Public Knowledge

Resisting Censorship: Why We Took a Stand at the FCBA Dinner Public Knowledge, Free Press and TechFreedom staged a protest outside of the 2025 Federal Communications Bar Association's annual dinner.

This past Wednesday, we teamed up with @freepress.bsky.social and @techfreedom.org for a protest outside of the FCBA's annual dinner. Read the latest from @mwils.bsky.social on why we did it — and what's all at stake.

publicknowledge.org/resisting-ce...

Nighttime photo of a grand stone church with columns, lit by a projection that reads “RESIST CENSORSHIP” across the top. The front steps are painted in rainbow colors with white text on the risers reading “YOU ARE SO LOVED” and “Come as you are – Sundays at 11:00 am.”

Nine people in coats stand in a row smiling for the camera in front of the same church at night, with the “RESIST CENSORSHIP” projection and rainbow steps visible behind them and a glass-walled modern building to the right.

We were proud to join @freepress.bsky.social, @publicknowledge.bsky.social & @techfreedom.org at a protest outside the annual FCC Chairman's dinner on Wednesday evening in D.C. in opposition to his assault on free speech.

Thank you to the Mount Vernon Place United Methodist Church for hosting us!

Last night,
@publicknowledge.bsky.social and @freepress.bsky.social
made sure FCC Chairman Brendan Carr got the message loud and clear: serve the public and hands off our #FirstAmendment rights! Learn more about how we're resisting censorship at publicknowledge.org

Brendan Carr is being toasted by all of DC’s communications lawyers.

@freepress.bsky.social and @publicknowledge.bsky.social are here to remind them what’s at stake

Projection onto church building that reads, "Defend the 1st Amendment"

Stack of pins that read, "Federal Censorship Commission"

We've gathered with @freepress.bsky.social at the annual FCBA dinner to tell Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr: the job of the FCC is to serve the public, not the president. #ResistCensorship

Alt text that reads, “Join us this #GivingTuesday. publicknowledge.org/giving"

Today is #GivingTuesday, a global day of giving that supports the nonprofits and causes you care about. We hope you can join us in celebrating the work we do to fight for free expression and an Open Internet in the digital era. Visit the link below to donate! 💝

publicknowledge.org/giving

For 25 years, Public Knowledge has fought tirelessly for your rights in the digital era. If you care about defending free expression, securing your privacy, or promoting competition in online markets, we hope you’ll donate to our efforts this #GivingTuesday. Give today: publicknowledge.org/Giving

The Kids Aren't Alright Online: How To Build a Safer, Better Internet for Everyone This paper discusses the need for policymaking that prioritizes making the internet safer and privacy-protective for everyone and outlines how to get there.

You can read our full framework below:

Congress has a real opportunity here – but simply banning kids from the internet is unrealistic and undermines their First Amendment rights. Lawmakers should seize this moment to pass legislation centered on the healthy development, safety, and expression of every child.

The internet has real potential to enrich children's lives: learning, play, relationships, civic engagement, self-exploration. Good regulation should provide an on-ramp for digital literacy, not cut kids off from the benefits altogether.

Weighing in on the Age Verification Debate: Risk-Based Approaches To Minimizing Harm for Child Users The worst online harms to children stem not simply from exposure to indecent content, but from design features that facilitate harmful interactions or compulsive use.

However, high-risk features (adult content, live video with strangers) may warrant stricter verification – with privacy protections.

On age verification: rather than requiring it to access ANY platform, scale verification requirements with risk for specific features. For example: Low-risk features (such as web browsing, educational content) shouldn't need age gates.

What DO we support?→ Tiered risk assessment for features (not blanket age verification) → Default privacy settings for accounts under 18 → Wellness breaks for endless content apps → Friction points to reduce contact from unknown accounts → Researcher access to platform data.

Our principles for lawmakers: 1) Safe product design is essential 2) Empowered young people make the best decisions about their own web use 3) Regulations should be risk-based, focused on features most likely to cause harm 4) Avoid banning categories of content or access outright

A "safety by design" approach shifts responsibility from users and families to corporations: Rather than asking kids to navigate exploitative systems or parents to police each interaction, we should demand companies build platforms that are safe for everyone by default.

