Month: April 2020

Video: A Time to Build? Institutional Failure and Reform After COVID-19

April 30, 2020 | Marshall Kosloff

Marshall Kosloff, Director of Outreach and Media for Lincoln Network, moderated a virtual panel featuring the following distinguished guests, Eli Dourado, Senior Research Fellow at the Center for Growth and Opportunity. Marci Harris, CEO, and Co-Founder of PopVoxMark Lutter, Founder and Executive Director of the Charter Cities Institute The event was inspired by Marc Andreessen,

April 30, 2020 | Zach Graves

Charting a path forward for enhanced science and technology expertise in Congress Yesterday the Congressional Research Service published a 71 page report, “The Office of Technology Assessment: History, Authorities, Issues, and Options.” As its title suggests, the report covers the history of the Office of Technology Assessment (OTA), recent legislative activity, and the recommendations from

The Techlash After COVID-19

April 30, 2020 | Garrett Johnson

The technology industry’s rapid response to the COVID-19 pandemic has renewed appreciation for platforms and tools like Facebook and Zoom and given advocates a triumphant narrative to trumpet. But the “techlash” is far from over. COVID-19 and its long-term fallout may mark only the beginning, not the end, of heightened scrutiny of tech. The argument that the tech industry cannot

April 28, 2020 | Zach Graves

Dear Chairman Pai, Commissioner O’Rielly, Commissioner Rosenworcel, Commissioner Carr, and Commissioner Starks, The undersigned organizations, representing millions of taxpayers, write to you in support of the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) notice of proposed rulemaking (NRPM) published in the April 3, 2020, Federal Register, “to provide additional opportunities for unlicensed white space devices operating in the

Policy Update for March-April 2020

April 28, 2020 | Zach Graves

The following post was originally set as an email newsletter to our friends and supporters. Re: Lincoln Policy Team Activities for March-April 2020 Dear friends and supporters of Lincoln: Thanks for tuning in again. After narrowly making it back from vacationing in Portugal, I’ve been spending a lot of time getting our new CRM and

April 28, 2020 | Dan Lips

Harmonizing cybersecurity regulations imposed on state governments was a good idea before the pandemic. Now, it should be a top priority to help states address current challenges and defend the 2020 election. State governments are facing unprecedented challenges due to COVID-19 pandemic. While saving lives and addressing urgent public health needs remains the focus, state

Soft Power Meets Sharp Power

April 28, 2020 | Jordan McGillis

Chinese State Influence on American Companies U.S.-China relations are in a period of high tension, with the outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 being the most recent in a litany of flashpoints. The spread of the lethal coronavirus from Wuhan comes amid an ongoing trade dispute and increased U.S. attention on repression in the province of Xinjiang

Video: GDPR 2 Years Later

April 27, 2020 | Alexiaa Jordan

Featuring: *Matthias Bauer, PhD, Senior Economist at the European Centre for International Political Economy (ECIPE) – will cover the interplay between Digital Services Taxes and GDPR *Philip Thompson, Policy Analyst with the Property Rights Alliance – will cover GDPR as a barrier to trade *Alexiaa Jordan, Policy Analyst with Lincoln Network – will cover CCPA and US privacy regimes as they relate to GDPR *Eline Chivot, Senior Policy Analyst at ITIF Center for Data Innovation – will cover the current status of GDPR and its effects 2 years later *Andreas Hellmann, International Advocacy Manager at Americans for Tax Reform Foundation *Katie McAuliffe, Executive Director, Digital Liberty – moderator

April 24, 2020 | Dan Lips

The following testimony was delivered on April 24, 2020 Chairman Hyde-Smith, Ranking Member Murphy, and Members of the Subcommittee: Thank you for the opportunity to testify. My name is Dan Lips. I am the Director of Cyber and National Security with the Lincoln Network, a non-profit organization that serves as a bridge between Silicon Valley,

April 23, 2020 | Lars Schönander

Today the Federal Communications Commission voted unanimously to adopt rules making 1200 MHz of spectrum in the 6 GHz band available for use by unlicensed technologies. There are tremendous benefits for both industry and consumers in making more available spectrum for use by unlicensed technologies, such as Wi-Fi, where it will permit more users to

April 22, 2020 | Dan Lips

Removing regulatory barriers to allow federal and state agencies to work together is a good start Writing in the Wall Street Journal this weekend, Andy Kessler described how wasted tax dollars and outdated IT systems are hindering the nation’s ability to address the COVID-19 pandemic, pointing to alarming examples at the state and federal level.

