Commentary
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Setting the Policy Agenda on Innovation Issues
- Alongside our in-depth policy reports, ITIF’s long-running Innovation Files blog serves as a forum where analysts provide quick takes, quips, and commentary on the latest in technology and innovation policy.
- Other blogs from ITIF include In the Arena, Rob Atkinson’s notes on the battle of ideas (also on Substack at policyarena.org), plus special series, such as The Brussels Effect, examining how the EU exports its regulatory agenda; Defending Digital, examining spurious critiques of the tech industry; and Innovate4Health, covering the intersection between intellectual property and life sciences innovation.
- ITIF analysts also frequently contribute op-eds and commentary pieces to leading publications around the world.
April 20, 2026|Blogs
Fact of the Week: Researchers on the International Space Station Have Produced 400 Research Papers Since 2000
Over the past 26 years, researchers on the International Space Station have produced roughly 400 research papers and have helped to develop treatments for several diseases, including cancer, Alzheimer’s, and heart disease.
April 20, 2026|Blogs
Congress Should Support Innovation in Freight Rail, Not Stand in Its Way
The U.S. government needs to do what many nations around the world are already doing by leaning into rail technologies such as positive track control and automated track inspection, not resisting them on behalf of special interests.
April 16, 2026|Blogs
No, AI Will Not Skyrocket Income Inequality
AI is supposedly going to make America’s current level of income inequality explode. That will not happen. The idea rests on far-fetched assumptions about monopolies, mass job loss, and winner-take-all dynamics that AI won’t change.
April 13, 2026|Blogs
Fact of the Week: In 2022, China Produced Over 35 Percent of the Publications in the Top 5 Percent of Journals
As of 2022, China is producing over 35 percent of the publications in top-tier journals, up from nearly zero in 1980. At the same time, the United States has seen its share fall rapidly to about 25 percent.
April 10, 2026|Blogs
Opposition to Automation at the CRA Misses the Point
Opposition to AI automation at the Canada Revenue Agency misses the point. Smarter systems can improve targeting, boost compliance, and deliver better results with fewer resources than a labour-intensive enforcement model.
April 10, 2026|Blogs
CPSC Is Tough on Chinese Factories, but Should Get Tough on Chinese Platforms Too
The Consumer Product Safety Commission should shift more enforcement focus toward Chinese e-commerce platforms—like Temu and SHEIN—because, despite widespread safety violations linked to Chinese-made goods, these high-scale marketplaces face disproportionately little scrutiny despite posing significant risks to U.S. consumers.
April 9, 2026|Blogs
Time for US Spread Sovereignty
EU regulators have targeted U.S. tech firms for years, demanding digital sovereignty, stronger consumer protections, platform openness, and structural remedies for dominance. The United States should apply that same logic to “Big Spread”—Nutella’s market power warrants investigation, regulation, and potential breakup.
April 9, 2026|Blogs
Age Gating Won’t Fix Social Media Harms in Canada
Canada is considering banning social media for teenagers, but the evidence suggests this approach is misplaced. Harm is not driven by access alone, but by specific online experiences, and a blanket ban would do little to address them.
April 9, 2026|Blogs
America's Living Library Act Would Expand Access to Nature's Drug Discovery Potential
America’s Living Library Act would turn U.S. biodiversity into a strategic innovation asset by fueling AI-enabled drug discovery, strengthening biopharma R&D, and helping America stay ahead in the global biotech race.
April 8, 2026|Blogs
Calling Timeout on Social Media Time Limit Policies
Virginia’s one-hour social media limit for minors is a misguided policy that undermines parental authority, raises constitutional concerns, and fails to effectively address the real drivers of youth online harm.
