Tech Policy Podcast
Episodes
#40: Unlocking the Cable Box
10 Mar 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Consumers have never had more ways to watch video, but traditional cable and satellite subscriptions still require set-top boxes, which typically cost...
#39: Uber vs. Thumbtack: Labor in the Sharing Economy
09 Mar 2016
Contributed by Lukas
When it comes to the sharing economy, most of the focus is on companies like Uber, Lyft and Airbnb. But skilled professionals like handymen, mechanics...
#38: How Stuff Works - Spectrum 101
08 Mar 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Spectrum is everywhere, and weâre interacting with it almost constantly. Whether weâre using smartphones, tablets, bluetooth speakers, AM/FM radio...
#37: Social Media and Terrorism
07 Mar 2016
Contributed by Lukas
ISIS and other terrorist groups are using social media to recruit members to their causes. Tech companies like Twitter and Facebook are working to tak...
#36: MOBILE NOW & The Future of Wireless
04 Mar 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Demand for mobile data is exploding, begging the question: is there enough available wireless spectrum to meet this demand? As wireless carriers prepa...
#35: Imperial FCC
03 Mar 2016
Contributed by Lukas
On Wednesday, FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler refused to commit to step down following the election of the next president, breaking with a century of traditi...
#34: Washington #TechFail
02 Mar 2016
Contributed by Lukas
When it comes to technology, is Washington failing America's young? Young people disproportionately use and rely on technology, yet the lawmakers who ...
#33: Space Law (Part 3) Mining in Space
01 Mar 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Congress actually passed an asteroid mining bill last year. Did they get it right? In Part III of our Space Law series, TF Adjunct Fellow Jim Dunstan ...
#32: McCaul Encryption Comission
29 Feb 2016
Contributed by Lukas
While Appleâs recent refusal to comply with the FBIâs demand to unlock the iPhone of a San Bernardino attacker may have pushed privacy and encrypt...
#31: EU Digital Single Market: The View from Milan
26 Feb 2016
Contributed by Lukas
When it comes to tech startups and innovation, the European Union has largely lagged behind the United States and China. In an effort to reverse this ...
#30: âNet Neutralityâ (Ahem, Title II) Progress Report
25 Feb 2016
Contributed by Lukas
This time last year, the FCC voted 3-2 to reclassify broadband under Title II of the 1934 Communications Act, utility rules designed for railroads and...
#29: Bitcoin is Unleashing Economies
24 Feb 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Bitcoin, a once-geeky novelty, has grown into a legitimate currency that disrupts financial markets â especially in the developing world. Bitcoin ca...
#28: Space Law (Part 2) Property Rights in Space
23 Feb 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Can you own part of space? Or stuff you find there? In Part II of our Space Law series, TF Adjunct Fellow Jim Dunstan and Berin explore the basics of ...
#27: Connecting the Rez: Broadband on Tribal Lands
22 Feb 2016
Contributed by Lukas
While the US has enjoyed well over $1 trillion in broadband investment since the mid-90s, connecting Native American reservations to the Internet has ...
#26: Scalia & Net Neutrality: Law and Politics
19 Feb 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Justice Scaliaâs death sparked a flurry of speculation about who will replace him. Sri Srinivasan tops most lists of potential successors. But he's ...
#25: Drones & Humanitarianism
18 Feb 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Media coverage of drones often focuses on near-misses with airplanes or bombings in the Middle East. But thereâs another side to drones that doesnâ...
#24: Apple v FBI: Unlocking the iPhone
17 Feb 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Apple made headlines today by refusing to comply with a federal judgeâs order to unlock the iPhone of Syed Rizwan Farook, one of the San Bernardino ...
#23: Getting SLAPPed for Online Speech
16 Feb 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Online free speech is critical to companies like Yelp and TripAdvisor whose business models depend on consumer reviews. But companies often donât li...
#22: India Shuts Down Free Internet
12 Feb 2016
Contributed by Lukas
This week, India shut the door on Free Basics, a Facebook program that offers free, limited Internet access to people in the developing world. While s...
#21: Broadband Deployment in America with FCC Comm'r Ajit Pai
11 Feb 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Is broadband being deployed in a âreasonable and timely mannerâ in the United States? From 1998 on, the FCC always said yes. But in 2010, the FCC ...
