Unpacking a Raft of Lawsuits Blaming Online Media for Harm to Humans
Article
AEIdeas

Unpacking a Raft of Lawsuits Blaming Online Media for Harm to Humans

Keeping up with and grasping the nuances of countless lawsuits blaming online media for injuries and deaths isn’t easy. Cataloging some cases and identifying fundamental commonalities and differences, however, can…

It’s Time to Disband the Federal Communications Commission
Article
AEIdeas

It’s Time to Disband the Federal Communications Commission

America has a short but distinguished list of deregulatory heroes. Alfred Kahn, who led airline deregulation in the late 1970s, is one. As is President Jimmy Carter, who broke down…

Privacy and Governmental Surveillance (at the Technology Policy Institute’s Aspen Forum 2025)
Podcast

Privacy and Governmental Surveillance (at the Technology Policy Institute’s Aspen Forum 2025)

As governments around the world expand their surveillance capabilities, strong encryption remains a cornerstone for protecting personal privacy, securing business data, and preserving digital rights. For consumers, it guards against…

A Quiet Skies After-Action Report and Extension of My Remarks
Article
AEIdeas

A Quiet Skies After-Action Report and Extension of My Remarks

Earlier this week, the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee under Chairman Rand Paul (R-KY) held a hearing on “Quiet Skies,” a watch-listing program that is credibly alleged to…

The SEC’s Digital Asset Pivot Comes Late in a Global Financial Arms Race
Article
AEIdeas

The SEC’s Digital Asset Pivot Comes Late in a Global Financial Arms Race

The Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC’s) announcement of a comprehensive crypto regulatory overhaul signals the biggest change in US financial policy in years. SEC Chairman Paul Atkins’ commitment to integrate…

Par for the Judicial Course: Reducing Scrutiny of Laws Targeting Lawful Sexual Content
Article
AEIdeas

Par for the Judicial Course: Reducing Scrutiny of Laws Targeting Lawful Sexual Content

When it comes to statutes curbing access to lawful sexual content—material that’s neither obscene nor child pornographic—the US Supreme Court sometimes bends its normal First Amendment rules of review in…

The AI Revolution in Property Tax Assessment
Article
AEIdeas

The AI Revolution in Property Tax Assessment

Accurately assessing property values is essential for ensuring that localities have the revenue to support public services like schools, roads, and law enforcement. However, traditional assessment methods face a litany…

Software Upgrade Interruptions: The New Challenge for Resilience
Article
AEIdeas

Software Upgrade Interruptions: The New Challenge for Resilience

Once again, a software upgrade gone wrong has brought core communications capacities to their knees, this time with fatal consequences. On September 18, a network software update at Australian telecommunications…

The Falsifying Fact-Checker
Article
AEIdeas

The Falsifying Fact-Checker

It’s an enervating time to be alive. There are silver linings, such as his widow’s eulogy, but the death of Charlie Kirk spawned a grotesque debate about his past statements…

Spam Filtering, Government Jawboning, and Synergies Between Litigation and Regulation of Speech Practices
Article
AEIdeas

Spam Filtering, Government Jawboning, and Synergies Between Litigation and Regulation of Speech Practices

Sometimes high-profile political plaintiffs that sue media entities over allegedly biased actions are fortunate to have government agencies flex their regulatory muscles in ways aligning with their lawsuits. Two examples…

When AI Feels Human: The Promise and Peril of Digital Empathy
Article
AEIdeas

When AI Feels Human: The Promise and Peril of Digital Empathy

Artificial intelligence is becoming emotionally intelligent. Systems now generate responses often perceived as warmer, more compassionate, and more attentive than those of human professionals – including doctors, teachers, or even…

Identifying Under-16s for Social Media Management: The Australian Way
Article

Identifying Under-16s for Social Media Management: The Australian Way

The Australian eSafety Commissioner recently released regulatory guidance to support social media firms ahead of the country’s world-leading legislation being enforced in December, which is intended to prevent those under…

The Digital Markets Act Is Undermining the App Economy by Weakening Security and Opening Data Doors (with Graham Dufault)
Podcast

The Digital Markets Act Is Undermining the App Economy by Weakening Security and Opening Data Doors (with Graham Dufault)

The European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) is changing the app economy—and not for the better. This law aims to promote competition for European companies by restricting large online platforms’…

The Risks of AI-Specific Liability Regimes
Article
AEIdeas

The Risks of AI-Specific Liability Regimes

At Politico’s AI and Tech Summit earlier this week, Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) renewed his call for a federal moratorium on state AI laws, citing the growing patchwork of local…

Sending Government-Mandated Messages to Minors on Social Media Platforms: Colorado’s Unconstitutional Experiment
Article
AEIdeas

Sending Government-Mandated Messages to Minors on Social Media Platforms: Colorado’s Unconstitutional Experiment

“Attention youth: We interrupt your social media experience to bring you this government-compelled, state-sanctioned message to help you ‘understand the impact of social media on the developing brain and the…