Internet Caucus Academy Podcasts
FCC Net Neutrality Rules Briefing
Date: February 27, 2015 Panelists debate and discuss the new FCC “Open Internet” rules approved by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) the prior day. Panelists review what may be in new rules and what the future holds for net neutrality law and policy. Panelists: Anna-Maria Kovacs, Visiting Senior Policy Scholar, Georgetown University Tim Lordan, Executive […]
Should Congress be Caring About Sharing?
Date: December 8, 2014 Companies like Uber, Lyft, and Airbnb are high profile examples of the so-called sharing economy, in which ordinary people use online platforms to rent (rather than sell) products and services to each other. Also known as collaborative consumption, or peer to peer commerce, this new way of doing business uses the […]
The Legal Underpinnings of Digitally Exposed Private Images and What Congress Needs to Know
Date: November 6, 2014 “Hunger Games” Actress Jennifer Lawrence stated in November’s Vanity Fair that exposure of her personal nude photos was a “sex crime.” Was it? If not, what kind of legal recourse does Jennifer Lawrence — or an everyday American citizen like you — have against hackers and web sites that peddle such […]
Does the Internet Need a Revised Communications Act?
Date: October 16, 2014 Since the last update of the Communications Act (in 1996) many leaders have proposed updating the act for the digital age. Our panel discusses whether the Internet — which started out digital — needs to be part of a rewrite that includes broadcast, cable, telephone, and satellite services. Speakers: Doug Brake, […]
What New Internet & Mobile Phone Taxes Would Mean For Constituents & The Economy
A panel of experts explains what the Internet tax moratorium is and what failing to reauthorize it will mean for constituents and for the economy.
Can Europe Force Search Engines to Censor Information? Assessing the Right to be Forgotten
Date: August 8, 2014 In May, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled that Google and other search engines must consider requests by any EU citizen to delete information about them, under a policy known as “the right to be forgotten.” Google alone has processed more than 90,000 take down requests since May. Europe’s new […]
The NSA Surveillance Programs: Assessing The Damage to U.S. Commerce, Confidence & Credibility
Date: Friday, July 18, 2014 It has been one year since the sweeping NSA surveillance programs were revealed by controversial leaker Edward Snowden. As Congress considers reforming these programs we need to also assess the impact that this controversy has had on U.S. commercial interests, on our confidence in our leaders, and on U.S. credibility […]
New MIT-UCSD Study Measures Internet Congestion; Expert Panel Discusses Implications for Net Neutrality
Date: June 18, 2014 The MIT CSAIL Information Policy Project and Congressional Internet Caucus Advisory Committee hosted a briefing announcing new research jointly conducted by the Cooperative Association for Internet Data Analysis (CAIDA) and MIT on Internet traffic congestion that will help inform the FCC policy debate on net neutrality rules.
Can You Sell Your Digital Music/Movie/eBook Collections? Congress Reviews Digital Copyright
Date: Friday, June 13, 2014 Sure, you can sell your paperback books, DVDs, and vinyl records. You can even give them away to friends, family or your local library. This is all because of a very old copyright concept called the First Sale Doctrine. But more and more the Internet is destroying these tangible, hardcopy […]
The FCC’s Grand Internet Plans: “The Open Internet” and Massive Mobile Spectrum Auctions: What Do You Need to Know?
Date: Friday, May 16, 2014 Within 24 hours of the FCC’s meeting on so called “Net Neutrality” and the broadcast Spectrum auctions we hosted a balanced panel of experts to explain the FCC’s plans and to provide some analysis on what Members of Congress need to know and what they expect will happen next. Panel Members […]
Revising The Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA): Should Congress Require a Warrant?
Date: Friday, April 25, 2014 A panel discussion on the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA) exploring why technological changes have disrupted the original purpose of the the statute and what Congress might do to update it for the future. Panel Members: James X. Dempsey, Center for Democracy & Technology Richard W. Downing, Principal Deputy Chief, Computer Crime and […]
The U.S. Government Relinquishes Last Vestige of Internet Control: That’s A Good Thing, Right?
Event Date: Friday, April 11, 2014 On a Friday in March the Obama Administration announced that it would relinquish its last vestige of control over the technical functions of the Internet. The Department of Commerce’s NTIA said that it will not renew its contract with ICANN to run key domain-name functions. The NTIA had been […]
Internet Caucus AC Speakers Series: Zillow.com CEO Spencer Rascoff
On March 27 the CEO of Zillow, Spencer Rascoff, participated in the Congressional Internet Caucus Advisory Committee Speakers Series in Rayburn over lunch. It was a fascinating conversation facilitated by Alexander Howard that probed the myriad uses of open data in the housing market.
danah boyd: It’s Complicated: The Social Lives of Networked Teens
We all use the Internet – but our personal experiences don’t reveal how others, particularly young people, are interacting with technology and each other, and the implications for society and policy. danah boyd, whose research examines the myths and realities at intersection of technology and society, discusses the profound implications the Internet has on the […]
D.C. Circuit Decision on FCC Open Internet Rules: Net Neutrality Win or Loss?
On Jan. 14, the D.C. Circuit Court issued its ruling on the the FCC’s Open Internet rules. Many refer to these rules as Net Neutrality rules and they were adopted by a divided Federal Communications Commission in 2010 under its previous Chairman. This court decision presents significant challenges for the new FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler […]
The FCC’s Grand Internet Plans: “The Open Internet” and Massive Mobile Spectrum Auctions: What Do You Need to Know?
On Thursday May 15 the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) plans to release two major plans that may significantly affect the growth and vibrancy of the Internet (FCC announcement here). You have undoubtedly heard about so called “Net Neutrality” and the broadcast Spectrum auctions. The FCC will introduce two plans on those respective issues on Thursday, […]
Aereo’s SCOTUS Decision: Implications for Startups & Copyright
On Wednesday the Supreme Court handed down what amounts to a death sentence for Internet video startup Aereo. Our panel of legal experts discussed the Supreme Court’s decision, reviewed the legal and policy arguments around Aereo, and examined the implications for the Internet and innovative online startups.
New MIT-UCSD Study Measures Internet Congestion; Expert Panel Discusses Implications for Net Neutrality
On June 18, 2014 from 2 – 4pm in Washington, DC, the MIT CSAIL Information Policy Project and the Congressional Internet Caucus Advisory Committee hosted a briefing announcing new research jointly conducted by the Cooperative Association for Internet Data Analysis (CAIDA) and MIT on Internet traffic congestion that will help inform the FCC policy debate […]
Can You Sell Your Digital Music/Movie/eBook Collections? Congress Reviews Digital Copyright
Note: This is a fast-paced 60-minute flash-luncheon briefing format. Date: Friday, June 13, 2014 Time: 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm. Location: Rayburn House Office Building, Room 2226 Twitter: @NetCaucusAC #FirstSale