Our central argument: the most effective path forward is NOT through restricting kids' access to digital platforms, but instead requiring tech companies to design their services with children's wellbeing as a primary consideration.

The Kids Aren't Alright Online: How To Build a Safer, Better Internet for Everyone This paper discusses the need for policymaking that prioritizes making the internet safer and privacy-protective for everyone and outlines how to get there.

At @publicknowledge.bsky.social, we've spent the past year developing a framework for how Congress should approach this debate.

The hearing's bill package includes some familiar names, such as Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) & Children and Teens' Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA 2.0). Many of the bills bolster the types and availability of parental controls. Newer proposals target AI chatbots.

Tomorrow at 10:15 EST, @housecommerce.bsky.social is hosting a hearing titled "Legislative Solutions To Protect Children And Teens Online," in which lawmakers will discuss a package of 19 bills aimed at making kids safer online.

Stuck at the Start: A Call for the United States to Act on Digital Competition Law When it comes to passing digital competition legislation, the United States is trailing behind its peers.

When it comes to passing digital competition legislation, the United States is trailing behind its peers. Read the latest from @publicknowledge.bsky.social intern Mary Newman on why the time to act is now:

No One Wins Under the Unitary Executive Theory The Trump administration's use of the "unitary executive theory" could reshape the executive branch as we know it.

Read the latest from @bergmayer.net:

publicknowledge.org/no-one-wins-...

Under the "unitary executive theory," any congressional limits on the president's control of the federal government are unconstitutional. But the Supreme Court siding with the Trump administration on these grounds could have serious consequences for our democracy.

In March 2025, President Trump fired both Democrat Commissioners from FTC for the sole stated reason of disagreement with their policy views — an illegal act under existing statute governing the agency. Now, the Trump administration is asking the Supreme Court to change the law.

Public Knowledge Rejects Illegal and Illogical Executive Order Targeting State AI Laws Public Knowledge promotes freedom of expression, an open internet, and access to affordable communications tools and creative works. We work to shape policy.

@publicknowledge.bsky.social finds this proposed Executive Order both an illegal & illogical attempt to bully states into complying with the Trump admin’s demands to abandon all consumer protection efforts in the face of AI. Read our statement from @natpurser.bsky.social:

Yesterday, an Executive Order designed to prevent states from regulating AI within their own borders was leaked. If signed, this Executive Order would establish an AI litigation “task force” at the Justice Department to threaten, harass, & sue states that pass any bill deemed “unlawful.”

I spoke at a @publicknowledge.bsky.social event last week called the People's Oversight Hearing, to call attention to the lack of oversight hearings in Congress on various "independent" agencies, I focused on the FTC. Thanks for the opportunity! Fun to be in the questioner role.

That Escalated Quickly. Chairman Carr Completely Restructures the Wireless Market into an Oligopoly. The new FCC Chairman has made radical changes to the US wireless market in an unprecedentedly short amount of time.

You can also read our recent blog post from Senior Vice President @haroldfeld.bsky.social to learn more about the FCC's previous approach to spectrum management — and why the Chairman's new focus on "spectrum efficiency" poses a threat to consumers and competition alike:

ATT Mobility II Echostar Spectrum Transfer Comments Public Knowledge and Open Technology Institute at New America submitted comments to the FCC in response to the transfer of EchoStar's licenses to AT&T.

More broadly, when regulators eliminate competition, only regulation can protect consumers. Read more in our comments filed to the FCC at the link below: 7/

Because true wireless competition has been squeezed out, the FCC must impose strong, enforceable conditions:
• Fair roaming & wholesale access
• Lifeline + affordability commitments
• Prepaid/no-credit options
• Device unlocking
• Open internet / nondiscrimination 6/

The FCC’s shift to prioritizing “spectrum efficiency” forced EchoStar’s hand. The agency’s own investigations created a regulatory environment where EchoStar’s independence became impossible. The FCC created this problem, and now it must mitigate it. 5/