NEW: The USTR has named Canada’s Online Streaming Act a “discriminatory and restrictive” digital measure. Intended to boost Canadian content and stories, the law could lead to higher compliance costs and deter new services from entering the Canadian market.

NEW: The Department of Labor formally rescinded the 2024 independent contractor rule under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) issued by the Biden Administration. This decision impacts millions of workers who earn income through app-based, freelance, and contract work.

NEW: EU leaders convened an informal summit on European competitiveness today. Topics included strengthening the single market, the next steps for a Savings and Investment Union, and a commitment to open trade.

Today we're launching the Directorate General for Progress, "DG Progress," to bridge the gap between Europe’s tech builders and the policymaking bubble. Our goal is to advocate for what European innovators need to take the next steps.

NEW: The EU Court of Justice ruled that Meta’s WhatsApp can directly challenge a decision by the European Data Protection Board (EDPB) in EU courts. This is a landmark decision allowing companies to contest judicial rulings directly at the EU-level.

NEW: Germany’s Federal Cartel Office announced a €59 million fine on Amazon for the company’s pricing rules. The company’s practices prohibited by Germany help ensure that offers on Amazon’s marketplace are the cheapest available.

NEW: UK Autonomous Vehicle Deployment Could Add €5.4 Billion to GDP A new study on the impact of AVs in the UK finds broad economic and social benefits from autonomous vehicles. AVs could support 52,000 high-tech jobs by 2050.

The European Commission announced proceedings today against Google under the Digital Markets Act. These proceedings give the Commission broad powers to dictate how Google should comply with these obligations, and could force Google to share its technologies with competitors.

NEW: Canada is considering a ban on social media services for children under 14. Details on the new measures are unclear, but raise questions about how a ban would be enforced and which platforms would be affected.

NEW POLL📉 Virginia lawmakers introduced several bills adding a delivery tax to most online orders. 74% of Virginia voters oppose a delivery tax. 2/3rds say they are less likely to vote for lawmakers who support delivery fee legislation. Poll results: progresschamber.org/research/pol...

Heated Rivalry found huge audiences without the #CRTC telling streaming apps how to promote Canadian content. Yet a new CRTC report suggests we still need new rules forcing platforms to surface #CanCon. My latest for The @hilltimes.com: www.hilltimes.com/story/2026/0...

X has a new “spicy mode” that allows users to create explicit images of people (mostly women and sometimes children) without their consent using the platform’s built-in AI model, Grok. The results are a slew of offensive, abusive, and potentially illegal content.

Happy New Year! Today, Cyprus assumes the Presidency of the Council of the European Union. We urge the Presidency to be as ambitious as possible and to lead Member States in supporting a single regulatory solution. Read our full letter below >>

"One of the things you see Brendan Carr doing is sort of operating by threat." The FCC doesn't have jurisdiction over many modern apps, streaming, and spectrum. That hasn't stopped them from trying to meddle where they have no role. @adamkovac.bsky.social on POTUS Politics this morning >>

The company behind the Roomba, iRobot, has filed for bankruptcy and agreed to be taken over by a Chinese supplier.

European enforcers have a lot of tools to go after deceptive design, it's good to see them being used finally. ec.europa.eu/commission/p...

Meta has reportedly boosted lobby efforts in Canada to push for new rules to implement age verification on the app store level, shifting responsibility to other technology companies like Apple and Google, rather than apps themselves, which would impact Meta’s business.

Great news: The European Commission released a new digital omnibus package today, which included changes to GDPR, consolidated data laws, and streamlined AI regulations.

NEWS: Canada has introduced legislation would formally repeal Canada’s Digital Services Tax. To date, the tax has been rescinded by press release only, not formally removed in law.

Today the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) released its updated definition of Canadian content (CanCon) as part of its efforts to implement The Online Streaming Act, which made streaming platforms subject to Canada’s broadcasting laws.

France and Germany are renewing efforts to favor EU technology companies over foreign competitors. “Europe should first focus its policy efforts on building a business environment where globally competitive digital companies can grow, scale, and thrive.” - @kayjebelli.bsky.social

NEW: The European Commission announced three investigations into cloud computing of U.S. companies today. Two investigations will assess if Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure should be designated gatekeepers under the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA).

NEW: Today we launch the State AI Leadership (SAIL) Project, a new initiative to help blue and purple states capture the benefits of AI innovation. Blue states are at the forefront of AI lawmaking, with progressive states like CA, IL, NY, & CO accounting for nearly 25% of all pending AI state laws.

NEW: The European Commission announced today a new investigation against Google under the EU’s Digital Markets Act. The investigation targets Google’s anti-spam policy, alleging Google is discriminating against spammy content in a way that violates the DMA.

We're excited to welcome Josh Tabish as Senior Director for Canada! Josh is our first hire in Canada and follows our 2024 growth into the European Union and United Kingdom. Based in Ottawa, Josh previously served at the Canadian Internet Registration Authority as policy director.

