Tech Policy Podcast

Chicago’s crackdown on Airbnb, HomeAway, and other online home-sharing platforms has sparked a lawsuit. In June, the city council passed a law that heavily restricts property rights and places significant burdens on homeowners. Is this regulation needed to protect consumers and preserve affordable housing? Or is this another giveaway to the hotel industry, seeking to insulate itself from competition? What does it mean for Chicago consumers? Evan is joined by Christina Sandefur, Executive Vice President of the Goldwater Institute, which has filed a legal challenge to the Chicago law.

The move from 4G to 5G will help move you from HD to 4K and from augmented to virtual reality. But the implications of 5G stretch far beyond your smartphone and tablet. The technology has the potential to support autonomous cars, healthcare, and connected homes. Will 5G bring about the “Internet of everything?” What sorts of regulatory challenges lie in the way? Can our aging infrastructure support the next generation of wireless? Evan is joined by Bret Swanson, President of Entropy Economics LLC and Visiting Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute.

With all eyes on the Trump transition, what does the president-elect’s victory mean for the Federal Communications Commission? The Obama-era FCC has been very active on Internet regulation, passing controversial rules on net neutrality, broadband privacy, and more. Since these regulations were largely passed on 3-2 party-line votes under a Democrat FCC, most observers expect a GOP-controlled agency to reverse Chairman Wheeler’s agenda. What does this mean for consumers? Will net neutrality be repealed and replaced? Will the FCC’s authority be rolled back? Do we even need an FCC at all? Evan and Berin are joined by Tom Struble, Policy Counsel at TechFreedom.

Fake news has gotten a lot of media attention since the election. After Trump’s surprise victory, many disgruntled Clinton supporters are pointing the finger at Facebook and Twitter for allowing false information to circulate on their platforms. Is this just sour grapes, or should the companies and government be doing more to combat fake news? What are the implications for free speech? In related news, Trump recently criticized Saturday Night Live for political bias. Will the next FCC bring back the “Fairness Doctrine,” long-extinct rules requiring equal time for opposing views on controversial topics? Evan and Berin discuss.

The election of Donald Trump raises many questions on the future of tech policy. While the GOP platform and Trump’s campaign didn’t offer many details on tech, Silicon Valley and the President-elect have clashed on high-profile issues like immigration and trade. Aside from a few outliers, the tech community was banking on a Clinton victory. With the campaign over, is there room for common ground on issues like regulation, net neutrality, and high-tech infrastructure? Will pro-tech Republicans be able to bridge the gap between Trump and the Left Coast? Evan is joined by Michael Petricone, Senior VP for Government Affairs, Consumer Technology Association.

The European Union (EU) and the United States have a lot in common. We share many of the same values, including free speech and the right to privacy. But despite our similarities, America and Europe often take different approaches to regulating technology. Does the EU prize privacy over free speech? Is the US too permissive when it comes to regulating Big Data? Does NSA surveillance pose a threat to the free flow of data across the Atlantic? What can the US learn from the EU, and vice versa? Evan is joined by Dimitar Dimitrov, EU Policy Director for Wikimedia in Brussels, and John Weitzmann, Legal and Policy Advisor for Wikimedia Germany.

Since 1973, supersonic flight over land has been illegal in the US. In those days, supersonic planes were loud, gas-guzzling, and inefficient beasts, propped up by government subsidies. Today, however, new technologies have made supersonic flights quieter, more efficient, and more affordable. Is it time to lift the ban? How should supersonic flight be regulated? What role will NIMBYism play in the debate? Eli Dourado, Research Fellow at the Mercatus Center, joins the show. For more, see his report here.

New York has dealt a major blow to Airbnb, HomeAway and other short-term rental platforms. Recently, Governor Cuomo signed a law banning platforms from advertising whole apartments that rent for fewer than 30 days. The bill’s supporters have claimed that the short-term rental ban is necessary to maintain housing affordability and quality of life. But is that really what’s going on? Is this just another giveaway to the hotel industry and labor unions, which have long held sway in New York politics? Is Airbnb really to blame for high rents in New York? Are there better ways to address legitimate concerns over short-term rentals? Joining Evan is Jared Meyer, research fellow at the Manhattan Institute. For more, see his op-ed in the NY Post.

Under decades of communist rule, Cuba lagged far behind much of the world in technology and digital connectivity. In 2014, less than 30 percent of Cubans had Internet access. Yet in recent years, Cuba has made significant strides — more public Wi-Fi hotspots are being deployed, and the U.S. and Cuban governments are normalizing relations. What does Cuba’s digital future look like? What does this mean for Cuban-Americans and tech entrepreneurs? Evan is joined by Adelina Bryant and Michael Maisel from the Engage Cuba coalition and Lydia Beyoud, senior tech and telecom reporter for Bloomberg BNA. For more, see www.engagecuba.org.

A robot-driven world is often a mainstay of science fiction titles like Terminator and I, Robot. While that future may be far off, emulations — computers that scan and reproduce human brains — could be the first step into the age of robotics. Their society could evolve at the pace of software, not hardware or biology — allowing for radical transformations in less time than it takes humans to get their dry cleaning back. So what might an emulation-based society look like? How would emulation technology affect how humans live in the future? Joining Berin to discuss is Professor Robin Hanson of George Mason University, author of The Age of Em: Work, Love, and Life when Robots Rule the Earth. For more, see the book’s website.

