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August 6, 2025
Some Property Rights Archaeology
In a recent post, I discussed the interesting response to the idea that information has taken on the characteristics of common-law property: “That would be a bad idea.” Saying so has incongruence akin to looking at a rainstorm and saying it’s a bad idea. Good or bad, I believe it’s happening. And I think it’s…
August 5, 2025
Trump’s AI Plan Is Right to Cut Red Tape. But It Must Also Confront Europe’s Data Grab.
President Trump’s new AI Action Plan gets the big picture right: America’s private sector—not government central planners—should lead AI development. But to achieve that goal, the administration will have to do more than roll back domestic red tape. It must also confront a growing threat from abroad: the European Union’s data strategy, which deliberately hobbles…
August 5, 2025
A Deep Dive Into the Trump Administration’s AI Action Plan
At a recent American Enterprise Institute event, a panel of experts dissected the sweeping AI Action Plan released by the Trump administration just a few days earlier. Together, they unpacked the plan’s ambitious goals, its underlying approach, and potential roadblocks that could hinder implementation. Understanding the plan requires understanding the moment. White House AI advisor…
August 4, 2025
Congress Must Lead on Universal Service Reform
Last week, I was privileged to participate in a panel discussion at the NARUC Summer Policy Summit. Titled “USF in the 21st Century: Where Do We Go From Here?,” the panel was moderated by Nebraska Commissioner Tim Schram and included representatives from the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission, NTCA—The Rural Broadband Association, and the Computer…
July 31, 2025
Spectrum at a Crossroads
President Donald Trump recently signed the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” into law which, among other action items, restored the Federal Communications Commission’s authority to auction spectrum. Although this authority is now back in place, questions are bound to bubble to the surface—how is this vital resource managed, and by whom? With spectrum powering everyday…
July 31, 2025
Data, Security, and Liberty: What’s at Stake in Federal Consolidation?
On July 16, 2025, AEI hosted an expert panel discussing the critical issues surrounding federal data consolidation and the protection of civil liberties in the digital age. The panel featured Courtney Bowman of Palantir Technologies, Alexandra Reeve Givens of the Center for Democracy & Technology, Daniel Werfel, former US Commissioner of the IRS, and Kim…
July 30, 2025
Letting Tech Companies Assert Their Users’ Online First Amendment Rights Is Vital
It’s increasingly clear how important standing is for asserting online First Amendment speech rights. Last year, the US Supreme Court in Murthy v. Missouri dismissed on standing grounds the claims of two states and five individuals alleging that multiple Biden administration officials unlawfully pressured and coerced social media platforms “to suppress protected speech in violation…
July 29, 2025
America’s AI Action Plan: Analyzing the Strategy for Global Leadership
Event Summary On July 29, AEI hosted an event examining the Trump administration’s AI Action Plan and its implications for businesses, consumers, and national security. The panel, moderated by AEI’s John Bailey, began with initial reactions to the legislation before diving into its detailed provisions. AEI’s Will Rinehart analyzed impacts on data centers and AI…
July 29, 2025
Taxing and/or Licensing Digital Platforms
Earlier this month, the European Commission Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy—Henna Virkkunen—confirmed that the European Union (EU) does not plan to levy fees on Big Tech companies to recover the high costs faced by EU antitrust regulators monitoring and enforcing the Digital Markets Act (DMA). Strong support for such a levy has…
July 29, 2025
The Tea App Breach Shows Why We Can’t Regulate for Openness Without Planning for Security
Last week, a dating safety app called Tea Dating Advice—which allows women to anonymously share dating experiences to keep others safe—was a viral success. It had risen to the top of Apple’s App Store charts and had over 1.6 million users. Just as it appeared poised to become a major tool to advance digital safety,…