April 21, 2020 | Zach Graves

Former members of Congress participated in a “Mock Remote Hearing” exercise to test the viability of online proceedings during the COVID-19 pandemic. The event was co-chaired by Former Rep. Brian Baird [D, WA] and Former Rep. Bob Inglis [R, SC] and co-hosted by AEI, The Brookings Institution, Beeck Center for Social Impact + Innovation, Georgetown University,

April 20, 2020 | Joel Thayer

By Joel Thayer and Garrett Johnson Shelter-in-place America depends on an internet economy powered by tech company innovations. However, digital innovation relies on the existence of strong broadband networks. With the adoption of 5G, tech companies need priority access arrangements for essential services such as autonomous vehicles and telemedicine to operate successfully. That said, if

April 20, 2020 | Scott McKaig

Brief of the R Street Institute, the Innovation Defense Foundation, Lincoln Network, and the Electronic Frontier Foundation Click here to read the brief. SUMMARY OF ARGUMENT Can a federal trade agency that deals with the importation of patent-infringing goods assert jurisdiction over companies that import nothing and products that infringe no patents? This remarkable situation

April 16, 2020 | Joel Thayer

More spectrum will help pave the way for IoT and 5G FCC Chairman Ajit Pai’s announcement that he had circulated a draft order to approve Ligado Network’s application is a welcomed one. Granting Ligado’s application would modify its license to allow the company to deploy a low-power terrestrial network for 5G and IoT by leveraging

April 16, 2020 | Garrett Johnson

Exploding demand for government assistance at nearly every level has strained many old technology systems to the point of crashing, causing millions of Americans nightmares. Any startup would dream of the hockey-stick traffic spikes experienced by state unemployment pages or by the federal Small Business Administration (SBA) since mid-March, but the current crisis provides another

April 15, 2020 | Zach Graves

We’re excited announce Lincoln Network’s inaugural cohort of Policy Hackers–10 tech professionals from around the country passionate about helping bridge the gap between innovators and policymakers. Fellows will remain in their current roles while engaging with policy experts, lobbyists, academics, and government officials throughout the year-long program, including summits in DC and the Bay Area.

April 15, 2020 | Zach Graves

The Lincoln Network alongside a bipartisan coalition of 20 organizations sent the Speaker of the House a letter commending the allowance for legislators to submit remarks digitally amidst COVID-19. Dear: Speaker Pelosi, We are writing to commend the announcement and swift action taken by the Committee on House Administration, the Rules Committee, the House Parliamentarian,

April 15, 2020 | Dan Lips

By Ian Patterson & Dan Lips Intro As discussed in a previous article, there are many surplus federal properties in areas hardest hit by COVID-19 that we believe could be quickly utilized for field hospitals, homeless housing, and other needs. Lincoln has issued a grant proposal to develop software that helps state and local officials

April 14, 2020 | Jon Peha

Learning from the old OTA model This paper is part of Lincoln’s Technology Assessment Symposium, which was made possible with the support of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. The paper was authored by Jon Peha and M. Granger Morgan. Peha is a professor of engineering and public policy, and of electrical and

Comments of Lincoln Network to the FCC

April 8, 2020 | Garrett Johnson

WC Docket Nos. 17-108; 17-287; 11-42 Authored by Joel L. Thayer and Garrett Johnson. Today, we use broadband via 4G/LTE networks to enhance many innovative technologies, such as telemedicine, connected farming, and security platforms to ensure our Nation’s security. The Internet of today requires authorities, both federal and state, to exercise some regulatory humility. Now

April 7, 2020 | Dan Lips

Vice President Mike Pence stated that the government was committed to answering requests from governors for additional capacity by “creating field hospitals” or “retrofitting existing buildings,” with support from the Army Corps of Engineers. In addition to constructing field hospitals and expanding existing hospital capacity, the US government should identify potential surplus federal real property

April 7, 2020 | Dan Lips

By Dan Lips and Ian Patterson Images of the USNS Comfort docking on Manhattan’s West Side and a field hospital constructed in Central Park show the gravity of the medical emergency taking place in New York City. As the heroic doctors, nurses, health care professionals and first responders work to take care of patients, policymakers

April 7, 2020 | Dan Lips

By Maggi Molina and Dan Lips Congress faces major challenges in 2020—including the Coronavirus pandemic and addressing its significant disruptions to our way of life. With the Congressional Budget Office already forecasting trillion dollar federal deficits through 2030, lawmakers may have less flexibility to authorize new spending to address these problems. One way for Congress

April 6, 2020 | Ryan Khurana

Much has been made of the responses by various East Asian nations to the COVID-19 pandemic that is currently scourging the globe. While nearly every East Asian country has managed to get the spread of the virus down to at least a double-digit daily increase by April 2020, compared to the thousands of new cases

April 6, 2020 | Dan Lips

Since 2016, national leaders have worked to prepare for the 2020 election—anticipating foreign adversaries again working to use cyber operations to influence and interfere with the democratic process. But no one predicted the challenges posed by the Coronavirus outbreak. Holding a presidential election during a pandemic could test the nation’s current capacity for self-government. Government

April 1, 2020 | Sean Roberts

A Vote by Mail election is a solution not without risks. Various US Congressional bills over the past couple of months have proposed permanently making Vote by Mail and other elections provisions the law of the land. While Vote by Mail could be a good solution for the social distancing issues brought on by the