Supreme Court to Review Section 230
Plus a bonus podcast, multiple upcoming events, and more!
On the menu for this week, steak! More specifically, we’ll examine the pricey but delectable Kobe beef. One of the world’s most expensive steaks, Kobe is a type of Wagyu beef from the Tajima strain of the Japanese Black breed. Kobe beef is known for its tenderness and well-marbled texture—containing an abundance of intramuscular fat that gives it an appearance that is similar to marble. For those who prefer something a little cheaper—don’t (not) have a cow—check out Dalessandro's Steaks in Philadelphia.
Content Moderation. Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court granted certiorari in Gonzalez v. Google, an important case regarding the protections afforded by Section 230. Corbin, Andy, and Santana discussed the case on a recent Tech Policy Podcast (starting at 21:00). Meanwhile, the litigation over Florida’s and Texas’s social media laws continues to hurtle toward the Court. Corbin offered some thoughts on those cases in an interview with Gizmodo. For more, see Corbin’s recent piece in Lawfare.
Separation of Powers. On the latest Tech Policy Podcast, Corbin and Trent McCotter, a partner at C. Boyden Gray & Associates, discuss Axon v. FTC, Consumers’ Research v. FCC, and the two cases’ various implications for the separation of powers. For more, see our amicus brief last month to the Sixth Circuit in Consumers’ Research v. FCC.
Ideas About the Future. Two podcasts for the price of one! On the previous Tech Policy Podcast, Corbin talked with Will Rinehart about how to measure broadband connectivity, what last year’s Facebook blackout can teach us, whether the FDA should classify aging as a disease, and more.
Broadband. Jim’s FCC comments, explaining the unlikelihood of closing the digital divide if Starlink loses its Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) support, were the subject of an in-depth article in Broadband Breakfast. They quoted our stern warning to the FCC: “When the dust settles on this round of broadband deployment in a few years, and the new maps still show many Americans with no access to high-speed broadband, there will be no one to blame but this Commission.”
Upcoming Events. Need plans for next weekend? If so, come see Corbin at the Mercatus Center’s Markets & Society Conference. Joined by Neil Chilson from Stand Together, they will discuss how sludge and hubris are undermining expertise. Checkout the full conference schedule and make sure to register in advance. For more, see Corbin’s essay in City Journal on institutional “sludge.”
Looking for more events to attend? We’ve got you covered. Join Bilal Next Friday, October 21, for a fireside chat at BYU Law’s “Tech Platforms and Online Retail in a New Age of Competition Law.” More details and registration info to follow.
Performer Spotlight. We like to save the best for last. You may know Jim for his expertise in telecommunications and space law—but did you know he is also a seasoned French horn player? Jim isn’t usually one to, ahem, toot his own horn, so we’ll do it for him! To celebrate 20 plus years of playing with the Fairfax Wind Symphony (FWS), one of the top community bands in the country according to the John Philip Sousa Foundation, Jim was recognized in their “performer spotlight”—the first such spotlight on the newly revamped FWS website!
Aging isn’t always bad.