Internet

There is no evidence that breaking up big online platforms will improve digital privacy, but there is overwhelming evidence that breaking up these services or restricting them from collecting user data will harm consumers and workers.

The allegations of tech companies profiting from extremism lack substantial merit when examined closely.

A recent study found that regular internet usage decreased the risk of dementia in older adults by roughly half. This was after taking account of a wide array of factors including baseline cognitive function, age, income, and race.

Though the ways consumers access entertainment have changed, the laws protecting children in the space have not. The time is ripe to update laws to better reflect the changing media landscape by expanding coverage to protect child social media influencers (“kidfluencers”).

Defending Digital Series, No. 22: That digital technologies are a “threat to democracy” is now conventional wisdom, even though nontechnology factors have done much more to undermine America’s electoral confidence than anything digital. Unfortunately, today’s exaggerated electoral accusations have given additional life and power to the full range of dubious Big Tech critiques.

The FTC’s likely solutions to Amazon's alleged anticompetitive behavior would come at the expense of convenience, a wider selection of products, fast delivery, lower prices, and valuable features.

Four new research papers in the journals Science and Nature studied the impact of Facebook and Instagram on key political attitudes and behaviors during the 2020 election cycle. They found little evidence that key features of the platforms led to polarization.

Counterfeiting—one of the oldest, simplest crimes—has only continued to evolve as technology has grown more complex.

Since households that are still offline are, by definition, unable to be reached through standard methods, flexible, data-driven approaches that target solutions to remaining barriers to connectivity are key to closing the digital divide.

The Senate has introduced legislation to give consumers access to information about the origins of products sold online. But despite its good intentions, the bill would create uneven playing fields for brick-and-mortar stores, online retailers, and online marketplaces.