Communications

Presidential politics means we have only about two months left of useful legislative time, so it’s time for the Senate to get its act together and move the Email Privacy Act.

By a 419-0 vote, the House approved the Email Privacy Act (HR-699), which would protect the content of people's emails and electronic communications (see 1604260014). Approval of the measure, which updates part of the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA) of 1986, was hailed by privacy and technology associations, which said ECPA lagged behind the rapid advancement of technologies such as cloud computing.

IPI commends the U.S. House of Representatives for today’s unanimous support passing reforms to ECPA, a necessary step toward protecting Americans’ Fourth Amendment rights guarding against warrantless search and seizure of electronic data.

Howard’s president, Dr. Wayne A.I. Frederick, and the board want to sell the spectrum used by WHUT. There has been increasing demand for these invisible waves by cable and mobile phone providers. Tom Giovanetti, president of the Institute for Policy Innovation, noted on RealClearTechnology, “Spectrum is the most unappreciated and underrated of our natural resources. In economic terms, spectrum is particularly scarce, since there is an absolutely fixed amount of spectrum available.”

Such actions designed to limit speech and thought are repugnant to the very meaning of being American.

In a statement today concerning Apple Inc.’s opposition to giving the FBI a backdoor to the iPhone, Institute for Policy Innovation (IPI) president Tom Giovanetti applauded CEO Tim Cook for his stance on protecting consumers’ privacy.

Congress has voted to permanently bar state and local governments from taxing access to the Internet. For 17 years, the ban on Internet taxes has benefited millions of Americans by empowering them to conduct transactions on the Internet free from the fear of additional tax burdens. "This is a tremendous victory for America's Internet economy, and for all of us who participate in this economy", said Institute for Policy Innovation president Tom Giovanetti.

Passage of PITFA as part of HR-644 now "intensifies" S-698 opponents' push to "stave off the attempt" to pass that bill, said IPI president Tom Giovanetti in a statement. S-698 "has never had committee scrutiny on the Senate side and [has] never been subject to amendment on the floor." Senate Republican leaders "must commit to first submitting this legislation to the same procedures, hearings and scrutiny appropriate to any and all legislation, especially since this proposal has serious Constitutional questions," Giovanetti said.

The Institute for Policy Innovation (IPI) commends the U.S. Senate for passing the Permanent Internet Tax Freedom Act (PITFA). "This is a tremendous victory for America’s Internet economy, and for all of us who participate in this economy," said IPI president Tom Giovanetti. 

Washington must ensure that spectrum is being freed-up and made available for use on a regular basis in order to keep the critical wireless economy going and growing. But we’re reaching the point where the largest, most inefficient holder of spectrum is in fact the federal government.