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NEWS FEED
Efforts to Undermine H-1B Visa Program Will Harm U.S. Tech Sector
TLDR: Although the technology industry remains hopeful that the incoming Biden administration will overturn President Trump’s harmful immigration policies, startups and other businesses are concerned that a federal rule published in the last days of Trump’s term would further weaken and restrict access to the H-1B visa program. Tech companies rely upon the significant contributions of foreign-born workers to grow their businesses, but ongoing efforts to limit access to crucially-needed talent will only drive high-skilled workers to other nations.
Startup News Digest 01/08/21
The Big Story: After attack on U.S. Capitol, Internet companies move to block Trump. Content moderation efforts at the world’s largest Internet companies were under the microscope this week as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube took action against content shared by outgoing President Donald Trump that led to a violent riot at the Capitol that left five dead, including a U.S. Capitol Police officer.
Startup Policy: 2020 Year in Review
TLDR: Over the course of 2020, policymakers engaged on a variety of critical issues and concerns impacting the nation’s startup community, especially around the COVID-19 pandemic, which upended daily life for millions of Americans. Small businesses and entrepreneurs affected by the pandemic called for Congress to provide nascent companies with the emergency support needed to weather the economic uncertainty. The startup perspective has also been crucial in discussions about the importance of Section 230 for small Internet companies that host user-generated content, changes to a law that provides startups with a balanced framework for addressing allegations of online copyright infringement, policies limiting access to high-skilled talent, and much more. As the end of the year draws near, we wanted to highlight just a few of the policy issues that have affected the startup community in 2020.
Startup News Digest 12/18/20
The Big Story: Trump tees up NDAA veto fight over Section 230. President Donald Trump is still threatening to veto the must-pass annual defense authorization bill over his demand to repeal Section 230. Trump and some Republican lawmakers have spent months falsely claiming that the bedrock Internet law allows technology companies to “censor” conservative voices online, despite the fact that changes to the law would likely have an outsized impact on startups and others that rely on Section 230’s liability limitations to host and moderate user content.
Startups Looking to Policymakers to Craft a Roadmap for Recovery
TLDR: As the year draws to a close, Congress has yet to cross the finish line on another much-needed relief package to provide economic relief for Americans, including small businesses and entrepreneurs. But even as a bipartisan group of policymakers introduces a two-part relief package this week, U.S. entrepreneurs are still eagerly waiting for assistance that will help ensure the long-term survival of the country’s startup ecosystem.
Startup News Digest 12/11/20
The Big Story: Congress must act after Privacy Shield rollback leaves startups without certainty. A Senate panel held a hearing this week to examine ways of creating a new transatlantic data transfer pact after Europe’s top court struck down the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield earlier this year. The cross-border data pact allowed U.S. companies to process and store European users’ data in America, and the rollback of the agreement is already having adverse effects for thousands of startups and tech companies.
Digital Services Taxes Will Harm Startups Across the World
TLDR: As intergovernmental organizations and countries continue to discuss implementing their own digital services tax (DST) frameworks on multinational Internet companies, France has notified large online platforms that they must begin paying the country’s levy this month while Canada recently announced plans to impose its own DST. Although most DSTs under consideration—as well as those that have already been implemented—target large, mostly U.S.-based tech companies, the startup community remains concerned that the burden of the taxes will be passed on to smaller companies and users in the form of increased costs for products and services.
Startup News Digest 12/04/20
The Big Story: Courts deal blows to White House policies limiting foreign-born talent. Two court rulings this week struck serious blows to the Trump administration’s efforts to restrict legal immigration and limit U.S. companies’ access to foreign-born talent. But while the incoming Biden administration is likely to reverse course on many of President Donald Trump’s immigration policies, entrepreneurs and U.S. tech companies remain concerned about the White House’s ongoing efforts to clamp down on visa programs for high-skilled workers—like H-1B visas—that are vital to the U.S. tech sector.
Last Minute Moves on Section 230 Would Be Selling Out Startups
TLDR: As the year winds down, Republican policymakers are making multiple eleventh-hour attempts to undermine a foundational Internet law that has drawn the ire of President Donald Trump in the lead up to and aftermath of the 2020 election. This week, the Senate Judiciary Committee is slated to consider a bill to reform Section 230—the law that creates intermediary liability limitations for online services that host user-generated content—and the Trump administration is reportedly threatening to veto the annual defense authorization bill if it does not include Section 230 reforms.
Limiting High-Skilled Visas Hurts U.S. Startups
TLDR: As the technology industry looks to President-elect Joe Biden to overturn the Trump administration’s immigration policies limiting access to high-skilled foreign talent, startups are continuing to pressure Congress to defend and expand the H-1B visa program. Tech companies rely upon the contributions of high-skilled foreign-born workers to drive innovation, but limiting access to this talent—particularly during the pandemic—could harm the long-term growth of U.S. startups.
