinstein, Chairman Goodlatte and Ranking Member Conyers: We write to you today…
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? …
Forbes
The Internet of Things Wants to Know Where Its 5G Is
A major pledge of the Trump Administration was cutting red tape and boosting America’s infrastructure. Ten months in, there are lots of moving parts to…
News Release
CEI Leads Supreme Court Amicus Brief in Support of Internet Freedom
It is crucial that the Supreme Court confirm that the Telecommunications Act doesn't give the FCC broad power to regulate the Internet.
Blog
Ghouls and Goblins and Guidances
You could consider CEI to be the Ghostbusters of Washington, fighting back ghouls and goblins on both sides of Pennsylvania Avenue.
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…
The Hill
Right-Leaning Groups Back International Data Privacy Bill
The Hill covers CEI and other groups’ support of the International Communications Privacy Act. A coalition of right-leaning groups is pressing Congress to act…
The Washington Times
Conservatives Fear More Left-Leaning Media with AT&T, Time Warner merger
The Washington Times discusses the AT&T-Time Warner merger with Wayne Crews. The proposed AT&T merger with Time Warner has some conservatives nervous about its…
News Release
FCC Reauthorization Should Be A Deauthorization
The Competitive Enterprise Institute’s Ryan Radia offered comment prior to the House Energy & Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology hearing today on the Federal…
The Wall Street Journal
Oil and Spectrum Rights Models Offer a Clue
Thomas W. Hazlett’s “How Politics Stalls Wireless Innovation” (op-ed, Oct. 2) outlines the irrationality of the current political mismanagement of the electromagnetic spectrum and…
News Release
CEI Comments on Pending Nomination of Pai to FCC
Jessica Melugin, adjunct fellow with the Competitive Enterprise Institute, commented on the pending nomination of Ajit Pai to the Federal Communications Commission: “The Senate should…
InsideSources
Three Early Lessons From the Equifax Hack
InsideSources covers the Equifax breach and Jim Harper‘s response to it. It’s been almost two weeks since Equifax reported the hack of 143…
Foundation for Economic Education
People Are Complaining About iPhone X Because That’s How Innovation Works
The iPhone X has not even been released and people are already complaining about it. That shouldn’t be surprising. It is one of the…
News Release
CEI Responds to NHTSA Self-Driving Car Guidance Updates
Marc Scribner of the Competitive Enterprise Institute responded today to the NHTSA announcement of updated guidance for self-driving cars: “The Department of Transportation’s…
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. …
Federal Times
Report Calls for Drastic Workforce Cuts at Regulatory Agencies
Federal Times covers CEI’s publication Shrinking Government Bureaucracy. The non-profit Competitive Enterprise Institute is all about shrinking government. In a newly released report…
Blog
The Equifax Breach and Regulation
In the Equifax breach, regulation is a likely contributor to the problem. It is probably not a good solution.
Blog
Why Should Millennials Want to Shrink Government Bureaucracy?
Free markets and limited government are for every generation.
Forbes
IRS Responds To Privacy, Other Challenges In Bitcoin Records Fight
Forbes covers the amicus brief filed in Coinbase v. United States. The federal government fired back last week as answered opposition to its…
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…
Comment
CEI Submitted Comments to the FCC on Restoring Internet Freedom
View Full Document as PDF On behalf of the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI), we respectfully submit these reply comments regarding the FCC’s…
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Wagner, McCaskill Efforts to Go After Backpage Site Attracting Powerful Foes
St. Louis Post-Dispatch covers CEI’s statements in a letter to Congress regarding an internet freedom bill. Efforts by several members of the Missouri…
Blog
President’s Summer Policy Update
When it comes to the institutions of capitalism, the advance of human welfare, and liberty, we are here because we love the work.
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.
Comment
Coalition of 83 Organizations, Elected Officials, and Individuals Submit Comments In the Matter of Restoring Internet Freedom
View Full Document as PDF Dear Chairman Pai, Commissioner O’Rielly, and Commissioner Clyburn: These coalition comments are updated from the July 17,…
Washington Free Beacon
Report: Reducing Regulatory Agencies’ Authority Could Boost Economy, Increase Job Creation
The Washington Free Beacon covers CEI’s latest publication Shrinking Government Bureaucracy. Reducing some of government’s regulatory agencies’ authority could boost economic growth and…
TechCrunch
Privacy Advocates Advise Supreme Court to Protect Phone Location Data under the 4th Amendment
TechCrunch covers CEI’s amicus brief in Carpenter v. United States. Among the Supreme Court’s many upcoming cases is Carpenter v. United States,…
Study
Rethinking the Federal Communications Commission
View Full Document as PDF Created by the Communications Act of 1934, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) wields broad authority to regulate…
Cato
To Apply the Fourth Amendment in the Digital Age, Go Back to Its Text
Cato covers CEI’s amicus brief in Carpenter v. United States. Timothy Carpenter and Timothy Sanders were convicted in federal court on charges stemming…
Blog
Defending 4th Amendment Privacy Protections for Digital Property
People have property rights in data about themselves that is allocated by contract between them and their service providers.
Blog
TechFreedom Hosts Policy Summit on Future of Technology Regulation
Our friends at TechFreedom recently treated technology policy nerds in D.C. to a policy summit.
Fox Business Network
VIDEO: Jim Harper Discusses NSA Spying on Kennedy
Jim Harper, Vice President of CEI, discusses NSA spying on Fox Business Network’s Kennedy.
Blog
For the Sake of Financial Privacy, IRS Subpoena of Coinbase Should Go
Our brief in United States v. Coinbase might have a lot to say about what the future of financial privacy looks like.
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