Read more: www.documentcloud.org/documents/27... CC: @theintercept.com @rightsdissent.bsky.social @nppa.org @calmatters.org @facoalition.bsky.social @newsmediaalliance.bsky.social @freepress.bsky.social @pogo.org @publicknowledge.bsky.social

In January, Apple and Google announced a multiyear, $20 billion partnership to integrate Google's Gemini into Apple's AI features, including an AI-powered Siri — a deal only possible due to the weak antitrust remedies in landmark ruling in DOJ v. Google.

Last week, I expressed my confusion when Sen. Schmitt touted this settlement as a "huge win for Missouri". All the settlement does forbid CDC, Surgeon Gen., & CISA from coercing platforms to moderate plaintiffs in Missouri & Louisiana. But... those agencies have no coercive power already.

Last week, the Trump administration moved to settle Murthy v. Missouri — but the core issue at hand remains unresolved. Read the latest from Policy Analyst @mwils.bsky.social: publicknowledge.org/murthy-v-mis...

🚨Today, we joined two former Federal Communications Commission Chairs & five other consumer advocacy groups to submit an amicus brief in Supreme Court cases regarding the FCC’s ability to hold wireless carriers accountable for data breaches and other violations of consumer privacy rights.

"A U.S. judge on Thursday dismissed X Corp's antitrust lawsuit ​that accused the World Federation of Advertisers and major ‌companies including Mars, CVS Health, and Colgate-Palmolive, of illegally boycotting billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk’s social media company."

Today, the Federal Communications Commission voted to accelerate the removal of the country’s remaining copper phone lines while simultaneously eliminating traditional legacy phone service and transitioning the entire national phone network to an IP-based network.

Juries in two different cases reached similar verdicts re: whether Meta & Google should be liable for harm minor users experience from using their platforms. To date, most attempts to make online platforms accountable for harms have failed - thanks to a combo of S230 liable shield & 1st Amend.

"Today’s decision is a long-overdue win for common sense.” This morning, the Supreme Court unanimously ruled in @coxcommunications.bsky.social v. Sony that broadband providers cannot be held liable for providing internet access to customers accused of copyright infringement.

🎉 Last week, @menendez.house.gov, @dorismatsui.bsky.social, @repbarragan.bsky.social, & @reptroycarter.bsky.social introduced the Communications Equity and Diversity Council Act, which would compel the Federal Communications Commission to re-establish the Communications Equity and Diversity Council.

🔊 ICYMI: Yesterday, @publicknowledge.bsky.social Legal Director @bergmayer.net joined @thebradblog.bsky.social to discuss our recent lawsuit to block the illegal Nexstar / TEGNA, Inc. merger:

Free Press, @cwaunion.bsky.social, @uccmediajustice.org, @publicknowledge.bsky.social, represented by @democracyforward.org, have filed an appeal of the FCC’s rushed approval of a Nexstar and Tegna merger. Let’s be very clear: This deal is unlawful. And we’re not going to let it stand. 🧵 >

The FCC’s “public interest” standard has never been clearly defined in law – a flexibility that has historically helped the agency adapt over time. But in the hands of Chairman Brendan Carr, it's become a vulnerability he seems eager to exploit.

In December, President Trump signed an EO directing federal agencies to identify & preempt state AI laws that conflict with the admin's goal of maintaining US AI dominance. But while it may sometimes make sense to pursue federal over state regulation, the Trump admin's approach is misguided.

🚨 We joined @freepress.bsky.social, @cwaunion.bsky.social, and @uccmediajustice.org in filing an appeal to the US District Court of Appeals to stop the illegal merger between Nexstar and TEGNA. Read our joint statement with @democracyforward.org at the link below:

@publicknowledge.bsky.social is pleased to welcome Jon Roux to our team as Director of Development and External Affairs. Welcome, Jon! publicknowledge.org/public-knowl...

Senators @coons.senate.gov and Cornyn just reintroduced the PRO CODES Act, a bill that would extend copyright to safety and fire codes, effectively putting the law behind a paywall. Public Knowledge and 22 other organizations are pushing back. Here is why it matters:

FCC Chair Brendan Carr is weaponizing the “public interest” standard against viewpoints he dislikes. Such jawboning violates the First Amendment, due process, and the rule of law. 75+ civil society groups & free speech experts joined us in this coalition letter 🧵 techfreedom.org/fcc-threats-...

Today, the Federal Communications Commission released its Order formally approving the illegal $6.2 billion Nexstar / TEGNA merger – despite the proposal exceeding both the 39% national ownership cap and local market limits.

In light of reports that House leadership may move to advance H.R. 6028, the Legislative Branch Agencies Clarification Act, without going through the usual committee process, Executive Director @bb.usefairuse.com released the following statement in opposition: recreatecoalition.org/press_releas...

Another Congressional hearing today related to online speech! Right now, Senate Commerce committee is holding a hearing "Liability or Deniability? Platform Power as Section 230 Turns 30". Witnesses range from Section 230 abolishers, to reformers, to absolutists. I'll be tracking the hearing 🧵

ICYMI Emmerich Newspapers is suing Particle Media and asking the court to: 🔗 Make linking or embedding content a copyright violation 🛑 Kill the protective "server test" 🚫 Make link shorteners illegal under the DMCA If successful, this could fundamentally change how the internet operates.

