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 [...]
ACT Files Amicus Briefs in Anthropic v. Dept. of War
ACT has filed amicus briefs in District Courts in California and D.C. in support of Anthropic’s lawsuit against the U.S. Department of War. In response to Anthropic refusing to allow its products to be used for autonomous lethal action or the mass surveillance of Americans, Secretary Hegseth in March 2026 attempted to declare Anthropic’s Claude AI models a supply chain risk. A supply chain risk designation would ban contractors (and their subcontractors), working with the military and associated [...]
What Bad AI Policymaking Looks Like
Early choices in AI policy will shape how the technology is deployed across the economy. Policymakers are responding to public concerns around safety, accountability, and trust. But the AI ecosystem is dynamic and still evolving, with infrastructure providers, model developers, and many application developers building tools for numerous uses. That matters for policy design. Rules that treat AI as a single category or assume a static market tend to slow deployment and raise compliance costs where much of the [...]