Adam Thierer
Resident Senior Fellow, Technology and Innovation
R Street Institute
Adam Thierer is a senior fellow for the Technology & Innovation team. He works to make the world safe for innovators and entrepreneurs by pushing for a policy vision that is rooted in the idea of “permissionless innovation.”
Prior to R Street, Adam spent 12 years as a senior fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. Before the Mercatus Center, he served as the president of the Progress and Freedom Foundation. Adam has also worked for the Adam Smith Institute, the Heritage Foundation and the Cato Institute.
Adam has published 10 books on a wide range of topics, including online child safety, internet governance, intellectual property, telecommunications policy, media regulation and federalism.
In 2008, Adam received the Family Online Safety Institute’s “Award for Outstanding Achievement.”
Adam has a master’s degree in international business management and a bachelor’s degree with a double major in political science and journalism.
Adam lives in Falls Church, Virginia with his wife, kids and two cats.
Recent Events and Presentations
The Worst Tech Policies of 2024: How the New Administration and Congress Can Turn the Page
Please join ITIF for a virtual panel discussion with technology policy experts who will highlight and critique the most counterproductive tech policies of the past year, and consider how the incoming administration and Congress can turn the page.
Does the US Need a New AI Regulator?
Watch the Center for Data Innovation and R Street's webinar where they discussed the potential costs and benefits of creating a new AI regulator in the United States, the extent to which regulators can address AI risks today, and what additional tools or resources might be necessary to hold companies accountable for their use of AI.
The Real State of Technological Disruption in the U.S. Labor Market and What Policymakers Should Do About It
Join ITIF for the latest in its @Work series of events to discuss the interaction between automation, technology, and jobs, and explore how policymakers can put in place more effective and robust systems to help workers transition between jobs and occupations.
The Sky is Not Falling: Understanding the Privacy Panic Cycle
While most people are conditioned to see through the marketing hype surrounding “revolutionary!” and “game-changing!” new technologies, few have the same healthy skepticism when it comes to outsized claims about allegedly dire privacy risks that now routinely accompany many of the very same innovations. Taken at face value, these supposed privacy risks suggest that government should intervene to protect society. A closer look, however, reveals that privacy concerns are often misplaced or unnecessary, and they rapidly dissipate as people come to better understand and appreciate the products and services in question.
Viral Hate: Containing Its Spread on the Internet
Panelists will discuss recommendations in a new book about combatting the spread of bigotry and cyber-bullying online.
Who's Who in Internet Politics: A Taxonomy of Information Technology Policy Perspectives
A presentation and discussion of ITIF's report, "Who's Who in Internet Politics: A Taxonomy of Information Technology Policy Perspectives."
