Technology

Donald Trump’s tech agenda — judging from his convention speech last week — is pretty straightforward: Cut taxes and reduce excessive regulation. Hillary Clinton is proposing a 7,000-word laundry list of initiatives for harnessing the power of technology and the Internet “in a way that works for all Americans…” Taxes Taxes are a good place to start, because they are a cost of doing business that firms attempt Read More ›

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE JUNE 15, 2016Contact Information for Media OnlyDiscovery Institute206-202-0401 x107info@discovery.org Internet Investment and Innovation Threatened By Appellate Courts’ Net Neutrality Ruling WASHINGTON, DC – “Allowing the FCC to rule the Internet like a public utility under Title II of the 1934 Communications Act will do nothing but produce a broadband shortage,” said George Gilder, bestselling technology author and Discovery Institute senior fellow. “This just creates new incentives for broadband providers to divert investment into advertising and content platforms or other countries,” Gilder added. By a 2-1 vote the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit has upheld the net neutrality rules adopted by the Federal Communications Commission in 2015. Discovery Institute senior fellow Hance Haney joined Gilder Read More ›

Comcast is experimenting with a terabyte data plan in a dozen or so trial areas that will recover more of the cost of providing broadband service from the heaviest users. Meanwhile, federal regulators have announced that three other cable companies will not be permitted to charge usage-based prices nor impose data caps for seven years after their merger takes effect. These companies will be Read More ›

Frustrated by its unsuccessful attempt to access the contents of an iPhone 5c that was used by one of the San Bernardino shooting suspects in December, the Federal Bureau of Investigation has obtained a court order requiring Apple’s cooperation. Apple intends to fight it. Although the FBI insists this is an exceptional request, limited to a single iPhone, in fact Read More ›

Frustrated by its unsuccessful attempt to access the contents of an iPhone that was used by one of the San Bernardino shooting suspects in December, the FBI has obtained a court order requiring Apple’s cooperation. Although the FBI insists this is an exceptional request, limited to a single iPhone, in fact it has grave consequences for tech firms. Read DI Senior Fellow Hance Haney’s analysis at The Stream.

December 11, 2015 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Hance Haney hhaney@discovery.org 202-558-7083 George Gilder, Hance Haney and John Wohlstetter of the Discovery Institute’s Technology & Democracy Project urge Congress to pass the Permanent Internet Tax Freedom Act (H.R. 644). “The Internet Tax Freedom Act has prevented broadband Internet access services from being taxed like alcohol, tobacco and telecommunications since 1998. Had the Internet been taxed like telecom, it would have added 18% on average to the cost of a monthly subscription and slowed the growth of Internet services. “The time has come for Congress to extend this important consumer protection, which expires today. A tax on broadband would be regressive, inefficient and contrary to the goal of affordable broadband for all Read More ›

Discovery Sr. Fellow George F. Gilder delivered his monograph, Gold in the 21st Century, today at the Princeton Club in New York City. The book length paper was the product of the American Principles Project and represents a next step in George’s thinking on the issue of money as it changes in our time. His next book, Life After Google (working title), will incorporate his insights on gold into a discourse on fulfilling the Internet’s promise–and resolving its ailments. Read More ›