Antitrust Discussion "Way More Lit" Than Expected
We also bid a fond farewell.
Longtime readers are well aware of our enthusiasm for quality tacos. There may have even been conversations about serving them exclusively at our recent summit (more details on that event below). From Surfside to Taco Bamba, you’ve relied on TechFreedom to be your trustworthy news source on delicious taco establishments throughout the DMV. Unfortunately, our taco-related news this week is a bit more somber. Klondike has announced the discontinuation of the beloved Choco Taco—effectively immediately!
This devastating news has led multiple celebrities—and presumably ice cream truck drivers everywhere—to air their grievances over this shocking decision. Despite this unsettling news, the show must go on. And while the Choco Taco will one day find its rightful place on the Mount Rushmore of ice cream treats, there's three other spots to debate. If it were up to me—which it should be—I would add the ice cream sandwich, firecrackers (also known as bomb pops or rocket pops) and the classic Flintstones push-up. Check out some other options here, and let us know what we’re overlooking. Now back to the world of tech policy.
Our Summit. Couldn’t make the 2022 TechFreedom Policy Summit? Good news: All three panels are now available on our YouTube channel… And there’s more! We taped a special episode of the Tech Policy Podcast at the summit—and that is now out. The panelists at this year’s gathering discussed truth decay and misinformation, the collapse of trust in experts, and the future of free speech and social media. Check out a recap of the event here. In our live podcast at the event, Lawfare’s Quinta Jurecic explored those themes and more while discussing the January 6 Committee, Trump’s election “Big Lie,” the difficulty of combatting online extremism, the insanity that is Steve Bannon, and the fraying of American civic life. Tune in to the episode here. Tweet it here.
And if you enjoy the Tech Policy Podcast, please take a moment to leave us a review on whatever podcast platform you use. There’s no better way to help boost the show.
Free Speech. Corbin’s appearance on Antonio García Martínez’s Pull Request podcast is now out! The conversation touches on much of Corbin’s recent work. Tune in to hear about Lina Khan’s FTC, West Virginia v. EPA, antitrust and the collapse of complex societies, the rise of the New Right, the GOP’s obsession with social media, and much more. As Antonio said: “This conversation was way more lit than I thought it might be.” Word. Don’t miss it. Podcast here. Promote it on Twitter here.
Corbin had thought that he and Antonio would be having a debate about Antonio’s recent article on content moderation, Freeze peach and the Internet. Instead, the show went in a decidedly different direction. … But sometimes things work out just as they should. After recording, Corbin put his thoughts down in a new essay, which is now live at Techdirt. Called “Two Dogmas of the Free Speech Panic,” Corbin’s piece discusses a pair of points often made by those who fear “big tech censorship.” First, we’re often told that one is either for free speech or against it—as though it’s a binary choice. Second, it is often claimed that Twitter is in some meaningful sense the “public square.” As Corbin explains—with an assist from Willard Van Orman Quine, one of the great analytical philosophers of the twentieth century—these two dogmas are clear, simple, and wrong. Essay here. And, yes, you can promote the piece on Twitter right here.
FCC and Programming Content. On Friday, Jim filed comments to the Federal Communications Commission in response to a Petition for Rulemaking that the Commission begin a proceeding to establish a new Content Vendor Diversity Report (CVDR). While the goal of promoting diverse programming is laudable, the CVDR fails to explain exactly what services the report would apply to—and raises significant constitutional issues in light of established court precedent. Further, as envisioned, the CVDR would create enormous burdens on smaller entities that far outweigh the data the Commission might collect through such a reporting system. Check out our press release on the issue here, and share it on Twitter here. Jim’s analysis was also quoted in the Radio & Television Business Report.
Spectrum. Over a year later, our comments and reply comments to the FCC on the 12 GHz proceeding are more relevant than ever. As the proceeding drags on, it’s vital to reiterate why reallocating spectrum in the 12.2-12.7 GHz band from satellite use to terrestrial 5G mobile services is bad policy. The proposed reallocation would hamstring many U.S.-based satellite broadband companies and enable Chinese domination of space-based broadband. For more on this issue, watch here as Jim makes clear why the proposal is a non-starter—and frankly a waste of the FCC’s time. Writing in Townhall, Jim urges the FCC to dismiss the original petition. Our comments were also recently highlighted in Forbes.
Competition. A Truth on the Market piece by Professor Thom Lambert cited one of our letters from earlier this year highlighting the obvious disconnect between Democrats and Republicans on the purpose and envisioned application of the American Innovation and Choice Online Act and the Open App Markets Act. While Democrats insist the bills can’t be weaponized to attack content moderation, statements by many Republicans show that this is their exact goal for the bill. Also check out a second letter explaining the danger these bills pose to content moderation, a letter on the false assumption that Section 230 would protect against such abuses, and a letter documenting the serious effects on users’ online experience, privacy, and safety. Bilal has also written two articles explaining how the bills would hurt competition. Professor Lambert was also a guest on our FTC webinar series last year regarding whether the FTC should ban exclusive contracts.
Always loved
never forgotten
forever missed.