Join us for our Tech Policy Recess discussion on “Europe’s Digital Markets Act (DMA): Competition Perspectives from the European Commission.” For this TPR discussion, we will be joined by two DMA experts from the European Commission, DG COMP Policy Director Inge Bernaerts and DG CONNECT Advisor Michael Koenig, to discuss what the DMA will mean for competition in the digital space in Europe. The DMA is a regulation of the European Union aimed at ensuring fair competition in the marketplace by accounting for large technology companies (i.e. online platforms) that are designated as “gatekeepers” due to their market power.
Our discussion is hosted by the Congressional Internet Caucus Academy in conjunction with the Congressional Internet Caucus.
Date: Thursday, June 2, 2022 Time: 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. ET Location: Virtual RSVP: Via Eventbrite here
Today, Representatives Anna G. Eshoo (CA-18) and Michael McCaul (TX-10) appointed Representatives Jennifer Wexton (VA-10) and Young Kim (CA-39) as new bipartisan leaders of the Congressional App Challenge (CAC). As the House’s official STEM competition, the Congressional App Challenge inspires students across the country to learn about STEM education and coding. Representatives Wexton and Kim are both recognized leaders in Congress on STEM, tech, and next generation workforce issues.
“The Congressional App Challenge is an incredible opportunity for middle and high schoolers to get engaged with the world of coding and have their hard work put on display for the entire country,” said Representative Jennifer Wexton. “I am honored to serve as co-chair of the Congressional App Challenge and build on its wonderful work to bring STEM and computer science to young people in every community across the country. I can’t wait to see the amazing creations that students come up with, and I encourage anyone who is interested — regardless of your skill level — to give it a shot and try your hand at this year’s App Challenge.”
“The Congressional App Challenge has served as a fun and innovative way for students to be exposed to computer science and coding concepts, which in turn helps create opportunities for all students, grow our workforce, strengthen our future economy and boost U.S. competitiveness abroad. This is more important than ever as we recover from the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Representative Young Kim. “I’m proud to support the Congressional App Challenge and serve as a co-chair of this year’s competition. I look forward to seeing the apps created by talented students across California’s 39th District and the nation, and I’ll continue to do all I can to support educational opportunities for our students.”
I'm proud to support @CongressionalAC & serve as a bipartisan co-chair of this year's competition with @RepWexton.
“Representatives Wexton and Kim exemplify the future of the App Challenge,” said Program Director Joe Alessi. “As we come out of the pandemic, the App Challenge is poised to have its biggest year yet. With a focus on equity, diverse student representation, and bipartisanship, we couldn’t be more excited about the appointment of co-chairs that share our vision. Rep. Wexton and Rep. Kim’s leadership will help the App Challenge reach more students from across the nation than ever before.”
Registration for the 2021 Congressional App Challenge has begun, and students can register now using this link. Our new co-chairs look forward to seeing the innovative and outstanding apps that students around the nation create!
Two weeks ago we were thrilled to convene the Internet stakeholder community at the 17th annual State of the Net Conference, the nation’s most prominent Internet policy summit.
Speakers at SOTN reflect different perspectives on Internet policy issues. We have long curated the program to highlight differences of opinion among experts from across the spectrum of industry, government, academia, and civil society. Yet, over those 17 years the speakers at SOTN have not always sufficiently represented women and communities of color. Over the course of our 25 year history, those voices have been woefully underrepresented in Internet policy conversations.
We have made strides over the years to bring more diverse voices to the table at State of the Net. We’ve made great progress in some areas and have made incremental improvements in others. In other areas, we haven’t made much of a dent and we need to do better. In the interest of accountability, we’re publishing the below stats regarding speaker diversity at #SOTN2021.*
There is always room for improvement and will work harder. We will also continue our work to create a pipeline for talented Internet policy practitioners of color through the Internet Law & Policy Foundry. The Foundry, which we launched six years ago, is a professional development platform for early career professionals passionate about Internet law and policy. Diversity is a major goal in the Foundry admissions criteria for incoming fellows. We will also continue to inspire students of color to pursue careers in computer science and STEM through the Congressional App Challenge (CAC). Through the House’s official computer science competition for middle and high school students, which we administer, we work to ensure that student participation in the CAC reflects the diversity of the American people. (See impact/diversity).
