Reports & Briefings

For brief overviews of how key technologies work and why they matter, see ITIF’s “Technology Explainer Series.”

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June 3, 2021
Improving Accessibility of Federal Government Websites
Despite legislative requirements, many federal government websites are not accessible for people with disabilities. This creates obstacles for millions of Americans, especially as the COVID-19 pandemic has moved many government services online.
June 1, 2021
Secrets From Cloud Computing’s First Stage: An Action Agenda for Government and Industry
Cloud computing drives innovation and productivity across the economy, just as the electric grid did a century ago—yet it is more capable and dynamic, and it still in its early stages. Cloud is important not just at the firm level, but also for economic growth and global competitiveness.
June 1, 2021
Risks and Challenges for Inclusive and Equitable Immersive Experiences
AR/VR has the potential to make both digital and non-digital services more inclusive and equitable. To achieve that goal, industry leaders and policymakers should take steps to mitigate potential unintended consequences.
June 1, 2021
Current and Potential Uses of AR/VR for Equity and Inclusion
AR/VR can make important contributions to equity and inclusion if it is designed with these goals in mind. It can serve as a tool to help tackle implicit biases, improve access to opportunities, and create new channels for communication, community, and collaboration across distances.
June 1, 2021
Principles and Policies to Unlock the Potential of AR/VR for Equity and Inclusion
To maximize the benefits of AR/VR technologies, developers, policymakers, and organizations implementing them should consider a variety of user needs from the outset. Government should lead by example as an early adopter of inclusive AR/VR, and it should and establish standards and best practices for equity and inclusion in immersive experiences across sectors.
May 24, 2021
The Digital Markets Act: European Precautionary Antitrust
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.
May 20, 2021
Five Fatal Flaws in Rep. Katie Porter’s Indictment of the U.S. Drug Industry
In her sensationally titled report, “Killer Profits: How Big Pharma Takeovers Destroy Innovation and Harm Patients,” the deputy chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus issued an ideologically inspired jeremiad grounded in assertions that are easily refuted with data.
May 17, 2021
Energizing Innovation: Raising the Ambition for Federal Energy RD&D in Fiscal Year 2022
The United States should launch a “moon shot” in clean energy that mobilizes its unmatched innovative capabilities to combat climate change and capture global markets. The fiscal year 2022 budget is a critical opportunity for Congress to advance U.S. energy innovation.
May 12, 2021
Broadband Myth Series: Do We Need Symmetrical Upload and Download Speeds?
Assertions that symmetrical broadband is a national imperative are not well grounded in application demand or actual use of networks. Requiring symmetry in an infrastructure support program would drive up costs, reduce flexibility, and likely result in subsidies for redundant infrastructure in already served areas.
May 12, 2021
Refining the Biden Broadband Proposal
Momentum for an infrastructure package presents a tremendous opportunity to close the digital divide. Policymakers should avoid a political stalemate by eschewing utility-style broadband overbuilding and instead focus on pragmatic expansion of cost-effective, competitive networks.

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