Welcome!

SIIA Events:

In January, we: 

• Co-hosted the Innovation Nation Technology Industry Reception on Sunday, January 19. It was a well-attended gathering that included remarks from Speaker Johnson and OSTP Director-Nominee Michael Kratsios.
• Attended CES where Paul recorded a podcast with Tech Zone with Paul Amadeus Lane and another for Mind the Machine, spoke at a World Economic Forum event on The Trust Dividend in AI, and spoke on a lively panel, AI and the Crisis of Creative Rights.
• Co-sponsored the National Coalition Technology Education Training (NCTET) Education Ball on Monday, January 20.  It was a great event where the nation’s technology and education leaders gathered to honor individuals who have made significant contributions to the education technology field.
• Testified before the Multistate AI Policymaker Working Group to advocate for balanced AI legislation that fosters innovation while protecting consumers. Representing SIIA, Bethany Abbate emphasized SIIA’s role as a trusted voice for innovation policy and outlined key principles for AI regulation. 

Artificial Intelligence

In January, we:

• Submitted comments on FAR Case 2024-001 on inflation adjustment of acquisition-related thresholds, emphasizing strong support for increasing the Micro-Purchase Threshold (MPT) and Simplified Acquisition Threshold (SAT). The letter outlines why these adjustments are critical to enhancing government efficiency, fostering innovation, and enabling greater engagement with small businesses and startups. By reducing administrative barriers and promoting rapid adoption of emerging technologies like AI and cloud computing, the proposed changes will streamline procurement processes and expand opportunities for diverse vendors.
• Were interviewed by Inside AI Policy on the topic of Chinese AI startup DeepSeek. Deepseek quickly became the most downloaded free application in the country on Apple's app store. This grabbed headlines and the attention of Wall Street given the appearance of a low-cost, open-source generative AI tool able to compete with leading artificial intelligence apps such as OpenAI's ChatGPT. President Trump described this as a "wake-up call.” Addressing reporters on Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the National Security Council (NSC) would examine the potential national security implications around DeepSeek's launch, noting that the administration would seek to "ensure American AI dominance."
• Participated in working group meetings for the EU AI Code of Practice. The EU AI Office published the Second Draft of the General-Purpose AI Code of Practice. SIIA has provided input both before and after the publication of the First Draft, and will provide input on this Second Draft.
• Published a blog on AI and global competitiveness in the new administration, advocating for the new administration to secure U.S. technological leadership.  
• Were quoted in an Inside AI Policy article on reactions to President Trump’s repeal of the Biden Executive Order on artificial intelligence. A replacement was not immediately offered, but we anticipate Trump will release a new AI EO in the near future.
• Were featured in a Gizmodo story about AI procurement and the Trump administration.

Education and Children's Privacy

In January, we:

• Issued a statement in opposition of the Keeping Kids Off Social Media Act (KOSMA), re-introduced by Senators Cruz, Schatz, Murphy and Britt last month. Our statement focuses on the challenges around the bill’s constructive knowledge standard.
• Joined a coalition letter with the EdSafe AI Alliance to share recommendations with the incoming administration on how the United States can lead in AI innovation while prioritizing the needs of students and educators.
• Served as a panelist in the webinar "Decoding the New COPPA Rule: Impacts and Implications." Sara Kloek joined Amelia Vance of the Public Interest Privacy Center, Ariel Fox Johnson of Digital Smarts Law & Policy, LLC and Senior Advisor, Common Sense Media, and Cobun Zweifel-Keegan, J.D., CIPP/US, CIPM, Managing Director of the International Association of Privacy Professionals to discuss last week's release of the final COPPA rule.  
• Spoke to the Texas Association of School Boards conference on student data privacy, cybersecurity, and AI.
• Posted a recent case study on our EdTech Principles website. The U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Congress continue to ask for stories on how AI is used in the classroom and how companies are working to be transparent about their practices.  If you would like to be featured in an upcoming SIIA case study, please send Danny an email.

Privacy and Data Policy

In January, we:

• Issued a statement on the Biden Administration’s Executive Order on Strengthening and Promoting Innovation in the Nation’s Cybersecurity.  
• Joined a coalition letter on National Privacy Day (January 28) renewing our advocacy for a federal privacy law. In a letter to the Senate and House Commerce Committee leadership, we emphasize the need for a national privacy framework, guaranteeing individual rights and transparency, preserving responsible and beneficial data, maintaining cybersecurity protections, and maintaining reasonable protections for small businesses and enforcement mechanisms. 

Competition & Innovation Policy

In January, we:

• Met with USTR to discuss our concerns around the proliferation of Digital Markets Act-like bills. The specific impetus for the meeting is a DMA-like bill that is likely to move through the Korean parliament in the coming months.  But we also used the meeting to alert USTR to our continued concerns about similar-type bills that have been passed, or are likely to be, in a number of jurisdictions around the world.
• Commented on the removal of the chair of the UK Competition and Markets (CMA) by the Minister for Business and Trade. The move comes on the heels of an earlier announcement that the CMA had commenced a comprehensive review of its merger investigations. In addition, the UK government has also been concerned that the agency’s enforcement practices were insufficiently focused on economic growth. We commented on the move here. 
• Congratulated Andrew Ferguson on his official designation as Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission. 

State Policy

In January, we:

• Provided testimony to the Multistate AI Policymaker Working Group. Bethany focused on SIIA’s overarching guidance for state lawmakers, and specific comments on the model state high-risk AI model, the Connecticut AI bill, and the Texas Responsible AI Governance act. The written remarks and video can be found here. 
• Submitted letters in opposition to Virginia HB2062 and Maryland SB362 this week. These are state bills modeled on the NO FAKES Act, which stalled in Congress last year. Joining SIIA on the letters were Chamber of Progress, Public Knowledge, Engine, and (VA only) the Electronic Frontier Foundation.
• Submitted a letter expressing concerns with New Mexico HB60, the Artificial Intelligence Act, to bill sponsor Rep. Chandler and the House Consumer and Public Affairs Committee, raising concerns about the bill’s definitions of high-risk AI and substantial factor, which may be overly broad. 

Strategic Litigation

In January, we:  

• Filed an amicus brief of the merits, supporting the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) position for the Consumers Research v. FCC This amicus brief was written in response to the Fifth Circuit’s holding that the Universal Service Fund “violates the Legislative Vesting Clause.” We want to thank our outside counsel, Steve Vladek, and our members for supporting our mission to ensure safe and quality educational technology accessible for all.