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There's a policy issue before Congress so pressing that even Hollywood actors like former "Charmed" star Alyssa Milano are blogging about it. It's called "net neutrality," and its purpose is to control what network owners can charge for their services. Such a plan would harm consumers and crush diversity on the Internet ...

The European Court of First Instance (CFI) buzzed with energy this week as Microsoft and the European Commission squared off over a damaging 2004 ruling that, along with a fine of 497 million euros (US$613 million), creates a new Microsoft product and exposes the company's valuable intellectual property. The circus-like hearing holds wide-ranging implications for American businesses...

Last year, Congress passed the Real ID Act, a law that calls for standardization of drivers' licenses across the country by 2008. The current reaction from states like California and New Hampshire raises questions about how a national ID system would affect civil liberties, putting welcome pressure on the federal government ...

Despite national legislation, spam remains a menace that clogs e-mail inboxes and costs Internet Service Providers millions of dollars. One California company is trying to stem the flow of unwanted mail, but California legislators are threatening to stand in the way ...

This week, the Federal Election Commission (FEC) voted to exempt much political communication on the Internet from the provisions of the McCain-Feingold finance law. This action is a partial win on free-speech rights, but bad news on government control of the Internet ...

French legislators approved a bill this week that will force technology companies such as Apple Computer to share proprietary technology with rivals. Such a move is not only a recipe for disaster but completely unnecessary ...

About a month ago, a bi-partisan group of senators released a statement supporting cable franchise reform. Now key members of the House of Representatives appear to agree. At this rate, consumers might actually see national reform that will slash cable bills and make video service more innovative and interesting ...

The recent news that AT&T made a deal to acquire BellSouth has elicited two reactions: one, an assumption that communications prices will go up; and the other, an assumption that prices will go down. It's always tough to predict exactly what will happen in the marketplace, but the best money will be on the bet that the merger is good for consumers...

Some members of Congress want to tax the Internet, and they're trying to do it under the guise of "telecom reform." That's a trick Americans won't like. It's time to send Washington a message, loud and clear: hands off the Internet ...

At a recent meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, a group of biologists discussed how, in the near future, people could expect to live 100 years. A longer, healthier life is good news to most, but predictably some speakers took a negative, almost pro-death, stance ...

For those who think their cable bills are soaring to all-time highs, it might be reassuring to know that a bipartisan group of U.S. senators agree. At a recent Senate Commerce Committee hearing, members pondered the reasons for the rate hikes ...

AOL andYahoo will soon roll out a new program to charge advertisers for guaranteed access to users' e-mail boxes. It's not the perfect spam-fighting program that some would have hoped for, but those critiquing the plan on free speech and other grounds are out to lunch ...

After a year of heading in the right direction, the California Public Utilities Commission veered off course last week when Commissioner Dian Grueneich initiated a dangerous move towards old command-and-control regulation. Grueneich claimed to be staking out a middle ground in her alternate plan to Commissioner Michael Peevey's outline for a California Telecommunications Bill of Rights...

Google recently created a public-relations firestorm when it unveiled a new search site in China that censors data on behalf of the Chinese government. Though the search giant's success stems from its birth in a free country, that doesn't mean the company is strong enough to enforce freedom around the world ...

The debate over "network neutrality" recently heated up with the release of seemingly conflicting poll results from two consumer organizations. Of course, the devil is always in the details, and much of the debate is about whether or not to regulate the Internet preemptively ...

Anyone who purchased clear sunscreen or wore stain-resistant pants during the holidays was probably enjoying the benefits of commercialized nanotechnology. While nanotech advances are exciting, some observers dangerously press for greater government oversight in the sector ...

"Economics matters a great deal, and American companies are often torn when they consider their actions in a foreign land," said Sonia Arrison, director of technology studies at the California-based Pacific Research Institute As a rule, however, "they should reject collaborati...

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's State of the State address this week reminded California voters that in ten months they'll be casting ballots again, many using electronic voting devices. While popular, e-voting is at risk of being stymied by nervous Nellies and the anti-property lobby ...

Those who claim that racism, sexism, and homophobia run rampant in the San Francisco Police Department got some high-powered ammunition last week. Videos posted on the Web showed police officers participating in outrageous acts -- an embarrassment for the city and a strong demonstration of how technology is reshaping society ...

Sonia Arrison, a TechNewsWorld columnist, is director of Technology Studies at the California-based Pacific Research Institute. She also serves on the Technology Advisory Board for the Acceleration Studies Foundation ...