We know that hacking can get you in trouble with governments and companies. But could it also make you rich? Or even a hero? Hollywood has long portrayed hackers as evil geniuses or complete weirdos, but the caricature doesn't often tell the whole story. Increasingly, hackers are being asked to try their skills on various cyber systems in an effort to expose vulnerabilities. So they hack in, find the bug, and get paid. Right? Of course, it's not that simple. Katie Moussouris, founder and CEO of Luta Security and creator of Microsoft's first bug bounty program, joins the show to explain. Can hacking really be a force for good?

Recently, the Obama administration released non-binding “guidelines” for self-driving cars, telling states not to create their own regulations just yet. California went ahead anyway, and the Golden State’s DMV drafted new regulations based on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) guidelines. Did California jump the gun? What changes could the DMV make to improve the draft proposal? It’s open for public comment, and several organizations have weighed in. Here to discuss their joint comments, co-authored with R Street and ICLE, are Marc Scribner, research fellow at CEI, and Berin Szoka, President of TechFreedom.

Edward Snowden has been living in Russia for over three years under political asylum after leaking classified documents about American surveillance practices. Ironically, Russia’s policies on surveillance are hardly libertarian. Snowden recently spoke out against so-called “Big Brother” legislation introduced in the Duma, Russia’s legislature. On cybersecurity, Russian hacking has dominated the American news cycle, especially around electoral politics. Evan is joined by Russian native and TechFreedom Legal Fellow Ashkhen Kazaryan. They discuss hacking, surveillance, and the tenuous relationship between Cold War foes. For more, see Ashkhen’s op-ed.

Vapers in Indiana scored a federal court victory recently, as Judge Richard Young ruled that Hoosiers can buy e-vapor products not approved by the state Alcohol Tobacco Commission. He said Indiana’s regulations were responsible for creating a local monopoly. While the law signed in May 2015 by Governor Mike Pence was billed as protecting public health, the rules had little to do with product safety and everything to do with padding the pockets of the one security company that could comly and offer services. The FBI is investigating. Manhattan Institute’s Jared Meyer joins to discuss the impact of Indiana’s law and the subsequent ruling. How is the market expected to change as a result of Judge Young’s decision? For more see his article in Forbes.

London’s black cabs have long been icons in the British capital. But Mayor Sadiq Kahn is worried that pressure from Uber and other ride-sharing companies is threatening to put the city’s taxi industry out of business. That’s why he unveiled a 27-point plan to ensure that black cabs don’t “go the way of the red telephone box.” Will the plan create a level playing field for competition, or is this just another giveaway to the taxi industry? Elsewhere, the Quebec government struck a last-minute deal with Uber to prevent the company from ditching Montreal. Manhattan Institute’s Jared Meyer joins the show to discuss these international developments. For more, see his op-ed in Forbes.

You may have heard a lot of news recently about President Obama and Ted Cruz debating whether the US should “give away the Internet.” But there’s more to Internet governance than the so-called “IANA transition.” Evan is joined by Shane Tews, Visiting Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, and David Gross, Partner at Wiley Rein. They discuss the future of Internet governance — getting beyond the domain name system. What is the proper role for governments in controlling the Internet? How do we protect Internet freedom from the likes of China and Russia? How involved, if at all, should the UN be? How will this debate impact consumers around the world?

If you’ve ever gone through airport security, you’ve felt the effect of the 9/11 attacks. But for Arab-Americans, the impact is a lot more serious than longer lines and inconveniences. Evan is joined by Yolanda Rondon, Staff Attorney with the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee. They discuss how government policies involving counterterrorism have shaped the public image of Arab-Americans and Americans who are Muslim. How has surveillance and social media monitoring impacted these communities? What sorts of reforms could improve relations between law enforcement and Arab-Americans?

Cell phone ownership in Africa has ballooned over the last decade, bringing the benefits of the Internet to developing populations. In particular, mobile finances have taken off in places like Kenya, where the heavily-regulated banking system had long failed to serve entrepreneurs and low-income customers. What makes Kenya such an attractive place for mobile money? Could other countries benefit from adopting this approach? Scott Burns, Mercatus PhD Dissertation Fellow, joins the show to discuss. For more info, see Scott’s post on Alt-M.

“Driverless cars” is a hot topic this year, especially as self-driving Ubers hit the roads in Pittsburgh. This week, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) put out guidelines for autonomous vehicles, including performance standards, model state policy, and regulatory tools for future innovations. What impact with the Federal Automated Vehicles Policy have? Is it premature to regulate driverless cars at this early stage — before they’ve even hit the road en masse? Evan is joined by Marc Scribner, a research fellow at the Competitive Enterprise Institute. They discuss the Feds’ policy on driverless cars, what it gets right, what it gets wrong, and what the driverless future will look like. For more, see Scribner’s article.

We know from the Snowden leaks that the NSA and other intelligence agencies are watching us. But who watches the watchers? Congress is responsible for overseeing intelligence practices, but is it doing its job effectively? A growing number of experts thinks not. What can be done to strengthen oversight and protect journalists and whistleblowers? Nathan Leamer, Outreach Manager at the R Street Institute, and Daniel Schuman, Policy Director at Demand Progress, join the show to discuss. For more, see their report.