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
Blog
FTC Budget Request: More Money, More Staff, and More Problems
Instead of increasing the FTC’s budget, Congress should increase oversight of an agency gone rogue. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) submitted its…
Blog
When the Policy is This Bad, Politics Might Be the Only Explanation
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis recently proposed a tech agenda as his “Digital Bill of Rights” for the state’ blessedly short 60-day legislative session. While…
Comment
CEI Comments on FCC’s Preventing Digital Discrimination Noticed of Proposed Rulemaking
Before the Federal Communications Commission Washington, D.C. 20024 Comments of the Competitive Enterprise Institute In the Matter of))Federal Communications Commission)FCC-22-98)GN…
News Release
Congress Shouldn’t Compound Silicon Valley Bank Collapse with Bailouts and Bad Ideas
The Silicon Valley Bank collapse has spurred some terrible policymaking ideas in Congress, exacerbating bad decisions by the bank that has led to its…
Inside Sources
‘Right to Repair’ Bills Aim to Fix Repair Market but Would More Likely Break It
Some state lawmakers want to regulate the repairs of countless consumer gadgets and equipment, from smartphones and microwave ovens to farm tractors and medical…
Blog
Some Things are Just Business, Not Politics – and That’s a Good Thing
The Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) was the predictable venue for Newsmax CEO Chris Ruddy to portrait DirecTV’s recent decision to stop carrying the…
Blog
Trust, but Verify via Congressional Oversight
Is the Federal Trade Commission’s request that Twitter hand over the names of “all journalists and other members of the media to whom” the…
Blog
How Ofcom can develop more flexible net neutrality rules for specialised services
The United Kingdom needs more flexible net neutrality rules as the Rishi Sunak government seeks to bolster the country’s leadership in emerging technologies. Creating…
Blog
Congress must ensure more efficient and transparent broadband funding
Improved Internet connectivity can help reduce socioeconomic inequality at home and improve America’s global economic competitiveness abroad. Thanks to growing private investment, competition, and…
News Release
Report: Right to Repair Laws Undermine Consumer Interests, Raise Security Concerns
Should consumers have the legal right to repair their own stuff? A new report from the Competitive Enterprise Institute discusses repair rights consumers have…
Study
Two Wrongs Don’t Make a Right to Repair
Should you have the legal right to fix your own stuff? At first glance, the answer would seem like a simple “yes.” That simple…
National Review
FTC Runs into the Judicial Wall
The Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) antitrust crusade has run into an obstacle: the judiciary. Indeed, the agency wants to expand its authority and broaden enforcement standards…
Comment
CEI Comments on the Proposed Regulation on Digital Discrimination of Access
Introduction. On behalf of the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI), we respectfully submit the following comments in response to the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) notice…
Testimony
Written Testimony Regarding the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation hearing on February 16, 2023 titled “Bringing Transparency and Accountability to Pharmacy Benefit Managers”
The Honorable Maria Cantwell ChairCommittee on Commerce, Science, and TransportationU.S. Senate Washington, D.C. 20510 The Honorable Ted Cruz Ranking MemberCommittee on Commerce, Science,…
Blog
Biden Administration Is Late to Right to Repair Party, but that Won’t Stop Them from Taking Credit
President Biden signed an Executive Order on “Promoting Competition in the American Economy” in July 2021. The EO covered a wide-range of…
Blog
State of the Union: Heavy-Handed Tech Regulation Fails to Appeal to Many Democratic Voters
President Biden should take advantage of breaking spy balloon news to talk about that—or anything else—instead of re-upping calls for regulation aimed at big…
Blog
NTIA Report Ignores Relevant Competition in Its Study of App Ecosystem
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) released its report on “Competition in the Mobile Application Ecosystem” this past Wednesday. I submitted…
Blog
How the UK Can Reform Net Neutrality Regulations and Promote Innovation
As post-Brexit United Kingdom recalibrates its approach to net neutrality, the country needs to balance competing priorities of Internet access, efficient broadband networks,…
Comment
Ofcom Consultation: Net Neutrality Review
Introduction On behalf of the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI), I welcome the opportunity to submit the following comments in response to the Office of…
Fox Business
VIDEO: CEI’s Jessica Melugin Joins Fox Business to Discuss McCarthy’s Actions as Speaker & Big Tech Collusion
Director of the Center for Technology & Innovation Jessica Melugin reacts to Kevin McCarthy’s decision to remove Dems from committees and White House-FBI-Big Tech…
News Release
House GOP Oversight of Alleged Collusion Between Government and Technology Companies More Productive than Anti-Tech Legislation
The new Republican House Majority will reportedly charge a new select committee with providing oversight of communications about content moderation decisions between technology…
Blog
Microsoft’s Acquisition of Activision Faces Needless Challenges
Emboldened antitrust bureaucrats on both sides of the Atlantic are flexing their muscles with challenges to Microsoft’s planned acquisition of the game developer Activision,…
Products
Free to Prosper: Broadband Connectivity
Improved Internet connectivity is essential to reduce socioeconomic inequality at home and to improve America’s global economic competitiveness abroad. Recent increases in broadband investment and…
Products
Free to Prosper: Online Speech and Section 230
Section 230 of the Telecommunications Decency Act of 1996 governs liability online. It clarifies that the creator of speech, not its carrier, bears legal responsibility…
National Review
Antitrust’s Cloudy Crystal Ball
Even in the wake of Meta’s biggest mass layoff ever and a $71 billion loss this year, antitrust regulators around the world are peering into…
Comment
CEI Comments on Proposed Rulemaking in the Matter of Trade Regulation Rule on Commercial Surveillance and Data Security
Introduction On behalf of the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI), I respectfully submit the following comments in response to the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) advanced…
American Liberty
What the FTX Collapse Tells Us About Regulators and ESG
First, regulators often can’t stop investors from fraud. Second, companies that work closely with regulators often do so for their own benefit.
