Reviewing the Reviewers: What They’re Getting Wrong About Congress’ Track Record on Privacy
Frustrated advocates are saying that Congress is falling down on the job by declining to enact the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA, S. 1409) and the Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA 2.0, S. 1418). One Wired article summarizes the legislative process those bills traversed and cites harms accruing to kids on social media to support its conclusion that Congress’ job is to pass KOSA and COPPA 2.0. “Why hasn’t Congress protected kids yet?” the author asks unironically. [...]
The Time to Act is Now: ACP and the Urgent Need for Broadband Equity
In today's rapidly advancing digital landscape, access to the internet has become synonymous with access to education, job opportunities, healthcare services, and so much more. However, despite the benefits of a connected world, a significant portion of Americans are still left on the wrong side of the digital divide, making it more important than ever to advance digital equity – ensuring that all individuals, regardless of their socioeconomic status, geographical location, or background, have access to the digital resources necessary [...]
ACT | The App Association statement from president Morgan Reed on the Apple Watch import ban
Today, ACT | The App Association released a statement from president Morgan Reed on the temporary pause of the Apple Watch import ban: “The Apple Watch ecosystem thrives on collaboration between the Apple Watch and third-party developers. The pause in personal health device sales disrupts this collaborative ecosystem, affecting the seamless integration of health apps with the device's features. Developers rely on a vibrant and active ecosystem to create innovative solutions that cater to diverse health and wellness needs, and [...]
Patent Trolling is a Problem. Congress Should Step Up
In addition to being entrepreneurs and innovators, many ACT | The App Association members are patent holders. Their valuable intellectual property (IP) is the lifeblood of their businesses, allowing them to compete in crowded markets. The United States has many venues in which to protect IP, including the International Trade Commission (ITC), which hears cases of patent misuse and abuse by foreign companies to help protect domestic manufacturing and other types of business. Although the ITC has important functions, it [...]
Investing in Innovation: Full Expensing in the UK
ACT | The App Association, along with more than 200 other businesses and trade bodies, recently sent a letter urging the UK government to make full expensing a permanent feature of the UK tax system in the 2023 Autumn Statement, which provides tax policy and rate updates. Our advocacy was successful, resulting in full expensing subsequently being announced by the Chancellor. Permanent full expensing will mean that UK business investment in IT equipment and machinery can continue to be deducted [...]
Deceptive Advertising? The FTC Has Trouble Backing Up Its Claims
On Friday, the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC’s) case against Amazon reached another milestone as Amazon filed its motion to dismiss (MTD). Straightforwardly, Amazon pointed out that the FTC failed to state a valid claim, mainly because it provided no evidence of the harm to competition and consumers it alleges took place. Fortunately for small companies that rely on the online marketplace model—like ACT | The App Association members—it will be difficult for Judge John Chun to ignore the glaring weaknesses [...]