#20 - Spying on Foreigners (and Ourselves)
10 Feb 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Section 702, a US foreign surveillance program, is set to expire at the end of 2017. While privacy advocates are crying out for reform or repeal, inte...
#19: Europocrisy: EU Privacy Hypocrisy with Stewart Baker
09 Feb 2016
Contributed by Lukas
On surveillance, is Europe unfairly picking on the United States? The Snowden leaks focused outrage on the NSA, but some experts say that the European...
#18: 20 Years of Internet Regulation
08 Feb 2016
Contributed by Lukas
The 1996 Telecom Act turned twenty today â and was obsolete even before the ink was dry. Congress has tried and failed to update it, leaving the FCC...
#17: E-Cigarettes
05 Feb 2016
Contributed by Lukas
The swift rise of vaping has given many smokers a safer alternative to tobacco products, but regulations and taxes could slow this growth â or even ...
#16: Internet in Africa
05 Feb 2016
Contributed by Lukas
With the success of the Internet in the United States, itâs easy to forget that 4 billion people around the world still lack access, including 80% o...
#15: Email Privacy
03 Feb 2016
Contributed by Lukas
How private are your emails? The answer may surprise you, as the law that governs much of our electronic privacy was written in 1986! Itâs so outdat...
#14: Internet Taxes
02 Feb 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Ever since 1998, Congress has banned state and local governments from taxing Internet access. The Internet Tax Freedom Act has been renewed six times,...
#13: Space Law! (Part 1)
01 Feb 2016
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, space law! -- yes, it's a thing. Berin is joined by long-time space lawyer Jim Dunstan. They discuss the history of space law, the fi...
#12: Cybersecurity and the Internet of Things
29 Jan 2016
Contributed by Lukas
The hot topic at the 2015 Consumer Electronics Show was connected devices: our cars, our refrigerators, and even our coffee makers having Internet con...
#11: Uber and the Future of Work
28 Jan 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Uber, Lyft, and other sharing-economy companies are facing lawsuits all over the world, especially over the way they classify their workers. While the...
#10: Internet Coupons
27 Jan 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Companies have many ways of enticing and incentivizing customers, including through coupons. At the grocery store, this practice is uncontroversial. B...
#9: Binge On & Zero-Rating
25 Jan 2016
Contributed by Lukas
You might think that a company giving stuff away for free would be a cause for everyone to celebrate. But that isnât the case with TMobileâs new u...
#8: Privacy Reform â or Digital Trade War?
22 Jan 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Since Snowdenâs revelations about US surveillance in 2013, not much has changed â at least, for Europeans. Europeans are rightly outraged. Late la...
#7: Uber Wars
21 Jan 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Uber is at war with regulators all over the country, especially in New York City. Evan is joined by Jared Meyer, a research fellow at the Manhattan In...
#6: Democratic Debate
19 Jan 2016
Contributed by Lukas
What did the Democratic candidates have to say about tech policy in the most recent debate? Not much, but that didnât stop us from giving some cheer...
#5: GOP Debate
15 Jan 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Last nightâs debate featured a major rift between Sens. Marco Rubio (FL) and Ted Cruz (TX) on the issue of government snooping on Americans. Evan an...
#4: DraftKings and FanDuel
15 Jan 2016
Contributed by Lukas
In Episode #4, we discuss FanDuel, DraftKings, and the somehow controversial world of fantasy sports. We examine the hodgepodge of local, state, and f...
#3: SOTU Reaction & the Big Picture of Tech Policy
13 Jan 2016
Contributed by Lukas
In Episode 2, we discussed what President Obama SHOULD have said in his State of the Union AddressâIn Episode #3 we examine what he ACTUALLY said, a...
#2: State of the Union
12 Jan 2016
Contributed by Lukas
What SHOULD President Obama say tonight in his final State of the Union address? And what is he likely to say instead? Berin Szoka offers TechFreedomâ...
#1: Introduction
12 Jan 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Who is TechFreedom? What do they do? Why should anyone care? In Tech Policy Podcastâs inaugural episode, host Evan Swarztrauber interviews President...