Aaron Shroyer is former Special Assistant for Housing Policy on the National Economic Council. He argues that Democratic governors can’t wait to address housing supply and increase affordability. Watch the full Rebuild conversation here: www.therebuild.pub/p/from-finan...

Senators Josh Hawley and Richard Blumenthal introduced legislation today that would require AI companies to institute a strict age-verification process on their chatbots. Read our full statement here: progresschamber.org/hawley-blume...

Big news from our partners at @waymo.bsky.social! In 2026, they will expand operations to London, adding more options to the city's transit network.

"People can't afford to put a roof over their head and live in that community where they work... it's about trying to build houses, invest in new technologies that can build them quicker and cheaper." - Rep. Pettersen Listen to our latest conversation here: www.therebuild.pub/p/from-polic...

Hear from Rep. Brittany Pettersen on how investing in early education, supporting home-based childcare, and making the Child Tax Credit permanent could transform opportunity for working families. Our full conversation is live now >> www.therebuild.pub/p/from-polic...

Companies, investors, and consumer advocates want a clear framework for digital assets that draws bright lines between legitimate businesses and scams, protects people from abuse, and provides regulatory certainty that keeps innovation anchored in the U.S.

NEW: Data should drive policymaking – but what if the data is wrong? Faulty methods and data omissions can lead to bad policy and higher prices. This hurts everyone in the gig economy, particularly gig workers.

The FTC settled its lawsuit against Amazon today. This is the ninth “dark patterns” case settled by the FTC. "It was a Biden Administration misadventure to go after a service that more than half of all Americans subscribe to and love." - @adamkovac.bsky.social

We are thrilled to announce that Koustubh "K.J." Bagchi is returning to Chamber of Progress as our new Vice President of U.S. Policy and Government Relations.

"Those parking minimums make transit not work. They make housing unnecessarily expensive, and they're really against our climate goals all at the same time." Check out our full conversation with Rep. Laura Friedman on The Rebuild: www.therebuild.pub/p/a-conversa...

NEW: The US and UK announced a new Tech Prosperity Deal today. By affirming cooperation on AI, quantum & robotics, the deal positions the UK to strengthen its global competitiveness in the post-Brexit economy – free from restrictive policies that hamper digital innovation and investment elsewhere.

🚨 Will Europe’s banks succeed in neutering open banking? In June 2023, the European Commission proposed the Financial Data Access Regulation (FiDA) — to give Europeans control over their financial data and unlock new services in payments, lending, and money management.

In June 2023, the European Commission announced it would modernize EU financial services, with the goal of ensuring “that European consumers remain the ones in control of their payments and they decide with whom to share this data so that they can avail of new and innovative products.”

Bad news for EU consumers. Apple just announced new AI features with AirPods, like real-time translation in your ear... Unfortunately, this feature won't be in the EU at launch. thedigitalcurtain.eu#european-use...

Democrats used to be the party of innovation. Today, that's not the case. It's time to restore tech optimism in the Democratic Party.

The European Commission ruled today that Google abused its position in the ad tech stack by favoring its own services to the detriment of competitors, ordering the company to pay €2.95 billion in fines.

NEWS: An EU Court today ruled that the United States provides adequate protections for European personal data under the EU-US Data Privacy Framework, a major victory for consumers and businesses in Europe and the US alike.

The Trump administration is making it harder to deploy renewable energy. Less supply means higher energy costs for families and business. How is that American Energy Dominance? Watch our latest interview with Rep. Josh Harder where we discuss lowering costs: therebuild.pub/

The Rebuild recently welcomed Rep. Josh Harder to discuss his ideas on lowering costs for families. We talk housing, energy, abundance, and more! Check out the full interview on our substack: www.therebuild.pub

The UK's Competition and Markets Authority published a draft report today that would designate Google and Apple as firms with Strategic Market Status in mobile ecosystems. Read our full statement here: progresschamber.org/uk-to-design...

Senators Josh Hawley and Richard Blumenthal introduced a bill today that would bar AI companies from training on copyrighted works and allow individuals to sue companies if their copyrighted works were used. This is a direct attack on the principle of fair use. progresschamber.org/hawley-blume...

BIG WIN: The House just voted to pass the CLARITY Act and GENIUS Act, which will enhance consumer protections and establish clear guidelines for crypto. More than 70 pro-innovation Dems voted for CLARITY and more than 100 Dems voted for GENIUS.

The EU released the AI Act Code of Practice today, which provides clarity on compliance expectations for the AI Act. We welcome efforts to streamline AI regulations across the EU, but we're concerned about the timeline for businesses to comply.

Congratulations to Denmark on the start of their Council presidency. We are eager to contribute to efforts to boost startups and scaleups, including the 28th regime and simplification. Read our letter of support here. progresschamber.org/resources/le...

The European Commission wraps up its second round of compliance workshops for the Digital Markets Act this week. Read our analysis on the latest with Apple, Google, Bytedance and Meta in the spotlight >> progresschamber.org/insights/wor...