Tech Policy Press

New York City Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels and Mayor Zohran Mamdani hold a press conference at the Brooklyn STEAM Center on September 2, 2026 in New York. Photo by: NDZ/STAR MAX/IPx When ChatGPT was released in the fall of 2022, the scale of the impact it could have on K-12 schools appeared obvious.

(Photo by Jonathan Raa/NurPhoto via AP) On August 31, the European Commission designated OpenAI’s ChatGPT as a Very Large Online Search Engine (VLOSE), placing the chatbot under the Digital Services Act's (DSA) most stringent tier of obligations. This decision was long in the making – in fact, we explored different options for how the EC could do this in an extensive paper three years ago.

News of Meta’s $17.1 billion settlement with a California court, in recognition of its impact on the mental health of children, has ricocheted around the world and generated heated debate. The case has led to much public comment about the power and (lack of) accountability of Big Tech, children and social media, mental health and addiction.

Lisa Macpherson is policy director at Public Knowledge. Google CEO Sundar Pichai talks before a dinner with President Donald Trump and Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in the State Dining Room of the White House, Thursday, March 19, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson) On Wednesday, a federal judge in Virginia issued an order on remedies in the Google ad-tech antitrust case. I’m disappointed in the order, and you should be, too.

Demonstrators take part in a protest against the deployment of an AI-assisted police surveillance system in Berlin on July 17, 2026. Photo by Andres Trujilo/ JNA PRESS(Sipa via AP Images) Will public backlash to new technologies lapse into further incidents of violence? Two aspects of contemporary tech suggest the answer is yes. One is the tech industry’s environmental impact—exemplified most clearly in debates over data centers—and its contribution to the effects from climate change.

On August 31, the European Commission designated OpenAI’s ChatGPT as a Very Large Online Search Engine (VLOSE) and named Roblox and Reddit Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs) under the Digital Services Act (DSA).

Seeing More — Seeing Less by Anna Riepe & FARI / Better Images of AI / CC by 4.0 Since August 2, providers and deployers of certain AI systems have faced new obligations to disclose AI interactions, mark AI-generated or manipulated content, and label certain deepfakes and AI-generated text on matters of public interest. The European Commission says the rules are intended to reduce deception and manipulation and strengthen the integrity of Europe’s information environment.

Germany’s Federal Chancellery building in Berlin on July 19, 2025 (Photo by Michael Nguyen/NurPhoto) In June, Germany’s National Security Council decided to create an AI Security Institute, known as DE-AISI.

Photograph of a detail of a 1933 Diego Rivera fresco at the Detroit Institute of Arts. Justin Hendrix/Tech Policy Press Labor Day 2026 comes amid rapid adoption of AI systems in American workplaces, with many workers now applying for jobs through AI screeners or finding their performance managed and judged by bossware. At the same time, the Trump administration is attacking a foundational civil rights protection that helps ensure employment screens actually reflect what the job requires.

Petra Molnar and Liz Carolan are both fellows at Tech Policy Press. A large number of people took part in a gathering of boats and motorbikes in support of the people of Ceuta on 30 August 2026 in Ceuta (Spain). (Europa Press via AP) Over two days in late July, an estimated 72,000 people crossed the border from Morocco to Ceuta, a Spanish enclave in North Africa.