Tech Policy Podcast

It’s no secret that ride-sharing companies like Uber and Lyft have disrupted the taxi industry. While many cities have embraced the fierce competition, others have simply banned ride-sharing outright. But Massachusetts is taking a novel approach — forcing companies like Uber to subsidize their taxi competitors. A new 20 cent tax on ridesharing trips includes 5 cents that goes directly to the taxi...

The wireless industry is gearing up for 5G, the next generation of networks. And don’t let the numbers fool you — 5G speeds are going to be much faster than 4G. But what’s it gonna take to get us from HD streaming to 4K? From augmented to virtual reality? Major obstacles remain in the way. Whether it’s acquiring more spectrum, building small cells, or navigating a web of regulation, carriers face...

When government-run broadband networks in Chattanooga, TN and Wilson, NC sought to expand beyond their cities’ boundaries, they ran into state restrictions. The cities asked the FCC to intervene, but can a federal regulator overturn state laws on broadband? The agency thought so, but the Court disagreed. This month, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals struck down the FCC’s 2015 order preempting sta...

When we talk about Uber and ride-sharing on this show, it's usually about regulatory battles. Today, we’re not talking about restricting or banning Uber — quite the opposite. Far from banning these platforms, some local governments are looking to subsidize ride-sharing. As cities like Washington, DC struggle with public transit, is subsidizing Uber a good alternative? Or, is this simply more intru...

What happens when the FBI wants to spy on journalists? This summer,  The Intercept  obtained  classified rules  revealing a largely unrestrained procedure for obtaining journalists’ call information using national security letters. Cora Currier, the reporter who broke the story for The Intercept, joins the show to discuss. What impact does FBI spying have on journalism? Is there a chilling effect...

The Federal Election Commission has long taken a light-touch approach to regulating online speech. But two recent cases involving livestreaming and filming political debate resulted in split, 3-3 votes along party lines. Is digital free speech in danger? FEC Commissioner Lee Goodman joins the show to discuss. Listen to part 1 of our series on digital free speech here .

This summer, the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union. Most of the fallout focused on the stock market and value of the pound, but what does “Brexit” mean for technology? Is the UK now less attractive to startups? Will Frankfurt be the new London? How will Brexit impact negotiations over cross-border data flows and the so-called “Privacy Shield” agreement? What does it mean for surveil...

Cars these days often come with mobile data connections and entertainment systems. But as we move toward autonomous vehicles and car-to-car communications, the “Internet of Cars” will be much more sophisticated and technical. While self-driving cars pose many benefits, they also raise concerns over cybersecurity and privacy. What are the risks, and how can manufacturers and regulators strike a bal...

Most people are familiar with Wikipedia, but there's a lot more to "open data" than the convenience of checking how tall your favorite Olympic athlete is. Open databases can play a key role in supporting research and innovation, but they also raise questions about intellectual property and fair compensation for creators. How are databases like Wikidata regulated in Europe, and how does t...

Is Verizon moving away from broadband and fiber deployment? Earlier this month, the company filed an ex parte with the FCC indicating support for price regulation on business broadband. Bruce Mehlman, Co-Chairman of the Internet Innovation Alliance, argued in a recent article that the telecom giant’s ex parte represents a significant departure from its past positions. Why the sudden change? Is pri...

Is the FDA putting e-cigs and vapor products out of business? Yesterday, the FDA’s “Deeming Rules” took effect. The rules will force e-cig manufacturers to undergo an expensive and time-consuming approval process unless their products were on the market — or very similar to products on the market — prior to the “predicate date” of February 15, 2007, long before modern e-cigs were introduced. If e-...

What’s next in the litigation over Title II and the FCC’s “net neutrality” rules? In June, the FCC scored a victory when the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld its Open Internet Order, which reclassified broadband as a common carrier service. While the agency won the first round, TechFreedom and tech entrepreneurs are hoping to overturn the ruling through appeal. Last Friday, they filed a motion...

While most people associate the structure of the Internet with major companies like AT&T and Comcast, the reality is that small and medium-sized business play a major role. Evan is joined by Christian Dawson, Executive Director of the Internet Infrastructure Coalition, to discuss how small businesses helped build the Internet, and how their role can be threatened by regulation.

