Elections and Media

With Election Day in the rearview mirror, the U.S. is considering what a second Donald Trump administration means for the country. For the broadband industry, that means wondering what will happen with the $42.5 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program. The long and the short of it? The biggest influence on BEAD could come from outside the government.

Dear Chairwoman Rosenworcel:  The results of the 2024 presidential election are now apparent and leadership of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will soon change. As a traditional part of the peaceful transfer of power, the FCC should immediately stop work on any partisan or controversial item under consideration, consistent with applicable law and regulation. There are many bipartisan, consensus items that the FCC could pursue to fulfill its mission before the end of your tenure. I urge you to focus your attention on these matters.

The red wave that swept Donald Trump to re-election did not, despite what some podcasters might claim, originate in Silicon Valley. In San Francisco, rank-and-file tech workers still largely vote for Democrats. And while some prominent tech leaders came out in support of Trump—most notably, Elon Musk and a cluster of right-wing executives and venture capitalists who bankrolled his campaign—many others either supported Kamala Harris or parked themselves comfortably on the sidelines.

“A star is born: Elon,” said Donald Trump in a lengthy shout out to his biggest donor while claiming victory in the US presidential race on Wednesday morning.  Trump’s win ushers in a new era for Musk—already the world’s richest person with a $260bn fortune—whose gamble on a knife-edge US election paid off as he is set to become one of the incoming president’s most influential political and business advisers. Musk’s promised role as head of a new Department of Government Efficiency will give the billionaire sweeping powers to recommend deep cuts to what he deems a “vast federal bureaucracy 

The world's biggest digital advertising companies saw significant sales growth last quarter, driving momentum for the U.S.

In April 2024, Free Press released a report on social-media companies’ commitments to 2024 election integrity. We analyzed 12 major technology companies’ readiness to address political disinformation, manipulation and hate on their networks. Free Press scored the companies’ responses (or lack thereof) as either “Adequate,” “Partial,” “Insufficient” or “Fail.” Now, less than a week before Election Day, Free Press has revisited and updated its April analysis.

Artificial intelligence, like everything else in the U.S.

Tech-world insiders are getting more involved than ever in national politics this year—and it’s not just Elon Musk. But as the presidential election looms, there’s a major disconnect between American politics and Big Tech when it comes to their visions of America’s future.

s election day quickly approaches, access to the internet is more important than ever. Yet, 17% of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (AANHPI) don’t have access to reliable high-speed internet at home. For communities without broadband, engaging in the voting process becomes more difficult and could deter voter participation. Digital devices are the most common way Americans get their news, with a large majority of U.S. adults (86%) saying they “at least sometimes” get their news from a smartphone, computer, or tablet.

As president of the United States, Donald Trump threatened the federally issued licenses of television broadcast outlets that displeased him. Now, in 2024, as a presidential candidate, Donald Trump has reasserted that broadcasters who displease him should lose their federal airwave licenses.