April 9, 2024
The TikTok Ban’s Free Speech Dilemma
TikTok is a perfect villain. The app seems to be connected with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). It’s where Osama Bin Laden’s manifesto picked up traction and where antisemitic tropes run amok. TikTok’s impact on kids isn’t heartening, and its data security problems are serious. Still, I’ve got some trepidation about the TikTok bill that just passed the House by a vote…
April 9, 2024
The Myth of Net Neutrality and the Reality of Network Management
The concept of “net neutrality”— that internet service providers (ISPs) should treat all data on the internet equally — fails to acknowledge the realities of network management and the benefits of a free-market approach to internet services. Despite the claims made in the original net neutrality order, no significant instances of blocking, throttling, or paid…
April 8, 2024
Addictive Design: The Legislative and Litigation Synergy Driving Florida’s Social Media Crackdown
When Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill last month banning anyone “younger than 14 years of age” from holding accounts with certain social media platforms, it garnered coverage in the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, and USA Today. The New York Times deemed the law “one of the more restrictive measures that a state has enacted so far in an escalating nationwide…
April 8, 2024
The Twitter Electorate Isn’t the Real Electors
Over the past few years, I have watched my parents, family, and friends retreat from online spaces. They used to comment on political issues online; now they just lurk. So a couple of years back, while working at the Center for Growth and Opportunity at Utah State University (CGO), I made sure we asked a…
April 8, 2024
What Countries Have Decarbonized the Fastest?
Last month here at THB, I used the “Kaya Identity” to explain the concept of decarbonization, which refers to a reduction in the ratio of carbon dioxide emissions to GDP. I showed data at the global level, which indicates that the world as a whole not only remains far off the pace of decarbonization that would be…
April 8, 2024
Mass General Brigham Puts Antiracism Ahead of Their Patients’ Health
The new policy could compromise the well-being of black women and babies in the name of ‘equity.’ Last Tuesday, Mass General Brigham announced it will stop reporting to child welfare officials suspected incidents of abuse or neglect solely because a fetus or a newborn is exposed to drugs. The Boston health network’s new policy also requires written consent for testing of…
April 4, 2024
Open App Markets Act: A Misguided Approach That Could Stifle America
Rumor has it the Open App Markets Act (OAMA) could make a comeback in Congress. Its supporters posit that large tech companies, such as Apple and Alphabet, are throttling competition and innovation. Yet these arguments run contrary to objective evidence. And the stakes are high—not only does OAMA-like legislation risk undoing Congressional efforts to address the TikTok challenges, it…
April 4, 2024
The Problem With Saying ‘Sex Assigned at Birth’
As you may have noticed, “sex” is out, and “sex assigned at birth” is in. Instead of asking for a person’s sex, some medical and camp forms these days ask for “sex assigned at birth” or “assigned sex” (often in addition to gender identity). The American Medical Association and the American Psychological Association endorse this terminology; its use has also exploded in academic…
April 3, 2024
An IRS Data Denial Threatens Privacy
Candor is important, so I urge you to watch out for bias and misrepresentation in this post, because it is about a lawsuit I am involved in. Represented by the New Civil Liberties Alliance, I am suing the IRS to get my cryptocurrency transaction information out of its hands, information it summonsed through a dragnet process…
April 3, 2024
Biden’s EPA Can Justify His New EV Rules Only By Cooking the Books
Before federal regulations are implemented, they must be justified with an extensive analysis of costs and effects. The new Environmental Protection Agency rule forcing a massive shift toward electric vehicles is no exception. Weighing in at 1,181 pages, it is accompanied by an additional 884 pages of “regulatory impact analysis.” The EPA analysis justifying this rule is…