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NEWS FEED
#StartupsEverywhere: DeKalb, Ill.
Located in the greater Chicago area, MoreWithUs – Everyday Jobs is an online platform working to empower job seekers to market themselves to employers. The startup’s goal is to create a wide-reaching social media job candidates’ platform that includes profiles from millions of active and engaged job seekers.
Statement on the EARN IT Act
The Eliminating Abusive and Rampant Neglect of Interactive Technologies (or EARN IT) Act from Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) addresses a critical issue—stopping online child exploitation, which is a goal that startups share. But, as currently drafted, the bill threatens to unnecessarily disrupt the regulatory framework that has helped the Internet flourish and potentially ban the use of strong encryption technologies that protect user safety.
New Bill Would Target Stock Options of Startup Employees
TLDR: Senate legislation introduced late last week would tax certain employee stock options upon vesting, rather than upon exercise. Although the bill is ostensibly designed to curtail the tax benefits that CEOs and other high-level executives receive, the legislation would harm the startup community by targeting the stock-based incentives that new companies use to attract top-tier talent.
Startup News Digest 02/28/20
The Big Story: Concerns mount over digital tax negotiations. World economic leaders at the G20 summit in Saudi Arabia over the weekend warned that a dispute between the U.S. and European countries over the implementation of digital service taxes could pose a threat to the global economy if an agreement is not reached. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has set an end-of-year deadline to negotiate a global tax overhaul that would allow countries to tax large digital service providers who do not necessarily have a physical presence within their borders.
#StartupsEverywhere: Charlotte, N.C.
Charlotte-based startup Vishion is a new mobile tool that lets users search for products from a variety of popular brands by color and hue. The app went live earlier this week, and is already positioning itself as a critical tool for interior designers and homeowners alike. We recently spoke with Samantha Smith, Vishion’s Founder and CEO, to learn more about the mobile tool, Charlotte’s startup ecosystem, and local diversity and inclusion initiatives to increase the voices of overlooked entrepreneurs.
IRS Planning Summit With Cryptocurrency Startups
TLDR: The IRS is planning to hold a cryptocurrency summit next week as part of an effort to “balance taxpayer service with regulatory enforcement.” The summit comes as cryptocurrency firms continue to seek a defined regulatory framework to address lingering tax questions.
Startup News Digest 02/21/20
The Big Story: EU releases blueprint for "tech sovereignty." The European Commission outlined a digital policy proposal this week to restore “technological sovereignty” to the bloc by imposing stricter regulations on large tech platforms and creating new rules for artificial intelligence and data use.
#StartupsEverywhere: Salt Lake City, Utah
Blerp, a Salt Lake City-based search platform, was started by three college friends as a side project while attending the University of Utah. Today, the audio sharing service is integrated with a number of large-scale social media and streaming platforms—including iOS, Android, Twitch, and Discord—and provides users with the opportunity to create and share audio clips with their friends and other online users. We recently had the chance to speak with Derek Omori, Blerp’s co-founder and Director of Operations, to learn more about the app, the Salt Lake City startup ecosystem, and how the company is working to moderate and share audio content in a fun and family-friendly manner.
Startup Perspective Critical in 230 Review
TLDR: As the Justice Department convenes a public workshop today to discuss Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, it’s important for policymakers to understand how the critical intermediary liability protections have allowed Internet platforms of all sizes to grow and succeed.
Startup News Digest 02/14/20
The Big Story: UK moves forward with plan to regulate online harms. The United Kingdom announced this week that it plans to give British regulators the authority to fine social media companies and online platforms for any harmful content that might be found on their sites—the next step in the country’s plan to combat harmful Internet speech. The regulations would apply to any Internet platform that allows for the sharing of user-generated content in the country.
#StartupsEverywhere: Tega Cay, S.C.
Located in the rapidly growing Charlotte region, BAM Concepts is working to evaluate consumer products, such as razors, and then use technology to improve their benefits for consumers. We recently spoke with Attila Madarasz—one of BAM Concept’s three founders and the firm’s managing director—to learn more about the startup’s mission, the Charlotte ecosystem, and the company’s goals moving forward.
DMCA Modernization Efforts Must Include Startup Perspective
TLDR: The Senate is convening a hearing later today to discuss the law surrounding accusations of online copyright infringement. As it stands, online platforms (including startups) are not automatically liable for infringement based on content created or posted by their users. As the Senate reviews the law this year, it’s important to consider the interests of startups since changes in the law could create unreasonable burdens on fledgling companies.
Startup News Digest 02/07/20
The Big Story: Internet platforms strike back at deceptive content. Internet platforms took new steps week to counter misleading content, including limiting the spread of misinformation about the coronavirus and offering new tools to counter digitally manipulated videos known as deepfakes.
#StartupsEverywhere: Folsom, Calif.
Located in the Sacramento region, OpenGrants is a new startup that’s working to provide equitable access to public funding through the use of software and data products. We recently spoke with Sedale Turbovsky—OpenGrants’ Founder and CEO—to learn more about his startup’s work, his concerns about public funding transparency, and what federal agencies can do to further promote entrepreneurial engagement.
Pro Act Would Unnecessarily Burden Early-Stage Startups
TLDR: House lawmakers are moving towards a vote on legislation that would threaten workers, startups, and larger companies alike by reclassifying many independent contractors as employees. The bill shares many concerning similarities with California’s “gig worker” law that went into effect at the beginning of the year and has drawn considerable pushback from the state’s startup community.
Startup News Digest 01/31/20
The Big Story: Lawmakers, FCC push for broadband investments. House Democrats introduced a new infrastructure framework that would invest $760 billion over a five-year period in critical transportation and development projects, including $86 billion to help expand broadband access across the United States. The Federal Communications Commission also voted yesterday to approve a $20.4 billion fund to support broadband expansion efforts across rural portions of the country over the next ten years.
#StartupsEverywhere: Cincinnati, Ohio
Located in The Queen City, software startup 10XTS is using blockchain and distributed ledger technologies to help drive the next generation of regulatory compliant financial services data management. We recently spoke with Michael Hiles, 10XTS’s CEO, to learn more about his startup’s work, the Cincinnati startup ecosystem, and his work on behalf of the Token Taxonomy Act to support the development of the U.S. blockchain industry.
Engine Applauds Signing of USMCA
The United States-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement (USMCA) signed by President Donald Trump this morning is a welcome step for startups looking to innovate and grow on a global scale. USMCA has been hailed as a template for future trade agreements between the U.S. and other countries, and we’re pleased that the deal includes startup-friendly provisions that defend IP rights and promote intermediary liability protections.
State Digital Tax Proposals Threaten Startup Ecosystem
TLDR: As countries continue to debate whether or not to levy digital services taxes on tech companies, several states are considering implementing their own digital tax measures. While the currently proposed state-level bills are unlikely to receive much traction, they demonstrate a growing willingness on the part of state representatives to levy their own taxes against online companies of all sizes.
Startup News Digest 01/24/20
The Big Story: Truce on tech taxes, for now. The United States and France have agreed to a temporary truce on a controversial French digital services tax, even as other countries continue moving forward with plans to impose their own digital taxes on Internet platforms.