Broadband is too expensive — CR and partners are on it
- CR’s senior policy counsel, Jonathan Schwantes, recently authored an op-ed in Morning Consult in support of the Accessible, Affordable Internet for All Act. CR is also asking people across the nation to tell their stories about their internet service—the good, the bad, the ugly—and how it affects their lives. In July, we will share news about a first-of-its-kind initiative to uncover the true cost of broadband internet service—stay tuned!
Cory Doctorow on how interoperability can benefit consumers
- In June, the House Judiciary Committee introduced a package of bills, including the ACCESS Act: a bold proposal to mandate interoperability for large online platforms. It can be difficult to visualize all the ways a concept like interoperability really matters. So we asked Cory Doctorow for a piece of short fiction to explore how social media might work better for consumers in a world with full interoperability. Doctorow is a master of speculative tech fiction who has published a bookshelf’s worth of novels and nonfiction works, as well as a technology activist and a special advisor to the EFF. In addition to contributing this short story, Doctorow discussed what interoperability would mean for online communities with CR’s Kaveh Waddell.
Colorado inches closer to becoming the third state with a privacy law
- The Colorado legislature approved an online privacy bill that would provide residents the right to access, delete, and stop the sale of their personal information, with additional protections for sensitive data. CR is encouraged to see legislators step up to extend new privacy rights to its citizens. Maureen Mahoney, senior policy analyst at CR noted, “We commend Colorado legislators for including provisions in the Colorado Privacy Act that will make it easier for residents to take control of their personal information. If the governor approves the bill, we urge the legislature to strengthen it in the future, including by clarifying that consumers can’t be charged for exercising their privacy rights.”
Congress is considering a “right to repair” law based on CR’s model bill
- For the first time, a member of Congress introduced a bill that would guarantee consumers across the U.S. have the right to get their electronic devices fixed by the repair service they choose — or fix it themselves. The Fair Repair Act is based on model legislation developed by CR and other allies. The bill takes aim at manufacturers that require people to get their devices, like computers and phones, fixed by the manufacturer or a hand-picked servicer, while withholding repair information from others. This bill would help promote competition and consumer savings, while preventing environmental waste.
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