Today, @housecommerce.bsky.social marked up a series of kids’ online safety bills limiting young people’s autonomy and internet access — many of which shift responsibility for product safety from the platforms designing unsafe products onto families instead. Our statement from @mwils.bsky.social:

Today, the Federal Communications Commission released its Order formally approving the $34.5 billion Cox Communications/Charter merger that would leave Charter with majority control of the new combined company. Read our statement from @bergmayer.net:

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit should prevent the FTC from conducting retaliatory investigations like the one targeting @mmfa.bsky.social. Read more about the brief we joined urging the courts to intervene in @theintercept.com.

Late last week, FCC Chair Brendan Carr issued what some are describing as a new veiled threat to the nation's broadcasters. @haroldfeld.bsky.social joined @thebradblog.bsky.social for a breakdown of what this could lead to: bradblog.com?p=15648

Following the landmark ruling in the Department of Justice v. Google that found the tech company had monopolized the online search market, Judge Amit Mehta issued several remedies to address Google’s abuse of its market power.

Happening today at 2 pm! Join us for a webinar discussion of our latest paper, "Diversity in Early-Career Tech Policy Roles: Surveying Progress, Challenges, and Opportunities in the Field." Link below! publicknowledge.org/diversityint...

On Tuesday Feb. 24 at 3:00 p.m., join @publicknowledge.bsky.social and the Cathy Hughes School of Communications Department of Communications Studies at @howard.edu for a landmark discussion celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Telecommunications Act of 1996!

“Somehow it seems like all of his fine rhetoric about how he’s going to enforce the law only cuts in one direction.” @haroldfeld.bsky.social joins World News Group to discuss FCC Chair Brendan Carr's "equal time rule" campaign. wng.org/roundups/an-...

@publicknowledge.bsky.social is proud to announce the release of our new report, “Diversity in Early-Career Tech Policy Roles: Surveying Progress, Challenges, and Opportunities in the Field,” from Tinuola Adebukola, Public Knowledge Fellow and Research Lead. publicknowledge.org/policy/diver...

Last month, nearly 1000 artists signed their names on a @nytimes.com ad that argued that generative A.I. is built on “theft — plain and simple.” But while the ad itself doesn't specify a policy agenda, its organizers have one. Read from @nickgarcia.bsky.social for @techpolicypress.bsky.social:

On Tuesday Feb. 24 at 3:00 p.m., join @publicknowledge.bsky.social and the Cathy Hughes School of Communications Department of Communications Studies at @howard.edu for a landmark discussion celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Telecommunications Act of 1996!

Today, the FCC voted to adopt a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking seeking comment on Lifeline program reforms that risk making enrollment and participation more complicated, more surveilled, and more punitive in an already underutilized program.

You are correct. It is NOT the law. You can get the actual version of the law here: publicknowledge.org/equal-time-u... Which also predicts this will be used as an *excuse* by those who want to appease Trump, and this gives them political cover. /1

Today marks the end of our #Section230 30th Anniversary campaign! As Section 230 enters its fourth decade, Congress faces a choice: either pursue thoughtful reform that addresses real harms, or pursue wholesale repeal that would silence the very voices it claims to protect.

The rise of #generativeAI has coincided with alarming reports of harm to kids from interacting with online chatbots. But #Section230 repeal wouldn't mitigate these harms – especially since AI outputs are not covered by the law anyway.

🔧 Following the introduction of the Fair Repair Act, which would protect consumers’ right to repair their own electronic products, @publicknowledge.bsky.social shared a statement applauding lawmakers for working to ensure that consumers can exercise their legal right to repair devices that they own:

Congress seems to think that by getting rid of #Section230, they can help protect kids online — but it's much more likely that doing so will only have the opposite effect. Read the latest from Director of Government Affairs Sara Collins:

#Section230 turned 30 yesterday! Over the past few weeks, we've explained what the law does, highlighted positive outcomes it enables for independent creators & marginalized voices, established our principles for evaluating reform, and explored what thoughtful changes could look like.

Today, Hispanic Tech & Telecommunications Partnerships recognized @publicknowledge.bsky.social Senior Policy Counsel @nickgarcia.bsky.social as one of HTTP’s 2026 Tech Innovadores! Read our statement at the link below: publicknowledge.org/http-recogni...

Though Congress claims it wants to protect kids online, the kids safety bills been moving forward do far more to restrict kids' online freedom than anything else. Read the latest from Director of Government Affairs Sara Collins: publicknowledge.org/congress-is-...

Keeping #Section230 as is would be politically untenable, but thoughtful reform can address real harms without incentivizing platforms to silence speech or creating barriers that only #BigTech can overcome.

🎉 Today, @lujan.senate.gov, @morelle.house.gov, & @gluesenkampperez.house.gov introduced the “Fair Repair Act” to protect consumers’ right to repair their own electronic products. Read our statement from Senior Policy Advocate Patrick Gallaher:

"What [Section 230] does is create breathing room for platforms to moderate content without facing endless litigation over every removal decision, while simultaneously protecting their ability to leave up controversial-but-legal speech without being treated as the publisher of that content."

Supporters of stripping #Section230 protections for online platforms cite various reasons for doing so, including preventing bias in content moderation, targeting AI deepfakes, and establishing platform accountability. But what would this look like in practice?

This ad is a funny depiction and close to the example I usually use, but the possibilities for betrayal are even more insidious and subtle if advertising becomes a component of the AI business model.

There’s a lot of misinformation floating around touting a Section 230 repeal as the way to go to reign in Big Tech. This is not only untrue but a huge threat to social media platforms and the broader internet as we know it.

There are many issues with current proposals to reform and repeal #Section230 of the Communications Decency Act, all of which could have serious repercussions for freedom of expression online. But what would good reform look like?

I finally got around to writing a "why data brokers are not covered by 230 just because they are repackaging shit they found on the internet"