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
Class is in session: Are educators ready for AI?
From the early internet to modern artificial intelligence (AI), technological change causes panic. News outlets often amplify fears surrounding AI. Teachers and…
Blog
FSC v. Paxton after one year: Age verification moves down the stack
This past June marked the one-year anniversary of the Supreme Court’s FSC v. Paxton decision. The Court held that states may require age…
Blog
The epistemological mismatch of KOSA’s constructive knowledge standard
The Senate Commerce Committee has scheduled a markup on Wednesday for several online child safety bills, including the Kids Online Safety Act (…
Search Posts
Newsletter
Free Trade, Satellite Radio and Lead Paint in Court
A free trade agreement with Colombia continues to be stalled in Congress. Democratic senators continue to hold up approval of the merger of XM and…
Op-Eds
ACLU is a principled defender of civil liberties
ACLU is a principled defender of civil liberties Re: “ACLU failing in defense of civil liberties at a vital time,”…
Blog
Clever Method for Defeating Chinese Filters
The Wall Street Journal reports on a clever method Chinese bloggers have been using to get around automatic keyword-based censorship programs that China uses…
Citation
Cell Phone Termination Fees
Citation
Reluctance in the senate to back housing bill finger printing provision
Blog
Google Tries Contextual Ads
The New York Times reports today that Google is now displaying ads on its search results page that are relevant to not just the…
Newsletter
Gun Rights, the Fairness Doctrine and Internet Gambling
The Supreme Court strikes down the Washington, D.C. ban on handgun ownership. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announces support for the “Fairness Doctrine” in broadcast regulation.
Citation
a Proposed Federal Fingerprint Registry
Newsletter
Fingerprints, Obscenity and Foreign Investment
The Liberty Coalition releases an open letter opposing a new federal fingerprint registry. Free speech advocates challenge local obscenity standards in Florida as hypocritical. Investments…
Newsletter
Credit Cards, Tax Increases and George Carlin
The Federal Trade Commission sues a credit card issuer that lowered credit limits after profiling its customers’ purchases. Political observers predict significant tax increases in…
News Release
Housing Bill Provision Harms Privacy, Says Diverse Coalition
Leaders of liberal, conservative, and libertarian policy groups – from the American Conservative Union to the American Civil Liberties Union – have banded together…
Newsletter
Fingerprints, Telecom Lawsuits and Al Gore’s Carbon Footprint
The Senate considers a bill creating a new federal fingerprint registry. The House of Representatives votes to shield telecom companies from lawsuits arising from the…
News Release
CEI Mourns the Passing of George Carlin
Today the Competitive Enterprise Institute mourns the loss of one of America’s greatest comedic talents, George Carlin. Jon Stewart, host of The Daily Show, remarked…
Op-Eds
Congress’s Fingerprint Fine Print
Senate passes a bill mandating the fingerprinting of real estate brokers and the creation of a national fingerprint database…
Newsletter
Offshore Oil Drilling, Fingerprint Requirements and the Impact of Clouds on Global Warming
President Bush urges Congress to overturn the federal ban on oil drilling off the shores of the U.S. Senators plan to vote on a housing…
Newsletter
Google, Ethanol and a Housing Trust Fund
Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX) grills Google on consumer privacy concerns. Gas prices dip slightly from their record high. The Senate considers a housing “rescue” bill.
Newsletter
The Fairness Doctrine, Windfall Profits and Recycling Mandates
Lawmakers clash over FCC broadcast regulation known as the “Fairness Doctrine.” Prominent politicians debate a windfall profits tax for oil companies. European lawmakers pass stringent…
Op-Eds
Rigid federal mandates hinder privacy technologies
Wayne Crews & Ryan Radia show how federal privacy laws are not only counterproductive, but hypocritical…
Blog
Feds Can Search Your Laptop Without Cause
Ars reports on a Ninth Circuit ruling that allows border police to search citizens’ laptops without cause. The decision treats laptops as the same…
Newsletter
Cell Phone Fees, Energy Policy and Child Porn Online
The Federal Communications Commission holds a hearing to investigate “termination fees” for customers who cancel their cell phone, cable or Internet contracts early. Amid concerns…
Op-Eds
Unfairness Doctrine
Cord Blomquist on government censorship of political speech and the possible revival of the "Fairness Doctrine"…
News Release
Cell Phone Fees – Fair or Unfair? The FCC Decides
Today the Federal Communications Commission will hear testimony on “early termination” fees for customers who cancel their mobile phone, cable or Internet service contracts…
Citation
Cell Phone Fees
Newsletter
Termination Fees, Windfall Profits and a Federal Wilderness Land-Grab
The Federal Communications Commission holds a hearing to investigate “termination fees” for customers who cancel their cell phone, cable or Internet contracts early. Senate Republicans…
Citation
Broadband Metering
Newsletter
Energy Legislation, Interest Rates and Futurism
The Senate prepares for a vote to end debate on major global warming legislation. The value of the dollar climbs slightly after the Federal Reserve…
Newsletter
Time Warner, Energy Prices and Biofuels
Time Warner begins metering its customers’ Internet usage. The Senate continues debate on major global warming legislation. International officials debate the causes of soaring food…
Citation
Viacom’s Suit Against YouTube
Newsletter
Vaclav Klaus, Fingerprint Registration and Free Trade
The Competitive Enterprise Institute publishes a new book by Czech president Václav Klaus on the future of environmental policy. The Senate Banking Committee approves a…
Op-Eds
Animated Aristophanes: The Idiot, The Oddity, but not Homer (Simpson)
About half way through its 12th season, South Park (Comedy Central, Wednesdays, 10 P.M. ET) has attacked, to take just the first five…
Newsletter
Hurricanes, ISPs and Family Law
Weather forecasters predict between six and nine storms in this year’s Atlantic hurricane season. Congress considers legislation that would regulate how Internet service providers manage…
Newsletter
Farm Subsidies, Media Ownership and Global Warming
The Senate approves major farm legislation with a veto-proof majority. The Senate votes to override the FCC and make media ownership regulations more strict. Sen.