* BIPOC Defined. ** Our survey of speakers at SOTN was passive. Our data is not a reflection speakers’ attestation of identity.
Today the Co-Chairs of the Congressional Internet Caucus, Representatives Anna G. Eshoo and Doug Collins, introduced a resolution on the House Floor commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Internet. The resolution “recognizes the first message sent from one computer to another using the Advanced Research Projects Agency Network (ARPANET)” and “honors the contributions of researchers, universities, government agencies, nonprofits, and private companies in the development of the Internet.”
“For the past 50 years, the Internet has continually revolutionized how Americans live, learn, work, and connect with one another,” Eshoo said. “Our resolution commemorates the American ingenuity that led to the Internet and the key role the federal government played in its development. I’m especially proud of the pivotal role that the Stanford Research Institute, which is in my District, played in the Internet’s foundation, receiving the first digital data transmission on the ARPANET, a pioneering predecessor to the modern Internet. I look forward to the next 50 years of Internet innovation and the bold inventions yet unimagined.”
“The invention of the Internet has completely transformed every aspect of our lives, opening the door to countless opportunities for growth and innovation,” said Collins. “As co-chair of the Congressional Internet Caucus, I’m proud to join Rep. Eshoo in commemorating the first message sent on the ARPANET and recognizing the many individuals who contributed to this revolutionary invention. As we look ahead to the future of the Internet, I’m committed to ensuring more and more communities gain access to this critical resource, which has quickly become a pre-requisite for economic growth here in America.”
The full text of the resolution can be found in its entirety here.
On Monday July 8th, the House of Representatives launched the 2019 Congressional App Challenge (CAC) for its 5th consecutive year. As the CAC is district-specific, students compete against other students from their congressional district to be named their district\’s Congressional App Challenge winner. After the Challenge\’s completion, the winners from each district are welcomed to #HouseOfCode to meet their Congress Member and celebrate the future of American tech talent.
📱Calling all parents, teachers, mentors: middle & high school students interested in coding are invited to submit an app for the 2019 Congressional App Challenge.
The Challenge is open to all middle and high school students residing or attending school in a district whose Member of Congress is hosting an App Challenge. In 2019, Over 275 Members of Congress are hosting App Challenges in their respective districts. Of the Freshman Congress Members, 75% are hosting a Challenge in their district. Students with or without coding experience are welcome! In fact, 44% of students who competed in the 2018 Challenge were beginners.
Interested in taking the Challenge?Remember, the application portal closes November 1st!
Marianas middle school & high school students interested in computer science or STEM fields, it’s time to enter this year’s .@CongressionalAC. Previous winners came to DC to show their apps to members of Congress & leaders in the tech industry.
The CAC is an official initiative of the U.S. House of Representatives, managed by the Internet Education Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Want to know if your Congress Member’s district is hosting an App Challenge?Click here! Not sure who your Congress Member is? Click here!
The 2019 @CongressionalAC has officially launched. This is a great opportunity for students throughout West Tennessee to get involved in coding. I encourage everyone to apply! https://t.co/Uu40P5cZk1
— Rep. David Kustoff (@RepDavidKustoff) July 8, 2019
The Congressional App Challenge is supported by private-sector organizations that share a commitment to creating a diverse pipeline of computer science talent. These organizations make it possible for the Challenge to reach students from across the nation and spread computer science education to all.
June 18, 2019 – Today, Representative Anna G. Eshoo announced Representative Doug Collins as House co-chair of the Congressional Internet Caucus. Congressman Collins succeeds Congressman Bob Goodlatte as the Congressional Internet Caucus co-chair. Representative Collins serves as the House Judiciary Committee’s Ranking Member and represents the ninth district of Georgia.
I'm thrilled to have @RepDougCollins join me as the new Co-Chair of the Congressional Internet Caucus. We’re committed to ensuring Members of Congress and their staff are educated about the promise and potential of the #internet
Several extremely prescient Members of Congress founded the Congressional Internet Caucus in 1996 to address the knowledge gap among House and Senate Members regarding the nascent Internet. Almost a quarter of a century later, the mission of the Caucus — to educate other Members about Internet technology and its implications — remains even more critical today.
