Cyberattacks are exposing gaps across state and local governments, but leading states are responding with clear standards, centralized coordination, workforce investment, and stronger protections for critical infrastructure—other states should follow. Our latest commentary: vist.ly/42yqs

The next chapter begins today as Daniel Castro takes the reins from Rob Atkinson as president of ITIF. Atkinson built ITIF into a leading tech policy think tank. Castro will build on that foundation. Full announcement: vist.ly/42xpk

🚨 NEW: Many state & local governments remain underprepared on cybersecurity. Our latest report finds the gap is driven by resource & capacity limitations, organizational & structural weaknesses, & market, technology, & regulatory failures. View the full report: vist.ly/4zywy

Congress is moving forward on a national data privacy framework. 🔐 The SECURE Data Act signals a shift toward clear, consistent federal rules that prioritize real consumer protections—without replicating the burdensome compliance model of GDPR. Our full statement: vist.ly/4zev6

🎉 ITIF celebrated its 20th anniversary last night by toasting founder Rob Atkinson's remarkable career and looking forward to the next chapter as incoming president Daniel Castro carries the mantle forward with our fantastic team of analysts and staff. Here’s to many more years ahead!

The European Commission announced its age verification app to prove users’ ages online is ready for launch—but while it may improve age assurance, it risks paving the way for broader restrictions on young people’s access to digital services. 🔗 Read our full statement: vist.ly/4yjvn

🚨 NEW: Wearable AI has the potential to transform emergency response. But scaling their impact will require addressing adoption barriers and ensuring strong privacy, security, and responsible-use safeguards. 🔗 Explore our latest report from Alex Ambrose: vist.ly/4yix9

This week's ITIF Update: 💪 @RobertDAtkinson on national power capitalism ⚡ @RobinGaster on AI data centers and electricity 🛒 @EliClemens on Chinese online marketplaces 📆 Upcoming event: Canadian investment; EU digital fines; Priority technologies Read & subscribe now: vist.ly/4yfg5

Most unsafe products flagged by CPSC are tied to Chinese manufacturing—but platforms like Temu & SHEIN reach millions of U.S. consumers yet face limited scrutiny despite repeated safety concerns. CPSC should treat them as high-risk distribution nodes. ⤵️ vist.ly/4x2pd

Virginia’s one-hour social media limit for users under 16 sounds protective—but it’s misguided. Blunt time caps distract from what actually works: empowering parents and targeting real risks online. Alex Ambrose explains in her latest ⬇️ vist.ly/4xs6f

The Trump administration has concluded its Section 232 investigation into pharmaceuticals & announced tariffs of up to 100% on branded drug imports. As Stephen Ezell explains, there are better ways to boost U.S. drug manufacturing without harming patients or innovation: vist.ly/4x9g5

The Health Care Cybersecurity & Resiliency Act tackles rising cyberattacks on hospitals, clinics, & patient data. Congress should expand this sector-specific approach across infrastructure to ensure tailored support. 🔗David Kertai explains in his latest commentary: vist.ly/4wpiu

Meta & YouTube were found liable in a landmark social media addiction trial in LA, highlighting gaps in children’s online safety. But as Ash Johnson explains, litigation shouldn't replace federal regulation. Read our full statement: vist.ly/4w6i2

The TRUMP AMERICA AI Act combines AI regulation with children’s online safety, but a better approach is to keep these debates separate and pursue targeted, evidence-based solutions. Read Ash Johnson's latest: vist.ly/4vuqb

President Trump recently signed an executive order to combat cybercrime, fraud, & scams targeting Americans. ITIF’s David Kertai says it’s a meaningful step, but success will depend on strong implementation. 🔗Read the statement: vist.ly/4uegy

📅This Wednesday, March 11 @ 12 PM ET: 19 states now have comprehensive privacy laws. How is this patchwork affecting federal action? Hear from Deborah Collier, Jake Morabito, Morgan Stevens, & ITIF's Ash Johnson as they examine their impacts. Registration👇 vist.ly/4ua7e

