What does it say about us when we turn to comedians to inform our thinking on politics? We’ve witnessed the rise of Ukrainian comedian-turned-wartime-President Volodymyr Zelensky. Former Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales was a comedian, too, but was dogged by very unfunny allegations of corruption. Comedian Dave Smith will likely seek the 2024 Libertarian Party presidential nomination, having led the “Mises […]
Facebook failures may be real, but the case for increased censorship is weak
By Yaël Ossowski | Washington Examiner Once the so-called Facebook whistleblower revealed her identity and story, it was only a matter of time before the public imagination of one of the largest social networking sites would go off the rails. What Frances Haugen released to the Wall Street Journal in her initial leaks, which it dubbed the “Facebook Files ,” […]
Australia’s Attempted Blackmail of Facebook Shows the Pendulum Swings Back on Consumers
Imagine this scenario: At the behest of several large legacy news outlets, a government institutes a law requiring that every time a news story is linked to on social media, the social network must pay a fee to news outlets. In other words, to allow a newspaper column or celebrity gossip blog link to appear […]
Bloomberg’s influence on the WHO, Gamestop Hearings, Aussie Facebook News Takedown (Yaël on Joe Catenacci Show)
-Michael Bloomberg’s influence on the World Health Organization and the forever Nanny State https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/op-eds/michael-bloomberg-propels-the-whos-nanny-state-mission-creep -Gamestop hearings on Capitol Hill. They’re pushing for a financial transaction tax! -Australia tries its hand at a “link tax” and gets shut down by Facebook. The pendulum always swings back. Consumer Choice Center Deputy Director Yaël Ossowski interviewed on the […]
The government’s Facebook trustbusting is a zealous takedown that harms consumers and punishes innovation
Consumer group: The government’s Facebook trustbusting is a zealous takedown that harms consumers and punishes innovation WASHINGTON, D.C — On Wednesday, the Federal Trade Commission issued its long-awaited lawsuit, in conjunction with attorneys general from 46 states, that aims to force Facebook to break up its popular services WhatsApp and Instagram for alleged “anticompetitive” behavior. […]
Antitrust tech hearings dig for consumer harm but come up short
Armed with face masks and fresh customer complaints, members of the House Subcommittee on Antitrust, Commercial, and Administrative Law convened both virtually and in-person on Thursday, for the first of many hearings on competition in the tech sector. It was almost a six-hour marathon of gobbledygook legal turns of phrase and static-prone sessions of troubleshooting for lawmakers. […]
Yaël Ossowski on Joe Catenacci Show: Social Media Regulation, Decentralization, and Unlivable Cities
CCC Deputy Director Yaël Ossowski is invited on the Joe Catenacci Show on Wilmington’s Big Talker 106.7FM to discuss regulation of social media and tech platforms, the great decentralized alternatives people can use, and the sad state of many elite cities and towns that are now unlivable due to high taxes and regulations. http://consumerchoicecenter.org
Facebook Trustbusters Are Motivated by Partisan Politics, Not Concern for the Consumer
Channeling the spirit of Theodore Roosevelt and nostalgia for the early 20th century Progressive Era, the latest bad idea being circulated in elite circles is to use the trust-busting power of the federal government to break up the social network Facebook. The idea has been promoted by the likes of Democratic politicians like senators Elizabeth […]
The Social Media ‘Deplatforming Purge’ Will Only Make the Internet a Seedier Place
At the dawn of the social media revolution, our first instincts were on the money. Instantaneous communication, blogging and social networks were the ultimate innovations for free speech. Millions of people were given a voice beyond the reach of traditional gatekeepers. It was glorious. Now that we’ve lived through two decades of this revolution, however, […]
Unplugged: Facebook Exodus
I remember the act of joining Facebook. It was 2007, in the spring of my senior year of high school. I had just been accepted to at least 2 universities and I knew I was bound for a big life on campus. I almost made it a point of principle to not join Facebook before […]