--- title: Advancing Member Priorities - SIIA Policy in May 2026 --- Catch up on how SIIA is working for you on the Hill. ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­    ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­   | View in browser Welcome to SIIA Policy's May in Review.   There's a lot going on here at SIIA Policy and wanted to update you on the work we are doing on the issues we believe are important to you.  I'd be happy to connect with you about any of these activities as well as learn more about your priorities.  Simply reply to this email if you're interested in connecting. - Paul Lekas In this Issue: AI & Emerging Tech  \|  Youth Privacy & Safety  \|  Education Technology Privacy & Cybersecurity  \|  Competition & Digital Trade Strategic Litigation  \|  Intellectual Property Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Tech In May, we: Published a new policy pamphlet on responsible data center growth. The pamphlet highlights how responsible projects can fund new energy generation, modernize grid infrastructure, create skilled workforce pipelines, and invest in local communities through schools, nonprofits, roads, and digital skills programs. Hosted a program, “Expanding and Safeguarding the Digital Frontier,” at the AI+ Expo, providing a critical deep dive into issues involving data centers, export promotion, and export controls. We convened 10 experts, including three from SIIA member companies. For more, see our blog post and LinkedIn post. Joined a coalition of 18 groups in a letter to congressional leadership urging an extension of the Advanced Manufacturing Investment Credit, scheduled to expire at the end of this year, and called on Congress to extend the credit to cover semiconductor R&D. Continued to raise concerns about a bevy of Illinois General Assembly bills that would treat chatbots as “products” for purposes of product liability doctrine. See our latest letter focused on Senate Bills 316 and 317 and a separate letter on House Bill 5044. Joined a coalition of technology and industry organizations in urging Vermont Governor Phil Scott to veto H 816, legislation regulating the use of artificial intelligence in mental health services.  Youth Privacy and Safety In May, we: Issued a statement raising concerns with the U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory and Toolkit on the Harms of Screen Use. Published a blog discussing the GUARD Act and how it is a prime example of a measure that attempts to solve a complex issue through rigid, technically flawed mandates that ultimately put all users at risk. Submitted a letter opposing Minnesota SF4696 (and its companion bill, HF4138), warning that the legislation’s restrictions on “addictive interfaces” and profile-based feeds could produce unintended consequences for families and children online. We also submitted comments on Minnesota SF4997, legislation regulating AI companion chatbots, supporting the bill’s transparency goals while warning that several provisions are overly broad and difficult to implement. Education Technology In May, we: Wrote letters to the leaders of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees outlining a targeted funding plan to modernize and secure America’s K-12 digital infrastructure. K-12 Dive picked up the letter and mentioned it in their recent cybersecurity piece related to the Canvas data breach. Submitted a letter to the House Homeland Security Committee urging lawmakers to strengthen federal support for K-12 cybersecurity infrastructure as part of broader state and local cybersecurity efforts. Were quoted in the Washington Post article Why Some Schools Are Cutting Back on the Technology They Spent Billions On, which examines a growing trend of states pulling back on ed-tech. Joined Vermont Public Radio for a discussion on the growing role of technology and AI in classrooms. Wrote a follow-up letter to the Vermont Senate Education Committee which expands on SIIA’s testimony regarding H650, an act addressing educational technology products. Submitted detailed comments to New York City Public Schools regarding its preliminary artificial intelligence guidance and forthcoming AI Playbook. Issued a statement in response to remarks by Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, on education technology. Privacy, Data Policy, and Cybetsecurity In May, we: Published an op-ed in support of the SECURE Data Act, arguing that preemptive federal privacy legislation is necessary because U.S. state privacy laws cannot fill the gaps at the structural core of the data economy. We also met with Hill offices to discuss the Republican-led federal consumer privacy bill. Submitted preliminary comments to the California Privacy Protection Agency (CPPA) regarding proposed audit requirements under California’s Delete Act and the Delete Request and Opt Out Platform (DROP). Sent a letter to Maryland Governor Wes Moore, urging a veto of HB 711, the “Data Privacy Act,” arguing that the bill is principally an immigration-enforcement measure framed in privacy language and that its amendments to Maryland’s Online Data Privacy Act, Public Information Act, and government data access rules raise serious federal preemption and First Amendment problems. Sponsored a Future of Privacy Forum (FPF) roundtable to gather key industry and civil society voices to discuss data broker regulation and explore potential common ground. A rare opportunity to bring these sides together, the discussion touched on categories of sensitive data, positive use cases of data, and how existing regimes — FCRA, GLBA, DPPA, and state comprehensive privacy laws — and the First Amendment map onto the debate. Launched a dedicated public page for SIIA’s Data Policy Advisory Council (DPAC), a body now in its second year that convenes business, academic, and legal thought leaders to examine issues at the cutting