Ashley Johnson
Senior Policy Manager
Information Technology and Innovation Foundation
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 202-524-5549
Twitter: @ashleyjnsn
Ashley Johnson is a senior policy analyst at the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation. She researches and writes about Internet policy issues such as privacy, security, and platform regulation. She was previously at Software.org: the BSA Foundation and holds a master’s degree in security policy from The George Washington University and a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Brigham Young University.
Research Areas
Recent Publications
Review of the Proposed American Privacy Rights Act
In many regards, the proposed American Privacy Rights Act is a reasonable bipartisan compromise, though its draft language still has plenty of opportunities for fine-tuning and three provisions in particular that would have serious negative economic consequences if passed into law.
Privacy Bill Faceoff: Comparing the APRA and ADPPA
Recent history has demonstrated that any federal privacy bill faces an uphill battle toward becoming law. However, the vast similarities between the APRA and ADPPA are cause for cautious optimism.
Redefining Privacy Harms Would Unleash a Flood of Litigation
In recent years, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has aggressively scrutinized the tech sector, going after virtual reality, artificial intelligence, online marketplaces, and Internet service providers. Now in its latest case against data brokers, the FTC and the courts could change the definition of privacy harms, unleashing a flood of litigation and potentially undermining the data economy.
Comments Before the Federal Trade Commission Regarding the Children's Online Privacy Protection Rule
Protecting children’s privacy online is an important goal, especially given the continued lack of comprehensive federal privacy regulation in the United States. With a few minor changes to proposed provisions, the FTC’s updates to the COPPA rule would improve protections for children while ensuring operators of online services do not face overly burdensome requirements.
Updated Children’s Safety Bills Still Contain Serious Flaws
Though Congress is finally making progress on federal children’s online safety legislation with the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) and Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA 2.0), they contain serious flaws that would threaten online free speech, privacy, and the digital economy.
How Congress Can Foster a Digital Single Market in America
In areas ranging from data privacy to content moderation, states are creating patchworks of regulation that confuse consumers, complicate compliance, and undermine the digital economy. It’s time for Congress to step in and establish a consistent national approach to digital policy.
Why Not Ban Everything Potentially Dangerous for Kids?
Effective protection for children online requires a combination of parental responsibility, industry standards, and regulation, not blanket restrictions and bans.
Joint Amicus Brief to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in the Case of NetChoice v. Bonta
Starting from a young age, people use websites to express themselves, connect with others, and learn about a world beyond what they experience in their everyday lives. California’s AADC would completely upend this bustling marketplace of ideas.
Congress' Blame Game Won't Keep Children Safe Online
The Senate Committee on the Judiciary's most recent “Big Tech” hearing on online child sexual exploitation highlighted everything wrong with the current debate surrounding children’s online safety.
Social Media Panic Is the New Video Game Panic
While there are real concerns associated with social media, especially as it relates to children and teens, policymakers will only create more problems by legislating out of fear and public pressure.
Joint Amicus Brief to the US Supreme Court in the Cases of Moody v. NetChoice and NetChoice v. Paxton
All in all, upholding HB 20 or SB 7072 as constitutional would be a travesty for the Internet and the hundreds of millions of Americans who use it every day. The Court should reverse the Fifth Circuit and affirm the Eleventh Circuit.
Lacking a Federal Standard, States Try and Fail to Solve Problems Faced by Kids Online
The landscape of state legislation addressing children’s online safety and privacy demonstrates not only the difficulty of regulating social media and other online services but also the need for a federal standard.
Recent Events and Presentations
Social Media and the First Amendment
Join ITIF for an expert panel discussion exploring the intersection between digital policy issues and the First Amendment, the free speech implications of proposals to address online problems, and how lawmakers could address these problems without infringing on users' or companies' speech rights.
Children on Social Media and the Multistate Lawsuit Against Meta
Watch now for a panel discussion on the facts of the case, the claims against Meta, and how this lawsuit fits into the broader discussion over content moderation, privacy, children’s safety, and the responsibilities of social media platforms.
Age Verification Tech for Social Media: Exploring the Opportunities and Pitfalls
Watch now for the panel dsicussion focusing on age verification technology for social media, AI age estimation, and current capabilities and limitations that policymakers should consider when crafting legislation designed to protect children.
AI, Education and Children’s Privacy Concerns
Gillian Diebold and Ashley Johnson moderate discussions about AI and education and children’s privacy concerns with emerging technology at the Children’s Advertising Review Unit (CARU) Annual Conference, hosted by BBB National Programs.
Big Tech & Speech Summit: The Fragility of Section 230
Ashley Johnson speaks at the Big Tech & Speech Summit, an exclusive forum addressing the red-hot controversies impacting Big Tech in Washington.
Supreme Court Argues Section 230: What’s Next for Congress?
Ashley Johnson offers her perspective on the oral arguments in Gonzalez v. Google, the broader Section 230 reform debate, different legislative proposals for altering Section 230, and the implications of potential changes to Section 230.
What Will It Take for Congress to Pass Bipartisan Privacy Legislation?
Watch the discussion about the progress Congress has made in crafting bipartisan privacy legislation, the ADPPA’s current legislative status, and the remaining areas of debate regarding the legislation.
Police Tech: Maximizing Benefits and Reducing Risks
Join ITIF in-person for a discussion about what emerging technologies are on the horizon for law enforcement and how police departments can get the most out of these technologies while addressing some of the legitimate concerns.
Children’s Privacy in Review: The Future of COPPA
View ITIF's panel discussion on whether and how the FTC or Congress should update COPPA to protect children’s privacy while increasing the quality and quantity of online services for children.
Protecting Political Speech While Reducing Harm on Social Media
ITIF hosted a discussion on how Congress and social media platforms can balance free speech and harm reduction in the regulation and moderation of political speech online.
Removing Barriers to Accessibility on Federal Government Websites
ITIF hosted an expert panel discussion on federal government web accessibility and policy proposals for agencies to improve their compliance.
If Congress Overhauls Section 230 to Make Platforms More Liable for User Speech, What Will Change?
ITIF hosted a discussion of these issues with leading experts on intermediary liability, free speech, and content moderation to discuss the current debate surrounding Section 230 and how the debate may unfold in the coming year.