Government & Communications

The technolibertarian dream of a borderless internet may soon get its biggest reality check in years.

Dustin Lloyd, a Democratic primary candidate for Missouri’s state legislature, was a well-known member of his community when he started his political campaign. But there was one important group that didn’t seem to know him at all: A.I. chatbots. If voters quizzed a chatbot like OpenAI’s ChatGPT or Google’s Gemini about Mr. Lloyd, they would find only basic information that failed to convey his focus on helping small businesses. Fortunately for Mr. Lloyd, there was a fix. He tweaked his online presence, publishing a Q&A about himself on his campaign website.

If you are a school or library seeking E-Rate discounts, a rural health care provider, a Lifeline provider serving low-income households, or a carrier deploying networks with high-cost support, you deal with the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC)—the private, not-for-profit corporation that administers the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) Universal Service Fund (USF).

Every year, the Federal Communications Commission releases an annual performance plan that outlines the FCC's agenda and the goals it seeks to achieve. On July 6, the FCC released its Agency Performance Plan for Fiscal Year 2027, which provides the public with a general outline of what the agency is prioritizing in the near future—and what it is not.

The French government said this year that it would replace Zoom and other American videoconference software with a French-developed alternative. Germany is building a homegrown platform for artificial intelligence. Companies in both countries are teaming up to build A.I. chips to rival those of the United States and China. These are modest steps in Europe’s high-stakes race to catch up to America and China in the global sprint for digital independence.

Not every television network carried President Trump’s prime-time speech from the White House, and it did not escape the president’s notice. In a meta moment, President Trump used his address to call out ABC and NBC for not airing his live remarks, claiming the networks declined to do so “because they know how corrupt our system is and they don’t want to reveal it.” He also repeated his frequent demand that the networks’ government-issued broadcast licenses be revoked. “They and others in the media are part of a plot,” the president said, offering no evidence for his claims.

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr announced the appointment of five additional Tribal members to the FCC’s Native Nations Communications Task Force. The Task Force is comprised of elected and appointed leaders, or their designees, from a broad cross-section of Native Nations, as well as senior staff and decision-makers from across the Commission. The appointment of the additional Tribal members raises the total current number of Tribal Task Force members from 20 to 25. The FCC’s members will remain at five.

We commend NDIA’s commitment and courage in bringing the case. This decision is a significant but incomplete victory for those of us committed to meaningful connectivity for all. Congress was right to recognize the historical disparities in access and adoption of critical connectivity tools—and to address these inequities with thoughtful planning and funding. We disagree with the court’s decision that considering the connectivity needs of racial or ethnic minorities constitutes an unconstitutional race-based classification.

On July 15, 2026, Judge John D. Bates of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia issued a decision that could revive a federal grant program the President declared dead more than a year ago. In National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA) v. Trump (Civil Action No. 25-3606), the court held that the Digital Equity Act of 2021 contains an unconstitutional racial classification, but that this single flaw does not doom the law.

The Federal Communications Commission anticipates rechartering of the Consumer Protection and Accessibility Advisory Committee (Committee) and solicits nominations for membership. The FCC has consulted with the Committee Management Secretariat, General Service Administration, and intends to recharter the Committee for a period of two (2) years. The renewed charter will become effective on or before October 9, 2026.