edge of data policy. Attended the National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) Spring Consumer Protection Conference, where state attorneys general and consumer protection staff discussed algorithmic and surveillance pricing transparency, independent monitors in consumer protection enforcement, and broader 2026 enforcement priorities. Submitted a letter to Vermont House Commerce and Economic Development Committee Chair Michael Marcotte raising constitutional concerns with provisions in S.71, the Vermont Data Privacy and Online Surveillance Act. Submitted letters in Illinois opposing data privacy-related bills SB 340, SB 3222, and HB5511, citing constitutional, operational, and privacy concerns, and advocating for a more balanced privacy framework. Competition, Digital Trade, and Innovation In May, we: Led a coalition letter to Federal Communication Commission Chair Brendan Carr expressing serious concerns about the decision to add all foreign-made consumer routers to the FCC’s Covered List. We also previously issued this statement. Joined a multi-association letter to Ambassador Greer, urging the U.S. government to oppose Brazil's proposed digital markets legislation—the Fair Digital Competition Bill. Submitted comments to the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice in response to their joint request for comment regarding proposed changes to the premerger notification process. Submitted comments to the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission in response to their joint inquiry on the need for updated guidance on competitor collaborations. Submitted comments to the Employment and Training Administration concerning a proposed rule to revise the prevailing wage assessments for visas. Submitted formal comments to the Australian Treasury Department, opposing the Government’s proposed News Bargaining Incentive (NBI). Joined a coalition of California business organizations urging lawmakers to oppose AB1776, a bill that would dramatically expand antitrust liability for businesses operating in the state. Joined a coalition of national and Illinois-based business organizations in urging the Illinois General Assembly to oppose SB3353/HB4894, bills that would impose a tax on digital advertising services in the state. Published a blog on the “monopoly broth” theory of antitrust, which has gained currency in influential quarters and holds that a company can be found liable for monopolization by combining multiple lawful business acts if those actions, in the aggregate, can be said to harm competition and were undertaken with anticompetitive intent. Led a broad coalition of technology, retail, manufacturing, automotive, and business organizations in a letter to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and USTR Ambassador Jamieson Greer regarding the Section 232 investigation into semiconductor imports and semiconductor manufacturing equipment. Strategic Litigation In May, we: Filed an amicus brief in the Ninth Circuit supporting Amazon’s preliminary injunction against Perplexity AI to enforce platform access controls against unauthorized AI agents accessing password-protected portions of Amazon’s website. Filed an amicus brief in the Anthropic PBC v. U.S. Department of War, et al. lawsuit pending in the United States Court of Appeals for the District Of Columbia. This is the third amicus brief SIIA has submitted in Anthropic’s ongoing dispute with DoW. Filed an amicus brief in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals to support Meta, Google, and Apple in defending Section 230 immunity for in-app payment processing. Joined a coalition of technology companies to file an amicus brief in support of website operators on appeal from the Rose v. Variety case. Joined the High Tech Inventors Alliance to file an amicus brief in Barry v. DePuy, supporting DePuy’s petition for rehearing before the Federal Circuit. SIIA expressed concerns about unfounded patent assertions that rely on mathematically unsound expert testimony to calculate damages. Published a new episode of SIIA’s The Business of Information Podcast. In this episode, Chris Mohr sits down with Anne Voigts, partner at Pillsbury, for a conversation centered on the case, United States v. Chatrie, to examine how the Fourth Amendment is being tested in the digital age. Intellectual Property In May, we: Joined a coalition of advanced manufacturing and software organizations to request greater White House oversight of the USPTO. Met with USTR to raise awareness about the PTO's conduct that has effectively eliminated the IPR proceedings as a viable alternative to federal litigation. Joined with representatives from UFPR, BSA, Intel, IBM, SAS, and other leading technology and manufacturing organizations to meet with the National Economic Council to discuss the PTO's ongoing dismantling of the PTAB. Filed an amicus brief urging the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit to clarify and reinforce the ITC's “domestic industry” requirements (Apple Inc. v. International Trade Commission).  Filed an amicus brief urging a Supreme Court review of USPTO patent challenge restrictions (Google LLC v. Virtamove Corp).  Meet the Team Chris Mohr - President Paul Lekas - Executive Vice President, Global Public Policy & Government Affairs Sara Kloek - Vice President, Education and Youth Policy Morten Skroejer - Vice President, Competition and Trade Policy Anton van Seventer - Counsel, Privacy and Data Policy Danny Bounds - Counsel, Education Policy Abigail Wilson - Director, State Policy Bethany Abbate - Director, AI Policy Nathanael Andrews - Senior Associate Counsel Joshua Stein - Technology Policy Analyst Antoine Brunson - State Policy Analyst Mardy Goote - Senior Manager, Policy & Anti-Piracy     SIIA, 1620 I Street NW, Suite 501, Washington, DC 20006, +1 202 289 7442 Manage preferences | | --- |