Arguments used to justify digital services taxes on large Internet companies are flawed. The United States should counter these proposals and work to restore international consensus around tax treatment for multinational companies.

Digital Services Taxes: A Bad Idea Whose Time Should Never Come

Federal legislation mirroring key provisions of privacy laws in Europe or California could cost the U.S. economy about $122 billion per year.

The Costs of an Unnecessarily Stringent Federal Data Privacy Law

Policymakers can and should do more to support blockchain innovation and adoption, such as ensuring regulations are targeted and flexible, so as to encourage blockchain experimentation.

A Policymaker’s Guide to Blockchain

The European Commission has set out to ensure digital markets are “fair and contestable.” But in a paradigm shift for antitrust enforcement, its proposal would impose special regulations on a narrowly defined set of “gatekeepers.” Contrary to its intent, this will deter innovation—and hold back small and medium-sized firms—to the detriment of the economy.

The Digital Markets Act: European Precautionary Antitrust

As the United States debates potential reforms to Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, it is important to understand and evaluate the alternative approaches that other countries have taken to intermediary liability.

How Other Countries Have Dealt With Intermediary Liability

Chinese high-speed rail firm CRRC is less innovative than European and Japanese firms, but mercantilist policies help it dominate in China and expand globally. This starves superior firms of revenue, reduces their R&D, and slows the pace of global innovation.

Heading Off Track: The Impact of China’s Mercantilist Policies on Global High-Speed Rail Innovation

In the absence of a federal privacy law, a growing patchwork of state laws burdens companies with multiple, duplicative compliance costs. The out-of-state costs from 50 such laws could exceed $1 trillion over 10 years, with at least $200 billion hitting small businesses.

The Looming Cost of a Patchwork of State Privacy Laws

Transatlantic data flows are essential to organizations of all sizes and industries—not just large technology firms. The EU and United States must establish clear, consistent legal mechanisms for data transfers so both sides can thrive in an increasingly digital global economy.

How to Build Back Better the Transatlantic Data Relationship

To maximize the economic and societal benefits of data and digital technologies, policymakers should resist the “data localization” trap and focus instead on the fundamentals of ICT adoption.

The False Appeal of Data Nationalism: Why the Value of Data Comes From How It’s Used, Not Where It’s Stored

Displaying regulatory and other product information electronically is more practical than using small, confusing physical labels. But countries need to align their approaches to “e-labels” in order to maximize their benefits and avoid creating a new barrier to trade and innovation.

How E-labels Can Support Trade and Innovation in ICT, Medical, and Other Products

In 2012, U.S. lawmakers scuttled legislation to block websites trafficking in pirated content after opponents instigated a furious backlash by claiming it would “break the Internet.” But since then, dozens of countries have done it effectively—and the Internet continues to flourish.

A Decade After SOPA/PIPA, It’s Time to Revisit Website Blocking

A national framework for digital economy rules would ensure the same protections for all U.S. residents, minimize transaction costs for businesses, enable opportunities to innovate, and increase efficiency in the policymaking process.

The Case for a U.S. Digital Single Market and Why Federal Preemption Is Key

The EU's HTTP Cookie Notification Policy is costing Europe $2.3 billion a year and needs to go.

The Economic Cost of the European Union's Cookie Notification Policy

Article 13 of the proposed EU Copyright Directive is a reasonable proposal that protects intellectual property, preserves consumer interests, and fosters the European digital economy, and the European Parliament should proceed with this reform writes Daniel Castro and Nigel Cory in Innovation Files.

Opposition to Article 13 in EU Copyright Directive is Misguided

The lesson for EU policymakers is clear: do not get seduced by the idea that stringent privacy regulation is a shortcut for digital growth. Enacting even stricter data protection rules, such as the pending ePrivacy Regulation, will come with costs that will hurt not only the EU digital ecosystem but also EU digital consumers.

The GDPR Will Not Boost Usage of Digital Services

Patrick Grady moderates a Bumble-hosted roundtable on the topic of AI & Gender-based harm. Karen Melchior MEP, Yana Toom MEP, and Lesia Radelicki from the Cabinet of Helena Dalli join the discussion.

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Patrick Grady moderates a Bumble-hosted roundtable on the topic of AI & Gender-based harm. 

Can the E.U. Directive to Combat Violence Against Women Stop AI-Enabled Intimate Image Abuse?

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