News Release
FTX Crypto Problems Reveal SEC Shortcomings, As Well: CEI Analysis
The current collapse of cryptocurrency company FTX has exposed another festering problem with how the industry is being regulated, says CEI Senior Fellow John…
Newt's World
Audio: Jessica Melugin Discusses Twitter and Facebook layoffs with Newt Gingrich
Director for the Center for Technology and Innovation Jessica Melugin joined the Newt’s World podcast to discuss the recent Twitter and Facebook layoffs and…
Blog
Not Your Grandfather’s Bank Branch
What should financial services do? And how should they look like going forward as they try to serve more people? Some presenters are…
Blog
We Need to Pay More Attention to AI
Artificial intelligence (AI) is one of the most important emerging technologies today. It has the potential to revolutionize many industries and sectors, including health…
Blog
Meta’s Drop in Stock Price Unlikely to Dissuade Antitrust Inquiries, but It Should.
“We don’t even know what it is yet.” That’s how the theatrical depiction of Mark Zuckerberg described “The Facebook” to his then co-founder…
Blog
“Abracadabra”: European Union Regulators Make Innovation Disappear
Members of the European Parliament are eagerly awaiting their Hogwarts acceptance letters to attend the famous school of wizardry. In their view, they…
Fox Business
Elon Musk says Twitter purchase ‘accelerant’ to creating X, ‘the everything app’
Fox Business spoke with Jessica Melugin on Elon Musk purchase of Twitter: Watch the latest video at foxbusiness.com Click here…
Blog
Gonzales v. Google: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Algorithms
Today the Supreme Court agreed to hear Gonzales v. Google, LLC, a case that evaluates how broadly the liability protection is for platforms…
Blog
Virtual Reality and the Relevant Market Fallacy
The relevant market fallacy is one of the most common analytical mistakes in antitrust policy. One of the first legal questions in an…
News Release
National AI Strategy Needs Key Updates to Strengthen U.S. Position as Global Leader
WASHINGTON—The United States should make key revisions to its national Artificial Intelligence (AI) research and development strategy in order to stay ahead of competitors,…
Study
Strategies to Improve the National Artificial Intelligence Research and Development Strategic Plan
Few policy issues are as crucial to the future of U.S. national security and global economic competitiveness as the development of artificial…
News Release
Judge Rules Illumina-Grail Merger is Legal Despite FTC Antitrust Accusations
In a decision reached today, an administrative judge ruled that a proposed merger between Illumnia and Grail can proceed after ruling against a…
Fox Business
Video: CEI’s Jessica Melugin Joins Fox Business to Discuss Twitter and Free Speech
Director of the Center for Technology & Innovation Jessica Melugin reacts to the judge’s decision to order Twitter to issue a subset of data…
Blog
New York Right to Repair Bill Is a Bad Idea
Do consumers have the right to repair their smartphones, tablets, and laptops? The short answer is yes. While copyright law may have some room…
Real Clear Policy
New York’s Digital Fair Repair Act Doesn’t Defend Property Rights, It Attacks Them
Consumers shouldn’t face legal penalties for fixing or altering personal electronic devices like smartphones for their own use. The “right to repair”…
News Release
Regulations Impede Innovation in Financial Services; Regulatory Sandboxes Are the Solution: CEI Report
A new Competitive Enterprise Institute report discusses the regulatory barriers financial services companies face in trying to bring innovative products and services to…
Study
How Regulatory Sandbox Programs Can Promote Technological Innovation and Consumer Welfare
Around the world, leading financial centers seek to attract companies capable of developing innovative financial products and services. From blockchain-based payments to alternative credit…
Crowdfund Insider
The Crypto Revolution Has Just Started
Hot summer temperatures have done nothing for the current “crypto winter,” which has seen a $2 trillion market drop from highs last…
Wall Street Journal
How Miami ‘Caught a Wave’ and Became the Hot New Tech Hub
This city has become the favorite destination for people escaping progressive dystopias like San Francisco and New York. During the pandemic it had the…
Letters
Coalition Urges Congress to Reauthorize FCC’s Spectrum Authority
We, the undersigned, write this letter to express our support for H.R. 7624, the Extending America’s Spectrum Auction Leadership Act of 2022, which would…
News Release
Senate-Passed Corporate Welfare “CHIPS” Bill Won’t Help U.S. Companies Out-Compete China
The Senate today passed the CHIPS+ Act, a bill that would hand over tens of billions of tax dollars to domestic production of semiconductors.
Blog
The Facebook Antitrust Case Is Aging Poorly
Antitrust cases often take years to litigate. While wasteful, this isn’t always a bad thing. The politics surrounding a case might stay the same,…
Letters
CEI Joins Coalition Letter on Proposed Antitrust Bills that Would Harm Consumers
We, the undersigned economic, legal, and public policy experts, write to express concern overlegislative and executive branch proposals aimed at dramatically expanding government antitrustand…
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