Press Release

[Press release] This was a breach of trust between Cambridge University Researcher Aleksandr Kogan, Cambridge Analytica, and Facebook. But it was also a breach of trust between Facebook and the people who share their data with us and expect us to protect it. We need to fix that. We already took the most important steps a few years ago in 2014 to prevent bad actors from accessing people's information in this way. But there's more we need to do and I'll outline those steps here:

Congresswoman Anna Eshoo (D-CA) and Congresswoman Yvette Clarke (D-NY) sent a letter signed by over 60 House members to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai, urging him to protect the Lifeline program which provides access to phone and broadband services to over 13 million low-income Americans, the majority of whom earn less than $10,000 a year. 

The European Commission proposed new rules to ensure that digital business activities are taxed in a fair and growth-friendly way in the European Union. Two distinct legislative proposals will lead to a fairer taxation of digital activities in the EU:

The US Department of Agriculture is accepting applications for grants to fund broadband infrastructure projects in unserved rural communities. USDA is accepting applications through May 14 in the Community Connect program. Grants from $100,000 to $3 million are available to state and local governments, federally-recognized tribes, nonprofits and for-profit corporations. Applicants must be able to provide a 15 percent match on the desired grant amount.

Nearly six months have passed since Hurricanes Irma and Maria devastated Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. In the immediate aftermath of the storms, communications networks were virtually wiped out. More than 95% of cell sites were out in Puerto Rico and 77% of cell sites were out in the Virgin Islands. Progress is no doubt being made, with 4.4% and 13.8% of cell sites now out in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, respectively. But there's still much work to do, as too many still lack connectivity and basic infrastructure.

The Federal Communications Commission is now accepting applications from broadband providers of all kinds to participate in Summer 2018's Connect America Fund Phase II reverse auction.  Providers must submit their applications by March 30, when the application window closes. The auction will make available up to $1.98 billion in support over the next decade to help build out high-speed Internet access to up to 1 million homes and small businesses in rural areas across the country that lack service.

The Bureau of Economic Analysis released, for the first time, preliminary statistics and an accompanying report exploring the size and growth of the digital economy. Goods and services that are primarily digital accounted for 6.5 percent of the US economy, or $1.2 trillion, in 2016, after a decade of growing faster than the US economy overall, BEA’s research shows. 

March 8, the Voices for Internet Freedom coalition hosted a briefing for members of Congress and their staff about the disastrous policies the Federal Communications Commission is moving forward that would make it harder for poor people to access vital communications services. The FCC’s War on the Poor briefing brought together affected communities, advocates and policy experts for a panel discussion about the FCC’s proposal to roll back the Lifeline program, the vote to undo Title II Net Neutrality, and the agency’s refusal to stand up to predatory prison-phone companies.

Tully Friedman and Daniel D’Aniello, co-chairs of American Enterprise Institute’s Board of Trustees, announced that Arthur C. Brooks intends to step down as president in the summer of 2019, after a decade of distinguished service. Brooks had asked AEI’s Board of Trustees to commence the search for his successor at the annual executive board meeting, and informed scholars and staff of his decision March 14. Brooks joined AEI as a visiting scholar in 2007 while also teaching at Syracuse University.

The Internet & Television Association today announced two new senior hires for the organization. Mark Kulish joins as Senior Vice President, Finance & Administration, on March 12th and Robert N. Rubinovitz as Vice President, Research & Analysis, starting April 2nd.