The last several months have been a busy time for tech policy. Major policies have been enacted, particularly in the areas of surveillance and Internet regulation. While we haven’t checked in here on TLF in some time,TechFreedom has been consistently fighting for the policies that make innovation possible.
- Internet Independence: On July 4th, we launched the Declaration of Internet Independence, a grassroots petition campaign calling on Congress to restore the light-touch approach to Internet regulation that resulted in twenty years of growth and prosperity.
- Internet Regulation: This February the FCC issued its Open Internet Order, reclassifying broadbandas a communications service under Title II of the 1934 Communications Act, despite opposition from many in the tech sector, including supporters of our “Don’t Break the Net” campaign. In response, we’ve joined CARI.net and several leading internet entrepreneurs in litigation against the FCC to ask the Court to strike down the Order.
- Surveillance: Section 215 of the PATRIOT Act, which authorized bulk collection of phone records, sunset this May, giving privacy advocates the opportunity to enact meaningful surveillance reform. TechFreedom voiced support for such reforms, including the USA FREEDOM Act, which will end all bulk collection of Americans’ telephone records under any authority.
- Broadband Deployment: Making fast, affordable Internet available to everyone is a goal that we all share. We’ve been urging government at all levels to make it easier for private companies to do just that through policies like Dig Once conduits, while cautioning that government-run broadband should only be a last resort.
- FTC Reform: The FTC is in dire need of reform. We’ve recommended changes to ensure that the agency fulfills its duty to protect consumers from real harm without a regulatory blank check, which stifles innovation and competition. While progress has been made, there’s still a long way to go. The agency can start by helping to unshackle the sharing economy from legacy regulations.
The Technology Liberation Front is the tech policy blog dedicated to keeping politicians' hands off the 'net and everything else related to technology.