Startup News Digest 11/20/20
The Big Story: FCC opens up unlicensed spectrum for Wi-Fi. The Federal Communications Commission voted this week to free up spectrum in the 5.9 GHz band for unlicensed use, a move that will add 45 MHz to the 5GHz spectrum band currently used for Wi-Fi networks. The spectrum had been allocated to the U.S. Department of Transportation nearly two decades ago but had been largely unused. The move to open up spectrum in the 5.9 GHz band will increase Internet speeds and connectivity once devices are able to support it, largely because it’s near the portion of the 5GHz band already used for Wi-Fi. And, as FCC Commissioner Mike O’Rielly noted in a statement, “most equipment will be able to take advantage of this spectrum with only a quick software upgrade.”
Despite Big Tech Focus, Startups Stand to Lose in 230 Debate
TLDR: A Senate panel is holding a hearing this morning with the CEOs of Facebook and Twitter to discuss Section 230 and allegations of political bias in the context of the 2020 presidential election. Although policymakers are continuing to scrutinize Section 230 because of supposed censorship by the largest tech companies, any changes to the law would have an outsized impact on U.S. startups that rely on the bedrock Internet law in order to host and moderate user content without the fear of potentially crippling lawsuits.
Startup News Digest 11/13/20
The Big Story: Recognizing the contributions of veteran entrepreneurs. Each year, almost 200,000 service members transition to civilian life. Armed with leadership skills, technical knowledge, and problem-solving capabilities, many of these veterans choose to launch their own startups and small businesses as a way of using their military experience to further serve the public good. In fact, the U.S. Small Business Administration has found that veterans “are at least 45 percent more likely than those with no active duty military experience to be self-employed.” With more than 2.5 million U.S. businesses owned by veterans—approximately 9.1 percent of the nation’s private sector companies—it is especially critical that these entrepreneurs and founders receive the attention and support that they need to thrive. As we reflect on Veterans Day and the contributions of those who have served our country, Engine wanted to take the opportunity to also celebrate just some of the contributions of veteran-led startups across the United States.
Congress Turns Attention Back to COVID Relief During Lame-Duck Session
TLDR: As Congress returns to work following President-elect Joe Biden’s victory last week, policymakers may finally be turning their attention back to providing economic relief to Americans affected by the coronavirus pandemic. Small businesses and U.S. workers have already waited months for policymakers to offer a viable stimulus package, and it’s well past time for lawmakers to unite behind a proposal that provides long-term support for the nation’s startup ecosystem.
Startup News Digest 11/06/20
The Big Story: Online platforms in the spotlight over election claims. With temperatures running high over the election, Internet companies have found themselves again in the spotlight for their content moderation decisions, especially amid premature claims of victory and unsubstantiated claims about voter fraud.
Startup News Digest 10/30/20
The Big Story: Where Trump and Biden stand on tech policy. With the election in full swing, President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden are wrapping up their respective campaigns. Ahead of the impending election, we wanted to take a look at where the major party candidates stand on some critical tech and startup issues.
Startups, Not Big Tech, Benefit the Most from Section 230
TLDR: A Senate panel is preparing to hold a hearing tomorrow with the CEOs of Facebook, Google, and Twitter to discuss Section 230 and allegations of political bias by big tech firms. Although Section 230 has drawn scrutiny from policymakers because of the actions of large Internet companies, the law allows platforms of all sizes to host user content and engage in content moderation without the fear of potentially crippling lawsuits. Any changes to the law will have an outsized impact on the U.S. startup ecosystem.
Startup News Digest 10/23/20
The Big Story: COVID relief talks stall as startups still wait for support. The Trump administration and Congress are continuing to discuss the framework of a bipartisan coronavirus relief package to support struggling small businesses and Americans, although the lack of progress on an agreement means that a stimulus deal is unlikely until after the presidential election on Nov. 3rd. With startups and small businesses in need of economic support to weather the pandemic’s economic uncertainty, entrepreneurs are calling for policymakers to provide more-targeted relief proposals in the much-needed stimulus package being discussed.
IP Recap - 10/21/20
Last month, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”) announced a reorganization which, among other things, eliminated the positions of Deputy Commissioner and Associate Commissioner for Patent Quality. This is the latest in a series of policy developments which have had the effect of deprioritizing patent quality in the U.S.
White House Efforts To Undermine Visa Programs Will Harm Startup and Tech Innovation
TLDR: The U.S. tech industry and startup ecosystem rely upon the important contributions of high-skilled foreign talent to drive innovation and economic growth. But the Trump administration’s efforts to undermine the country’s visa programs by suspending work visas for immigrants and attempting to narrow eligibility for H-1B visas will harm domestic innovation and drive qualified talent to other countries.