The bipartisan Congressional Internet Caucus remains among the most prominent and active caucuses on Capitol Hill. The Caucus is chaired by Senators John Thune and Patrick Leahy on the Senate side. Representative Anna G. Eshoo and Senator Leahy are founding Members of the Caucus.
In addition to its educational program for Members and Congressional staff, the Congressional Internet Caucus created the Congressional App Challenge. The Congressional App Challenge encourages middle and high school students to compete in district-wide coding competitions. It has become the most prestigious computer science award for students.
The Congressional Internet Caucus Academy applauds the appointment of Congressman Collins as the House Caucus co-chair. He is among the most respected and active Members in Congress.
About The Congressional Internet Caucus Academy The Congressional Internet Caucus Academy (CICA) is a part of a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. The CICA takes no positions on legislation or regulation. Rather, it is a neutral platform where thought leaders debate important technology issues that shape legislative and administration policy in an open forum. We vigilantly adhere to our mission to curate balanced and dynamic debates among Internet stakeholders. Our volunteer board members ensure that we dutifully execute that mission. More information on the CICA is available at www.netcaucus.org.
While there is a lot of hype around Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other cryptocurrencies, cryptocurrencies are only the tip of the iceberg. Blockchain – the technology underlying cryptocurrencies – offers a host of other transformative use cases, including supply chain management, digital identity management, and smart contracts.
Blockchain is a distributed ledger technology which promises to authenticate transactions without the need for a trusted third-party. Forward-looking companies are deploying blockchain for a variety of uses beyond cryptocurrency. Financial managers are using blockchain to verify digital identity and streamline the process of electronic signatures. Supply chain companies are exploring blockchain technology to track the goods we purchase every day through the entire supply chain. Government offices are identifying ways the technology can make government processes more efficient and cost-effective. Our panel will discuss the potentially transformative applications of blockchain beyond the hype of cryptocurrencies.
We’ve assembled an expert group of panelists to discuss their perspectives on business, government, blockchain, and more.
Moments ago the Supreme Court (SCOTUS) issued its ruling in cellphone privacy case, Carpenter v. U.S. Join us for a popup briefing next Friday as a panel of Academy experts parses the Court’s decision and what it means for the future of privacy.
The Carpenter case may potentially transform our understanding of our Constitutional privacy rights and Fourth Amendment jurisprudence. Our panel will discuss what privacy rights should U.S. citizens maintain when they share their location and other data with Internet companies and cellphone carriers? Does law enforcement need a warrant to collect this data from these “third-parties?”
This is the first briefing of our SCOTUS Tech series.
Jadzia Pierce – Associate, Covington & Burlin LLP, Internet Law & Policy Foundry Fellow
Panelists
Michelle Richardson – Deputy Director, Freedom, Security, and Technology Policy, Center for Democracy and Technology
Dan Schweitzer – Supreme Court Counsel, National Association of Attorneys General
David Lieber – Senior Privacy Policy Counsel, Google
SCOTUS Tech
Like the U.S. Congress, the Supreme Court is struggling to reckon with rapidly emerging Internet technologies in its decision-making. Applying centuries of caselaw to massively disrupting technologies is increasingly becoming a challenge for the highest court and its appellate courts.
SCOTUS Tech is a new series of panel discussions co-hosted by the Congressional Internet Caucus Academy and the State of the Net Series. SCOTUS Tech will bring together experts over a series of events to explore how the Supreme Court and appellate courts grapple with technology in the Internet age.
In June 2013 former NSA contractor Edward Snowden set in motion a torrent of revelations of the NSA’s electronic surveillance capabilities and practices. Through 2013, news outlets and social media poured out wave after wave of articles detailing classified government programs with names like PRISM, MonsterMind, Bulk Collection, and Boundless Informant. The scope of the programs revealed was breathtaking. Internet companies and other world leaders publicly expressed outrage when documents showed that private communications had been compromised. This had immediate ripple effects in business, government, and our national security.
Three years later we’re gathering a slew of experts to reflect upon the effects of those revelations — the Snowden Effects.
The revelations have lead to a repositioning of global partnerships, a deeper conversation about the role of government, a thorough reexamination at our fundamental rights, liberties and principles, and a sober realization that the world may not be as safe a place as we would like it to be.