Can a US warrant compel Microsoft to give the Justice Department customer data stored in Ireland? The Obama administration thought so, but last week, the Second U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decided in favor of Microsoft’s challenge of such a warrant. Evan is joined by Greg Nojeim, Director of the Freedom, Security and Technology Project at the Center for Democracy & Technology to discuss the...

Political speech has flourished on the Internet, thanks in large part to the First Amendment and a lack of regulation from the Federal Elections Commission (FEC). But is the longstanding “Hands Off the Net” consensus in danger?  Evan is joined by FEC Commissioner Lee Goodman to discuss how digital political speech is currently regulated and what threats exist for digital speech. A couple highlight...

While Trump hasn’t said much specifically about tech policy, the  GOP platform  does, believe it or not, have a tech section. There’s plenty to like, plenty to dislike, and plenty to scratch your head at. Is Obama really throwing the Internet to the wolves? Has the GOP changed its mind about net neutrality? Can encryption be both good and bad at the same time? Without further ado, here’s TechFreed...

The GOP’s 2016 platform says that Obama “threw the internet to the wolves, and they — Russia, China, Iran, and others — are ready to devour it.” Well, that’s a little harsh, but there are serious concerns about the United States transferring control of the Internet’s domain name system to an international, multi-stakeholder body: the so-called “IANA transition.” Is the transition a good idea? Does...

Is encryption really a problem for law enforcement? If so, what’s the solution? In recent months, the FBI has faced legal pushback over its use of hacking to obtain evidence. What do these legal challenges mean for the future of law enforcement hacking? Evan is joined by Adam Klein, Visiting Fellow at the Center for a New American Security and International Affairs Fellow at the Council on Foreign...

Imagine a broadband network that's smart. It teaches itself. It repairs itself. And maybe, it's even self-aware. No, we're not talking about Skynet, but software-defined networking (SDN) has the potential to completely transform our Internet infrastructure. Since the birth of the commercial Internet, network upgrades, modifications, and repairs almost always involved on-the-ground engineers and te...

Should the FBI need a warrant to look at your browser history? What about other records about how you use the Internet? Recently, Sens. John McCain (R-AZ) and John Cornyn (R-TX) proposed an amendment dubbed the “ECTR fix” that would allow the FBI to access electronic communication transactional records, such as email metadata, without a court order. Evan is joined by Jadzia Butler and Gabe Rottman...

When it comes to the Internet of Things — think connected cars and coffee makers — is there a role for government? If so, what should that be? Increased interconnectivity has the potential to transform our economy, but it also poses serious questions around cybersecurity and interoperability. Evan is joined by Joshua New, a policy analyst at the Center for Data Innovation. They discuss government’...

Here's to 100 episodes! Evan and Berin discuss their big milestone, their recent travels to Europe, and fallout from the court decision on net neutrality. Are the FCC's regulations now written in stone? Is there any hope for an appeal? What can Americans learn from Europe's approach to net neutrality? Will the podcast finally get cancelled? Will Berin finally fire Evan? All that and more on today'...

Who should set the price of broadband? Businesses, or the government? While the FCC doesn’t (yet) regulate the price of your home Internet connection, the agency isn’t so hands-off when it comes to business broadband. Now the agency is looking to extend monopoly-era copper price regulations to next-gen fiber and cable services. Why? The FCC says there isn’t enough competition in the market. Our gu...

Given the success of tech in the sharing economy, you might be asking yourself: why don’t we have Uber for planes? Well, we might have, but the Federal Aviation Administration banned Flytenow and other flight-sharing websites. Ironically, it’s perfectly legal to share empty seats on a plane through word of mouth or posting on a bulletin board, but as soon as the Internet gets involved, the FAA say...

With recent budget cuts to NASA, exploration of the final frontier has increasingly fallen to the private sector. But what kind of regulatory environment are commercial spaceflight companies facing? Evan is joined by Aaron Oesterle and Cody Knipfer of the Space Frontier Foundation. They discuss the past, present, and future of space regulation. What are the challenges facing the industry? What rol...