la liberté avant tout
For the last five weeks, an agency of the Federal government has attempted to convince a judge that Meta should be forcibly broken up for parts. FTC v. Meta is nearing closing statements and could be decided in the weeks to come. Social media influencers, small businesses advertisers, and roaming bands of phone scrollers have their…
Washington, D.C. – This week, a bipartisan cohort of US Senators unveiled a new version of the Kids Online Safety Act, a bill that aims to impose various restrictions and requirements on technology platforms used by both adults and minors. Yaël Ossowski, deputy director of the Consumer Choice Center, a consumer advocacy group based in…
Richmond, VA – In the name of “safety” and the “best interests” of children, the Virginia Senate this week passed a draconian age-verification bill for online platforms which would require youth who want to use social media to provide exhaustive proof of their age and to seek parental consent. This legislation is not as common-sense…
In the heyday of the net-neutrality fight last decade, tech activists and companies warned of a doom scenario without it: Internet toll lanes, blocking of data and slower speeds. If Washington didn’t reclassify internet service providers as public utilities and give the Federal Communications Commission oversight, they argued, our entire online experience would change for…
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…
Consumer Choice Center Deputy Director Yaël Ossowski on The Joe Catenacci Show. Topics discussed: Continued lockdowns in Europe and around the world Will Joe Biden re-join the World Health Organization? Alternative Social Media networks (http://freewheel.social) Alexis de Tocqueville and civil society The End of the Politicization of Everything? AOC’s Enemies List This was broadcast on…
Amid a pandemic of unprecedented proportions, U.S. cities like Portland, Chicago, New York, Atlanta, and Seattle have sweltered in the summer heat and raged with flames. Passions have run wild in the streets, with buildings and businesses torched, and statues torn down by mobs intent on vigilante justice. In fact, “social justice” has risen from…
When it comes to social media, US politicians are rhetoric-heavy on banning policial ads. But that would mean sweeping consequences for all types of civil society groups, community organizations, and small businesses. That affects billions of consumers worldwide. Considering Sen. Warren is an advocate of such bans, yet decries when they are applied to groups…
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
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,…