This 3-part series — presented by the Internet Education Foundation (IEF) — focuses on the resultant changes put in motion by Edward Snowden’s revelations — rather than the man himself. The “Snowden Effect” series shines a light on three distinct but inter-related areas: government surveillance reform, de-cloudification and data localization, and commercial trust and transparency. Our cross-IEF event series will be presented under three of our main programs, the Congressional Internet Caucus Advisory Committee, the Internet Law and Policy Foundry and the State of the Net Series.
Join us on September 27th, at the Microsoft Innovation & Policy Center for What Nationality is Your Data?, our first event, set under the banner of State of the Net. We will announce our panelists shortly.
Date: Tuesday, September 27th, 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm Location: Microsoft Innovation & Policy Center, 901 K Street, 11th Floor, Washington, DC 20001 Register: Via Eventbrite here. Website: www.neted.org/snowden.html Follow:@SOTN | #SnowdenEffect
The Internet Education Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization supported by public interest groups, corporations, and associations representative of the diversity of the Internet community. The mission of the IEF is to assure informed policymaking on Internet-related issues within both government and the private sector, promote the Internet as a valuable medium for democratic participation, communications, and commerce, and educate the public about the challenges and problems presented by the Internet medium and offer potential solutions.
2016 CONGRESSIONAL APP CHALLENGE CO-CHAIRS ANNOUNCED Representatives Royce and Moulton will spearhead student coding contest
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, the Congressional Internet Caucus and the Internet Education Foundation announced the new Congressional Co-Chairs for the 2016 Congressional App Challenge (CAC), U.S. Representatives Ed Royce (R-CA) and Seth Moulton (D-MA):
“As Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and a representative from the world’s innovation capital, I know how important a STEM proficient workforce is to the United States remaining an economic powerhouse. I encourage all of my colleagues to participate in the Congressional App Challenge, an excellent opportunity to recognize talented young people learning the skills being used to build the future,” said U.S. Representative Ed Royce (R-CA).
“We are currently on track to reach a million unfilled programming jobs by 2020. These jobs and skills are crucial to the innovation economy,” said Congressman Seth Moulton (D-MA). “I’m excited to serve as co-chair of the Congressional App Challenge with Rep. Ed Royce to encourage students across the country to learn how to code. This challenge is a nationwide effort to open up those opportunities to students in every community, and I look forward to seeing what they create.”
The 2016 CAC will take place from July 18 – November 2, 2016. Officially in its second year, the Congressional App Challenge is a bipartisan congressional initiative to improve student engagement in coding and computer science. Particular efforts are made to engage those students from groups and regions that are underrepresented in the tech community. Students can create their apps on any platform, working alone or in teams of up to four. Winning apps are selected by local judges, and the student winners will be honored by their Congressional representatives and have their apps put on display in the Capitol Building.
In 2015, over 1700 high school students from 32 states signed up to compete. The students submitted nearly 500 original apps, with 116 Congressional districts hosting successful local challenges. The House of Representatives displays the winning apps online at:http://www.house.gov/content/educate/app_challenge/.
The Congressional App Challenge is coordinated by the Internet Education Foundation and sponsored by Capital One, Intel, Microsoft, and Amazon Web Services. Challenge efforts are guided by our esteemed Advisory Board, which includes Kimberly Snipes, Vice President of Consumer Products and Operations, Capital One; Monique Morrow, Chief Technology Officer, Cisco Systems; Jose Antonio Tijerino, President and CEO, Hispanic Heritage Foundation; Kathy DeerInWater, Director of Strategic Initiatives and Research, American Indian Science and Engineering Society; Emmeline Cardozo, Associate Director of Partner Engagement, Girls Who Code; and Mark Nelson, Executive Director, Computer Science Teachers Association.
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Representative Royce serves California’s 39th Congressional District, which encompasses parts of Los Angeles, Orange, and San Bernardino counties. He is Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and a senior member of the House Financial Services Committee.
Representative Moulton serves Massachusetts’ 6th Congressional District. He served four tours in Iraq as a Marine Corps infantry officer and was elected to Congress in 2014. He serves on the House Armed Services Committee, the House Budget Committee and the House Small Business Committee.
If you are interested in supporting the 2016 Congressional App Challenge, please contact CAC Executive Director Rhianon Anderson at [email protected].