Newsletter
Gas Prices, DEA and Telephone Trends
The AAA reports that record high gas prices might soon begin to fall. CEI launches the “Politics of Pain” campaign to end harassment of pain…
Newsletter
Financial Markets, Internet Ads and Immigration
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke sees turmoil in financial markets easing. New York legislators consider a bill to restrict online advertising. The Manhattan Institute releases…
Newsletter
Ethanol, Broadband and Consumer Safety
Momentum builds in Congress to repeal the mandate for use of corn-based ethanol in motor fuels. Comcast considers capping monthly Internet downloads and charging overage…
Newsletter
Satellite Radio, Gas Prices and the Credit Crunch
Sirius and XM Satellite await final government approval of their merger. Average gas prices rise to a new record high, prompting accusations of price gouging.
Newsletter
Sugar Subsidies, Housing and Video Games
An agreement over major farm legislation appears increasingly unlikely. President Bush threatens to veto a Democrat-sponsored housing bill. Controversial video game Grand Theft Auto IV…
Newsletter
National ID Cards, Green Hypocrisy and Insurance Subsidies
The Cato Institute hosts a policy forum on proposals to create a de facto national ID card. The Daily Mail profiles the hypocrisy of jet-setting…
Newsletter
Net Neutrality, Poultry Wars and Disaster Insurance
The House Telecommunications and Internet Subcommittee holds a hearing on proposed rules for “net neutrality.” The European Union refuses to lift a ban on the…
Citation
Internet Freedom Preservation Act
News Release
House Investigates Calls for “Net Neutrality”
Today the House Subcommittee on Telecommunications and Internet will hold a hearing on the Internet Freedom Preservation Act…
Newsletter
A Cooler Climate, Microsoft Drops Yahoo and Farm Subsidies
A new study in the journal Nature predicts a cooler climate than previously thought. Microsoft drops its bid to acquire Yahoo. Reporters identify more than…
Newsletter
The FCC Goes Local, Economic Woes and Gun Rights
Senators express concern over proposed FCC localism regulations. The U.S. economy avoids recession status with modest growth in the first quarter of 2008. A federal…
Newsletter
Online Privacy, Genetic Discrimination and Grand Theft Auto IV
Privacy advocates lobby for a “do-not-track” registry to regulate how online advertisers can target Internet users. The Senate passes the Genetic Information Non-Discrimination Act…
Comment
Comments Submitted to the Federal Communications Commission on Broadcast Localism
CEI Recommends Liberalizing Broadcast Industry…
Newsletter
Environmental Politics, Internet Gambling and Drug Imports
Regnery Publishing releases the new book The Really Inconvenient Truths: Seven Environmental Catastrophes Liberals Don't Want You to Know About--Because They Helped Cause Them. An…
Newsletter
Deforestation, Internet Regulation and Green Buildings
Senators probe the relationship between climate change and forests. FCC Chairman Kevin Martin tells a congressional hearing that there is no need for new Internet…
Newsletter
Earth Day, Net Neutrality and Beef Exports
Environmentalists around the world celebrate the 38th anniversary of Earth Day, crediting with helping launch the modern environmental movement. Senators hear testimony on future Internet…
The Business Journals
Can the F.C.C. Enforce “Network Neutrality?”
The Business Journals discusses net neutrality with Wayne Crews. "Elevating the principle of mandatory net neutrality above the principles of investor ownership and…
News Release
“Future of the Internet” at Stake in Senate
Tomorrow the Senate Commerce Committee assesses “The Future of the Internet.” Among the most controversial issues is proposed federal regulation of broadband network…
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