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Commentary

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.

March 2, 2026|Blogs

Ghost Student Fraud Is a Digital Identity Failure

AI-enabled “ghost student” scams are siphoning millions in federal financial aid by exploiting weak, document-based identity verification systems at U.S. colleges. While the Department of Education has tightened ID checks, Congress should establish interoperable, high-assurance digital IDs to prevent fraud at scale and ensure aid reaches real students.

March 2, 2026|Blogs

Fact of the Week: 36.8 Percent of Individuals in OECD Countries Used Generative AI Tools in 2025

In 2025, more than one-third of individuals (36.8 percent) used generative AI tools such as ChatGPT or Claude.

February 26, 2026|Op-Eds & Contributed Articles

Why Congress Should Step Into the Anthropic-Pentagon Dispute

In Tech Policy Press, Daniel Castro argues that a dispute between the U.S. Department of Defense and Anthropic over military AI use underscores the need for Congress—not executive pressure or private contracts—to set clear statutory guardrails for deploying AI in national defense.

February 25, 2026|Blogs

USTR Should Count Search Indexing Evasion as Notorious Market Conduct

Chinese online marketplaces like AliExpress and Temu often list counterfeits of American products while limiting search engine indexing, making it difficult for rights holders to detect infringements. The U.S. Trade Representative should include these platforms on the 2025 Notorious Markets List and consider indexing transparency as a criterion for future listings.

February 25, 2026|Blogs

Maryland Broadband Policy Should Help Low-Income Consumers, Not Regulate Rates

Maryland’s proposed broadband price controls for low-income households would undermine investment and fail to solve affordability, leaving vulnerable families worse off than a consumer-focused voucher approach would.

February 23, 2026|Blogs

Fact of the Week: Through November 2025, U.S. Consumers and Businesses Bore 86 Percent of the Economic Burden From Tariffs

Throughout 2025, U.S. businesses and consumers have borne the largest share of the tariff incidence, or burden, while tariffs had relatively minimal impacts on foreign exporters.

February 20, 2026|Blogs

Brazil Should Avoid Rushing Into DMA-Style Regulation

A bill proposing ex ante regulation of digital markets in Brazil would harm efficiency and innovation. Given the significance of this bill, the Brazilian legislature should not proceed with a motion to bypass typical civil procedures and debate.

February 20, 2026|Blogs

We Don’t Want Our Companies to Be Jobs Programs

We should want companies to shed workers they no longer need. Productivity gains flow to lower prices, higher wages, and long-term growth. Don’t slow innovation—accelerate it.

February 19, 2026|Blogs

Hyundai Motor’s Humanoid Robot Debate and Korea’s Real AI Challenge

While the Hyundai Motor case now sits at the center of Korea’s AI jobs debate, the evidence suggests that the nation’s more immediate constraints are weak productivity growth and uneven labor-market adjustment—not large-scale technological displacement. How Korea responds will shape its competitiveness in a high-cost, aging manufacturing economy under intensifying global competition.

February 19, 2026|Blogs

The Flawed Narrative Driving Tech Bans for Kids

Jonathan Haidt’s claims that smartphones and social media are the primary drivers of the youth mental health crisis overstate the evidence and ignore broader social, economic, and developmental factors. Rather than imposing blanket bans, policymakers should focus on teaching digital literacy and supporting age-appropriate, responsible technology use.

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