📅 Wednesday, Mar 11 @ 12 PM ET: Federal privacy legislation remains stalled. Will state laws accelerate reform or fragment policy? ITIF's webinar will examine how the growing patchwork shapes a national standard. 🔗Register: vist.ly/4tzpv

The Senate unanimously passed the Children & Teen's Online Privacy and Protection Act (COPPA 2.0) today, but it still needs fixes before it can effectively protect youth online. Read our statement on COPPA 2.0 & the advancement of the KIDS Act: vist.ly/4twp4

📣TOMMORROW, Thurs, March 5 @ 12 PM: Join us on Capitol Hill for an event on content provenance & digital authenticity featuring keynote Rep. Jay Obernolte. Hear from experts on real-world applications, verification, & policy solutions. 🔗Register: vist.ly/4trm2

Our new nationally representative survey finds Americans want humans in control of AI in military decisions: 79% say a human should always make the final call, and 75% say AI isn’t yet reliable for life-or-death decisions. View the full findings: vist.ly/4tmjt

📅 THIS THURSDAY, March 5 @ 12 PM: Rep. Jay Obernolte will keynote ITIF’s discussion on content provenance & digital authenticity, examining how Congress can support standards that strengthen trust online. Join us in person on Capitol Hill for this event. 🔗Registration: vist.ly/4tgrs

Ghost student scams are surging, exploiting weak ID checks to drain millions in financial aid and block real students from classes. Digital IDs can streamline verification, reduce fraud, and ensure aid reaches real students. Read David Kertai’s latest: vist.ly/4tfzu

📅March 11 @ 12 PM ET: Will diverging state privacy laws push Congress toward a federal standard—or make agreement harder? Experts from ALEC, Citizens Against Government Waste, & The App Association will discuss the implications of state privacy laws. Register for the webinar👇 vist.ly/4t7fm

🚨NEW POLL: Two-thirds say tech companies have a responsibility to set limits on how their products can be used. On the Pentagon–Anthropic dispute, 50% view penalizing Anthropic as government overreach, while 35% see it as necessary for national security. 🔗Full survey: vist.ly/4t53m

📆 Thurs., March 5 @ 12 PM: From financial services to digital forensics, content provenance tools are entering real-world use. Join us & the Coalition for Content Provenance & Authenticity to examine the implications for policy & public trust. 🔗Register: vist.ly/4svw8

Chinese platforms like AliExpress and Temu hinder reverse image searches, making it harder to detect counterfeit goods. As Eli Clemens explains in latest piece, USTR should list them as notorious markets and consider search-index transparency in future IP enforcement: vist.ly/4svpr

🚨This Tuesday, Feb. 24 @ 9 AM ET: Youth online safety is a priority. But are blanket bans the right tool? Join Matthew Lesh, Angela Luna, Sydney Saubestre, Nicol Turner Lee, & ITIF's Alex Ambrose as they examine their effectiveness. Register⤵️ vist.ly/4scfy

Are smartphones and social media driving a youth mental health crisis? The research is far more nuanced than the popular narrative suggests. Alex Ambrose explains why age-based bans miss the mark—and why digital literacy is the better policy response. 🔗 Read the piece: vist.ly/4sb85

📅March 11 @ 12 PM ET: 19 states now have comprehensive privacy laws. How is this patchwork affecting federal action? ITIF’s expert panel will examine their impact on the national privacy debate. Registration👇 vist.ly/4s86a

The USTR’s 2025 Notorious Markets List is set to be released soon. As ITIF’s Eli Clemens writes in the Washington Examiner, it should include Temu, AliExpress, and SHEIN to better protect U.S. consumers, intellectual property, and innovation. 🔗Read the op-ed: vist.ly/4s7zk

