New year, new technological progress
Our commentary on plans to deal with space orbital debris, approaches to opening up the 70 GHz band, and a PCLOB Chair nomination.
Welcome to 2022 with TechFreedom Weekly! We’re hoping for a year of respect for the U.S. Constitution, sensible and realistic tech policy proposals, and protection of consumer welfare — oh, and a sparkly unicorn. A week after New Year’s may be a bit late to make resolutions, but there are a couple we might suggest for tech regulators:
Read the legislation you want to reform. This might seem obvious, but given the number of times we’ve heard about Section 230’s supposed publisher/platform distinction, it bears repeating! Those of us who have perused the text of Section 230 know that part is… elusive.
Resist the impulse of “something must be done!” When an issue arises, the instinct to jump to the quickest and most centralized possible solution is strong. It pops up everywhere, from broadband to online speech. But those fixes can lean authoritarian and grant unwise and even illegal power to the government. Let’s hope this is a year for more creative solutions.
Space. Jim filed comments in response to the White House’s Office of Science Technology Policy’s (OSTP) Orbital Debris Strategic Plan. We called on the Administration to think holistically about space sustainability rather than put forth a piecemeal request for money for technical studies. To stop rapid increases in orbital debris, the first thing we must do is outlaw anti-satellite weapons (ASATs), which are the largest contributor to debris over the past two decades. Then we must apply the same private sector forces which have revolutionized space in the past decade after over 50 years with virtually no decrease in launch costs. Find and fund incentives, not large government programs, we argued. You can retweet our press release on these comments here, or share the link directly from our website.
Spectrum. Jim filed reply comments in the FCC’s proceeding on opening up the 70 GHz band for more users. Technical studies demonstrate that the existing “light licensing” approach using database-driven prior coordination can allow a plethora of uses and users to coexist in this band. This allows for fast rollout of new services as opposed to traditional FCC site-by-site licensing. This approach also allows the market, rather than the FCC, to decide what new services and technologies will win over consumers.
Digital Privacy. On Wednesday, Berin signed a letter to Senate leadership supporting the nomination of Sharon Bradford Franklin for Chair of the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board (PCLOB). Franklin, who previously served as Executive Director of PCLOB, has “more than a dozen years of experience working at nonpartisan civil society organizations.” She possesses a strong record as an ally of civil liberties, particularly in the realm of government surveillance reform.