OTI Letters and Filings 2024
Legislative and Regulatory Filings
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Jan. 16, 2024
Note: This page will be regularly updated as we file comments, sign on to coalition letters, and complete other legislative and/or regulatory filings.
May
- Coalition Letter Urging Attorney General Merrick Garland and Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines to Declassify the Type of Service Provider at Issue in the New “Electronic Communications Service Provider” Definition
- OTI joined more than 20 civil society organizations in urging Attorney General Merrick Garland and Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines to exercise their discretion to declassify, or otherwise make public, information revealing the type of service provider at issue in the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC) case that gave rise to the new definition of “electronic communication service provider” (ECSP) in the Reforming Intelligence and Securing America Act (RISAA).
- OTI and CDT Lead Coalition Opposing the Kids Off Social Media Act
- A group of civil society organizations led by the Open Technology Institute (OTI) at New America and the Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT) issued an open letter opposing the Kids Off Social Media Act (S. 4213) introduced by Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), and Katie Britt (R-Ala.). The group—which includes the American Civil Liberties Union, Fight for the Future, and the Electronic Frontier Foundation—lists its major concerns with the bill and calls on Congress to focus on passing a bicameral comprehensive privacy bill.
- OTI, ACLU, CDT, EFF, and Fight for the Future Call on House Subcommittee to Improve Kids Online Safety Act to Ensure Kids’ Access to Critical Information
- OTI joined the American Civil Liberties Union, the Center for Democracy & Technology, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, and Fight for the Future in sending House Commerce Chairs and members of the House Subcommittee on Communications & Technology a letter expressing concerns with the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), also known as H.R. 7891, as currently drafted.
March
- 24 Groups Call on the U.S. House of Representatives to Oppose the “Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act”
- OTI joined 23 other civil rights and civil liberties groups in sending a letter to the U.S. House of Representatives, urging them to oppose H.R. 7521—the “Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act”—which would functionally ban TikTok in the United States.
- OTI Urges FCC to Restore 2010 Transparency Rule, Address Issues with Paid Peering Agreements
- In a recent meeting with aides to Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel and FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks, OTI urged the FCC to presume that paid peering agreements “are unreasonable and/or discriminatory practices in violation of Sections 201 and 202 if the exchanged traffic is sufficiently localized by the exchanging party” and to restore its 2010 rule on transparency.
- OTI Joins Civil Society Organizations and Academics in Urging the Commerce Department to Protect Open AI Models
- OTI joined 46 civil society organizations and academics in urging Commerce Department Secretary Gina Raimondo to protect AI openness and transparency. Ensuring that open and transparent AI models flourish is critical to developing trustworthy AI applications that bolster American innovation, global competitiveness, and an equitable AI future for all Americans.
- OTI Joins 20+ Groups in Demanding CVS, Walgreens Protect Patients’ Privacy, Stop Sharing Their Health Data
- OTI joined more than 20 other civil society organizations in sending a letter to CVS and Walgreens, urging them to protect patients’ privacy and stop the practice of sharing personal, medical information without a warrant, legal consultation, or notifying the concerned patient.
February
- 90+ Civil Society Organizations Urge Congressional Leaders to Keep Section 702 Reauthorization Out of Continuing Resolution
- OTI and more than 90 other civil society organizations sent Congressional leaders a letter opposing the inclusion of a Section 702 reauthorization in a must-pass funding bill that Congress will soon consider, emphasizing that using this method to reauthorize Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) without allowing for robust debate or any opportunity for amendments that could reform the law “would demonstrate a blatant disregard for the civil liberties and civil rights of the American people.”
January
- 100 Civil Society Groups Call on FCC to Restore Net Neutrality Protections
- OTI was among the 100 civil society groups to sign onto an open letter urging the Federal Communications Commission to “reinstate all the critical protections from the 2015 Open Internet Order, as well as adopt protections that take into account new technology and what we’ve learned since 2015.”
- OTI Expands On Recent Comments Urging FCC To Adopt Stronger Net Neutrality Rules
- OTI filed reply comments urging the FCC to reclassify broadband internet access as a Title II service and to set conduct standards that prohibit ISPs from engaging in discriminatory behavior, improve broadband service transparency and disclosure to better inform consumers, and empower states to build on FCC protections to further protect broadband consumers.