Digital Markets Act Report is Missed Opportunity
Commission’s Review Focuses on Cosmetics Rather Than Substance BRUSSELS, BELGIUM - The Digital Markets Act (DMA) Review Report represents a missed opportunity to take stock of the DMA's broader impact on the EU digital economy. The Commission's report focuses on surface issues rather than conducting a thorough analysis of the impact, especially for startups and small and medium-sized enterprises (SME). Commenting on the review, Mike Sax, founder and chairperson of the Association for Competitive Technology (ACT) said: [...]
ACTivists for Change: Small Tech’s 2026 Policy Priorities
Right now, policymakers around the world are setting their 2026 agendas on the same core questions: how to protect consumers online, how to govern AI responsibly without stifling innovation, how to strengthen privacy and security, and how to drive economic growth. From Brussels to London to Washington, across the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) region, and through booming tech hubs in Latin America (LATAM), Africa, and the Middle East, the policy goals often align, even when compliance requirements do not. [...]
Policymakers Can Protect Children Without Breaking the Internet
Earlier this month, a legal clock ran out in Europe. On 3 April 2026, interpersonal communication services operating in the European Union lost key legal clarity that has, until now, allowed them to voluntarily detect, report, and remove child sexual abuse material (CSAM). The temporary derogation from the ePrivacy Directive, the legislation that gave services a clear legal basis to act, has expired. The measure was always intended as a stopgap, set to expire in April 2026, on the [...]
In an AI Driven World, Data Center Policy is Small Business Policy
As policymakers debate the future of data centers in the United States, the discussion often centers on the ambitions of the largest technology companies. That focus misses a basic point: Small businesses rely on reliable and affordable access to cloud and AI tools. Data center policy is not only about large firms building more infrastructure. As our recent letter to the House Science Committee explained, small businesses are often the leading users, developers, and deployers of AI-enabled services, and [...]
ACT Supports Senators Moran and Rosen’s Introduction of the Parents Over Platforms Act
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Parents Over Platforms Act (POPA), sponsored by Sens. Jerry Moran (R-KS) and Jacky Rosen (D-NV), offers a pragmatic, security-first approach by imposing the requirement to receive age information only on apps that provide differentiated experiences for children and adults, like social media apps or adults only apps. This ensures that sensitive data is handled by the entities best equipped to secure it, while providing parents with streamlined, consistent controls across all apps, all without placing a huge [...]
ACT at 4YFN | Mobile World Congress 2026
4YFN (4 Years From Now), the startup-focused side of Mobile World Congress (MWC), is one of the largest, most relevant gatherings of startup leaders in Europe, where founders learn about the latest developments in technology, government action, and the ecosystem as a whole. As sponsors of the Founders track at 4YFN in Barcelona, the Association for Competitive Technology (ACT) brought small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) voices into two of the week's most pressing conversations about the future of Europe's [...]