TLDR: Today is Congressional Startup Day, a nationwide celebration of startups that brings together founders and policymakers to discuss the successes and challenges of entrepreneurship.

TLDR: We’re now a month out from Congressional Startup Day, an event highlighting the importance of startup activity across the country. This annual event connects members of Congress with startups in their states and districts to learn more about the successes and challenges of being an entrepreneur. With the coronavirus pandemic having an outsized impact on U.S. startups, Congressional Startup Day serves as a timely opportunity for members to learn more about how they can support and highlight the work of their local entrepreneurs.

TLDR: Federal officials are sending conflicting messages about their continued participation in global talks about the creation of a framework for digital services taxes (DSTs). While many of these taxes are targeted at large Internet companies, there are concerns that the startup community will be harmed by the trickle-down effect of increased costs for services and products to offset the taxes.

TLDR: Protecting the collection and use of consumers’ personal information continues to be at the top of mind for lawmakers, with new efforts in Congress looking to address the use of personal information in contact tracing apps amid the coronavirus pandemic, and unnecessarily tying the use of targeted online ads to an unrelated intermediary liability law. 

TLDR: Amid the coronavirus pandemic and critical ongoing conversations about race-based inequalities and injustices, Americans are increasingly turning to the Internet to learn, share, and stay informed. That's shining a brighter light on the ways in which Internet platforms handle all kinds of content—including misinformation, violent speech, and alleged infringement from the country's highest office.

TLDR: The U.S. Copyright Office released a long-anticipated report last week which found that the system for resolving claims of online infringement should be updated. While the agency said that it was not recommending any wholesale changes to the current process, it has advocated for updates that would substantially alter the framework for startups that host user-generated content. With more Americans than ever before relying on digital services and online resources to create and share content during the pandemic, it’s critical for lawmakers and federal officials to carefully balance any changes to the law that could have an outsized impact on startups and their users.

TLDR: Federal officials are once again calling for Internet companies of all sizes to undermine secure end-to-end encryption by creating intentional vulnerabilities in their products to facilitate law enforcement access to user data, a move that would risk user privacy and security. The renewed push comes after the Justice Department announced that it unlocked two iPhones belonging to the shooter in last year’s Pensacola Naval Air Station shooting and found that he had been working with al Qaeda.

TLDR: As people across the globe continue to depend upon digital services in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, Internet firms are working overtime to keep their platforms free of misinformation related to the virus. But the rapid proliferation of COVID-19 conspiracy theories is highlighting just how difficult it is for online companies of all sizes to moderate content in a way that promotes user safety.

TLDR: Internet connectivity has become a critical resource for Americans coping with the pandemic, and the increased reliance on digital services is already highlighting gaps in Internet access and sufficient broadband infrastructure across the country. As Congress debates passing a phase four coronavirus relief package that would in part address broadband access concerns, it’s critical for policymakers to understand just how important connectivity is to U.S. startups and consumers.