📅 Tuesday, Feb 24 @ 9 AM: Australia enacted a youth social media ban. Now others may follow. Our expert panel will examine whether these policies protect youth—or undermine privacy, parental choice, & digital literacy. 🔗Register: vist.ly/4s6ss

You can renew your license, pay taxes, and register to vote online—but getting married is still largely offline. In GovTech, ITIF's Daniel Castro highlights how states can modernize the process. 🔗 Read the op-ed: vist.ly/4r24j

Blocking smart broadband consolidation risks higher costs and slower upgrades. ITIF urges California regulators to approve the Cox-Charter transfer to unlock scale, accelerate next-gen networks, and expand affordable high-speed access. Read more👇 vist.ly/4rcmw

France’s National Assembly voted to restrict users under 15, following similar recent moves in the UK & Australia. ITIF's Ash Johnson warns that such bans don’t effectively protect teens, risk privacy, and block the benefits of digital connection and learning. Full statement: vist.ly/4phug

This week, Congress announced a funding extension for the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act of 2015 (CISA 2015) through FY 2026, but that extension provides only temporary relief. ITIF's David Kertai on why a multi-year solution is needed👇 vist.ly/4ntpw

President Trump's Proclamation invoking Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 imposes a 25% tariff on some foreign semiconductors. ITIF VP Stephen Ezell notes: Build capacity first, don't escalate tariffs. Our full statement👇 vist.ly/4n4wh

This week's ITIF Update: 🔄️ Rob Atkinson on free trade & strategic partnerships 🌎 Atkinson & Stephen Ezell on Globalization 2.0 👙 Daniel Castro on Grok's bikini fiasco 📆 Upcoming events: GLP-1s; California antitrust Read & subscribe now: vist.ly/4mim7

The Grok bikini controversy highlights AI’s potential for misuse—but rather than rushing AI-specific rules, policymakers should enforce existing laws to prevent harm while preserving free expression and innovation. Daniel Castro outlines 10 ways to do so: vist.ly/4m3n9

📰 Read the ITIF weekly update now: vist.ly/4kkh4

The Sunset Section 230 Act was introduced this week, but eliminating these protections would backfire. Our full statement⤵️ vist.ly/4j8qr

This week, Senator Bernie Sanders called for a moratorium on building data centers, fearing AI & robotics will lead to mass unemployment. As Daniel Castro explains, the lump-of-labor fallacy ignores reality: automation boosts productivity & creates new opportunities.

iRobot’s bankruptcy reveals the hidden cost of blocking acquisitions without a long-term competitiveness strategy. Stopping Big Tech isn’t the same as strengthening American innovation. vist.ly/4j3um

Government pressure on platforms to censor lawful content is becoming normalized. Protecting free speech means keeping politics—of any party—out of content moderation decisions.👇 https://itif.org/publications/2025/12/16/political-pressure-on-platforms-undermines-free-speech/

📰 Read the ITIF weekly update now: vist.ly/4imak

Australia just became the first country in the world to ban social media for users under 16. 📵 Alex Ambrose breaks down why the law’s broad scope, privacy risks, and impact on young people should give other countries pause.

Australia’s social media ban for children under 16 is going into effect today, setting a dangerous precedent for other countries considering youth restrictions. Our full statement from Policy Analyst Alex Ambrose⤵️ vist.ly/4huzq

📰 Read the ITIF weekly update now: vist.ly/4hqu7

New in this week's ITIF Update: 🔋 Powering Data Centers 💻 PLUS: Digital divide; DMA for the USA?; 📅 EVENTS: Non-tariff attacks; National power industries; FTC v. Meta 📨 Read it and subscribe to our emails: vist.ly/4fsxd

📰 Read the ITIF weekly update now: vist.ly/4ewrx

The federal shutdown may be over, but critical decisions are still stalled. One of the most important: the FRA’s long-delayed action on Automated Track Inspection. ATI is a proven safety tool—and every day of inaction leaves railroads behind. VP Daniel Castro's latest: vist.ly/4ew38