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Startup News Digest 10/15/21

Startup News Digest 10/15/21

The Big Story: New tax deal could impact global startup ecosystem. Officials from around the world are moving forward with a new tax deal that would shift current tax laws and stands to impact both large companies and startups. G20 Finance Ministers this Wednesday endorsed the agreement that 136 countries agreed on last week, which would tax businesses based on where their goods and services are consumed—a shift from taxation based on physical presence. The deal would also set a new global minimum tax of 15 percent.

Startup News Digest 10/08/21

Startup News Digest 10/08/21

The Big Story: Congress hears about startups’ need for clear data rules. Lawmakers have turned back to discussions of a federal privacy framework, including at a hearing this week on data security, which featured testimony from Engine focused on how startups need clarity and certainty around data security practices.

Startup News Digest 10/01/21

Startup News Digest 10/01/21

The Big Story: SHOP SAFE bill advances despite potential to harm e-commerce startups and small businesses. In a first vote this week, the House Judiciary Committee advanced the SHOP SAFE Act, a bill that would create substantial costs and risks for e-commerce startups—making it harder for them to compete—and erect new barriers for entrepreneurs and small businesses who want to sell goods online.

Startup News Digest 09/24/21

Startup News Digest 09/24/21

The Big Story: Congress hits roadblock on immigration reform

A potential pathway to citizenship for Dreamers—a group critical to the startup ecosystem—was derailed this week when the Senate Parliamentarian blocked Democrats’ efforts to include immigration reform in the $3.5 trillion reconciliation bill. Many Dreamers are entrepreneurs, and, as a group, they employ over 86,000 individuals across the country. Legislators are now considering alternative proposals to ensure immigration provisions remain a priority.

Startup News Digest 06/18/21

Startup News Digest 06/18/21

The Big Story: Recognizing the contributions of immigrant entrepreneurs. Throughout the month of June, we celebrate Immigrant Heritage Month and recognize the impact of the immigrant community in the U. S., including on the country’s startup ecosystem. As the nation reflects on the significant contributions of this community as a whole, it is important to acknowledge and uplift the stories of immigrant entrepreneurs and recognize the challenges these founders face.

Startup News Digest 05/28/21

Startup News Digest 05/28/21

The Big Story: Lawmakers consider SHOP SAFE Act despite outsized impact on e-commerce startups. This week, lawmakers examined the recently reintroduced SHOP SAFE Act, which would place high compliance burdens on e-commerce startups with the goal of deterring trademark infringement. The bill was the subject of yesterday’s hearing held by the House Judiciary’s Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet.

Startup News Digest 05/07/21

Startup News Digest 05/07/21

The Big Story: Spotlight back on content moderation as Facebook upholds Trump ban. Internet companies' content moderation decisions are back in the spotlight this week as Facebook’s oversight board—a panel of journalists, activists, and lawyers that reviews the company’s content decisions—announced that former President Donald Trump should remain suspended from the platform, prompting criticism and threats of legislation from Republicans in Congress. Facebook banned Trump in January after the insurrection attempt on January 6th, citing the ongoing risk of political violence. The board also said that Facebook was wrong to impose an indefinite ban and called for the company to decide in the next six months whether to restore Trump’s account, permanently remove him from the platform, or suspend him for a specific timeframe.

Content Moderation Debate Needs Startup Voice

Content Moderation Debate Needs Startup Voice

TLDR: A key House panel is holding a hearing this Thursday with the CEOs of Facebook, Google, and Twitter to examine the spread of extremism and misinformation online. It’s critical that policymakers concerned about the proliferation of harmful content across the Internet understand how potential legislative remedies would impact startups and other Internet companies’ ability to moderate user-generated content.

States Push Unworkable, Likely Unconstitutional Content Moderation Bills

States Push Unworkable, Likely Unconstitutional Content Moderation Bills

TLDR: Across the country, state legislators are pushing bills that would make it harder for Internet companies to moderate content on their sites and services. In addition to raising constitutional and legal problems, the state-level push to limit moderation would disproportionately harm small and emerging companies that are attempting to compete in the Internet ecosystem.

Startup News Digest 02/05/21

Startup News Digest 02/05/21

The Big Story: States pushing social media laws based on unfounded bias claims. Republican state policymakers across the country are pushing for laws that would stop social media companies from engaging in content moderation, amplifying GOP politicians’ long-standing complaints about anti-conservative bias, which were refuted in a recent report. But while Republicans have directed their ire at large Internet companies and Section 230—a bedrock Internet law that allows companies of all sizes to host and moderate user content without being held liable for the content they moderate or for what their users post—their state-level efforts to ban moderation are legally problematic and would hurt small and new companies attempting to compete in the Internet ecosystem.

As Policymakers Turn the Heat up on Tech Policy, Startups Need a Seat at the Table

As Policymakers Turn the Heat up on Tech Policy, Startups Need a Seat at the Table

In a new Medium post, Engine announced the launch of our Startup Agenda 2021, which outlines the policy priorities of the U.S. startup community. The Startup Agenda 2021 covers a range of policy issues that include capital access, connectivity, intellectual property, privacy, and more. As we explain in our post below, there are startups in every state and congressional district across the country, and their perspective is especially critical if policymakers hope to craft rules and regulations that boost innovation and competition.

Startup Community Paying Close Attention to Biden’s Picks for Key Federal Agencies

Startup Community Paying Close Attention to Biden’s Picks for Key Federal Agencies

TLDR: As President Joe Biden’s transition team continues to vet and identify key federal officials, agencies that contribute to technology and small business policy—such as the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)—will likely see new leaders in the coming months. As the Biden team picks new federal officials, however, it should be guided by a commitment to supporting and enabling the nation’s innovation ecosystem.

Startup News Digest 01/08/21

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.

Senate Considering Flawed Copyright, Section 230 Bill That Would Hurt Startups and Their Users

Senate Considering Flawed Copyright, Section 230 Bill That Would Hurt Startups and Their Users

This year has been difficult for every individual and company in the country. During a global pandemic, which has caused widespread economic damage and uncertainty, startups are struggling—struggling to find funding, struggling to navigate existing government relief programs, and struggling to maintain jobs and operations (let alone sustain growth). And across the country, people are looking to Washington for support and guidance.

Statement on Executive Order on Content Moderation

Statement on Executive Order on Content Moderation

The White House’s executive order on “preventing online censorship” is a dangerous move that will encourage bad faith lawsuits, and dismantle the fundamental and commonsense legal framework that startups depend on to compete in today’s Internet ecosystem and keep their platforms free of objectionable content.

Statement on the EARN IT Act

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.

Trade agreements give startups certainty

Trade agreements give startups certainty

When the United States negotiates trade agreements, it has the chance to give startups a similar legal framework abroad that they rely on domestically. This is critically important for smaller companies looking to effectively compete in an increasingly global ecosystem. While Congress still has the ability to update that digital legal framework as it sees fit, the inclusion of digital trade protections in trade agreements gives startups the certainty they need to compete globally.

Report: Nuts & Bolts of Content Moderation

Report: Nuts & Bolts of Content Moderation

In this report, and through a series of events in Washington, D.C. in the summer of 2019, Engine and the Charles Koch Institute sought to unpack the nuts and bolts of content moderation. We examined what everyday content moderation looks like for Internet platforms and the legal framework that makes that moderation possible, debunked myths about content moderation, and asked attendees to put themselves in the shoes of content moderators.