Digital Liberty advocates for a consumer-driven market free from heavy regulation or taxation of the Internet, technology, telecommunications, video games, and media.
Bad Proposals
The FCC Might Let Seven People Ruin A Whole Market
By James Erwin The Biden Administration, in a sign of its total capture by the interests of the affluent upper middle class, continues its war on so-called “junk fees,” minor expenses that people with disposable income find annoying. Ever the dutiful foot-soldier, FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel announced her contribution in…
Bad Proposals
Biden FCC’s Digital Discrimination Order is Overbroad and Unworkable
By James Erwin One to 218. No, that’s not the teacher-to-student ratio in Mumbai elementary schools (that would be a measly 1:36). That’s the number of pages in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) authorizing the FCC to embark on its digital discrimination rulemaking to the number of pages…
Bad Proposals
Net Neutrality May Have Slowed Down the Internet
Amid much hue and cry, apocalyptic predictions, and advocacy from “comedian” John Oliver’s HBO show, the FCC revoked the Open Internet Order in 2017 (effective 2018). Widely promoted as “Net Neutrality,” the policy had been adopted by the FCC in 2014 after public pressure by then-President Obama,…
Uncategorized
DOJ Says it will Dial Back Online Content Coercion
By Lawson Faulkner On Tuesday, the U.S. Justice Department announced a department policy for communicating with social media platforms about content moderation decisions. According to the revised standards, federal officials are now barred from pressuring platforms to remove content, signaling a retreat from past examples of coercion that have…
Uncategorized
New U.S.-Canada Privacy Pact Raises Censorship Concerns
By Lawson Faulkner Last Wednesday, FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Canada’s Privacy Commissioner Philippe Dufresne, signaling an intent to “strengthen information sharing and enforcement cooperation between the two regulators.” However, the vague nature of the agreement has raised questions about the implications of…
Uncategorized
Meta Reveals White House Content Moderation Pressure
By Lawson Faulkner In a recent letter to the House Judiciary Committee, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg acknowledged that pressure from the Biden administration was responsible for its move to censor user posts during the Covid-19 pandemic. Addressing Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), Zuckerberg expressed regret for not resisting the…
Uncategorized
New Survey Shows Steady Decline in FCC Employee Morale
By Lawson Faulkner An alarming picture is emerging from the FCC of eroding morale. The Office of Personnel Management has released its 2023 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS) for the FCC, and the results show statistically significant declines in key metrics. Throughout FCC Chair Rebecca Rosenworcel’s tenure, employee enthusiasm,…
Uncategorized
Sixth Circuit: Plaintiffs “Likely to Succeed” in Net Neutrality Challenge
By James Erwin The Biden Administration’s restoration of net neutrality has always been an attempt to seize control of the communications industry with little evidence that that it would lower prices or improve speeds. Now the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals has issued a stay for the net neutrality…
Uncategorized
Bipartisan Bill Aims to Streamline Broadband Permit Review Process
By Lawson Faulkner On Monday, a bipartisan coalition of senators introduced legislation to streamline the federal permit review process for broadband projects. The Accelerating Broadband Permits Act, cosponsored by Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), aims to overhaul tracking systems for broadband project…
Uncategorized
FTC’s Rule on “Junk Fees” is a Load of Junk
By James Erwin In the latest sign of the Democratic Party’s evolution from the party of the working class to the party of affluent professionals fighting for niche consumer interests, the Biden-Harris Administration is waging a war on “junk fees.” It is now the FTC’s turn to get in…
Uncategorized
FCC Pushes Hasty AI Regulation Before Election Season
By Lawson Faulkner In a move that promises turmoil mere months before the presidential election, the FCC has advanced a proposal requiring broadcasters to disclose artificial intelligence content (AI) used for political advertising. The decision, which passed 3-2 along ideological lines, has already sparked controversy, with many critics…