Information Communication and Society
Can affordable internet increase employment opportunities for low-income workers? Evidence from the Affordable Connectivity Program
This study investigates the labor market impacts of the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), the largest US initiative to date aimed at reducing income-based disparities in Internet access. We assess ACP’s effects on labor force participation and employment and test the hypothesis that a key impact mechanism is the expansion of remote work opportunities for program recipients. Using large-scale national datasets, we also explore heterogeneity in program effects by gender, occupation, and connection type (fixed vs. mobile).
The network dialectic: the digital divide and the contradictions of Philadelphia's digital equity strategy
This study examines the political economy, discursive legitimations, and effectiveness of the primary U.S. policy response to narrowing the digital divide: public subsidies for internet service. Using Philadelphia as our case study, we analyze municipal efforts to enroll low-income communities in low-cost commercial broadband plans supported by the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). Like many other U.S.
On moving fast and breaking things ... again: social media’s lessons for generative AI governance
Generative AI systems are increasingly being employed globally, bringing with them both tremendous promise and substantial potential for harm. As is often the case, governance initiatives are lagging behind technological diffusion.