Zoë Walker

In what has been described as social media’s “Big Tobacco moment,” Meta announced a settlement with 47 states, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands, and Puerto Rico over claims that the company endangered children with intentionally addictive social media platforms.

When the Blue Ridge Broadband Alliance (BRBA) launched in July 2025, momentum was not on its side. The previous five years had been a time of immense growth in the broadband and digital opportunity space. The COVID-19 pandemic thrust the digital divide into the spotlight, and stories of students doing homework in fast food parking lots made it clear that something needed to be done.

“Today’s FCC vote is a deeply troubling step toward weakening E-Rate, a universal program that has connected millions of students, teachers, schools, and libraries—in urban and rural communities alike—to the internet for 30 years,” said Sen Ed Markey (D-MA). “This rulemaking goes far beyond reviewing the impact of screen time on students and undermines educational equality, harms our economic competitiveness, and threatens to reverse three decades of settled law.

An hour outside the state capital, with one-tenth the population, Wilson, North Carolina, is known for the Vollis Simpson Whirligig Park, vinegary barbecue, and excellent, affordable internet service.

In a fireside chat at the Benton Institute for Broadband and Society’s March 5 event, “Telecom Act at 30”, Benton Senior Fellow and Public Advocate Gigi Sohn spoke with former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Phil Verveer, who served as lead counsel in United States v.

At the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society’s “Telecom Act at 30” event on March 5, the architects of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 reflected on how the law came to be, what was successful, and the work that remains to achieve true universal service. Benton Senior Counselor Andrew Jay Schwartzman moderated a panel featuring Gina Keeney, Chip Pickering, Katie King, and John Windhausen. Schwartzman started by asking panelists to set the scene and describe the environment in which the legislation was drafted.

The Blue Ridge Broadband Alliance launched in June of 2025 with a clear goal: to make sure no one in Western North Carolina is left on the wrong side of the digital divide. As the nation and state invest billions in broadband infrastructure, local coordination and community voice have never been more important. In just six months, the BRBA has brought together leaders, industry experts, public officials, and passionate members of the WNC community to learn, collaborate, and advocate for the region’s needs.

The Center for Democracy & Technology’s Hand in Hand: Schools’ Embrace of AI Connected to Increased Risks to Students examines the frequency and variety of artificial intelligence use in educational settings in the 2024-25 school year. CDT finds that teachers and students are using AI tools more than ever before.

New research released by Digitunity explores the key role devices play in bridging the digital divide. Since 2013, the Census Bureau has asked three questions in the American Community Survey related to computer and internet use, focused on the type of computing device used (if any), if the household is connected to the internet, and via what type of internet connection. One in seven households either have no computer at all or rely only on a smartphone for internet access. While smartphones provide convenient internet access and can be more portable and affordable than computers, they lack

Starting on September 27, 2024, Western North Carolina (WNC) was battered by wind and flooding from Hurricane Helene, the costliest natural disaster in North Carolina history.