Robert Winterton

Vice President of Public Affairs at @NetChoice. Tech solves problems. Big government creates them.

[Robert Winterton @RobPWJ]

@davidbmcgarry 🎣 got ‘em

[Robert Winterton @RobPWJ]

@TaylorLorenz Don’t you feel like the “stoking division” narrative started in 2016? I’ve noticed it also often gets used to explain political riots/mass protest (rather than addressing the actual issue lol)

[NetChoice @NetChoice]

NetChoice Opposes NO FAKES Act Markup, Amendments Needed to Protect Free Expression and American Innovation

WASHINGTON—Today, the Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to move forward with a markup of the NO FAKES Act. While NetChoice shares the goal of protecting Americans from the very real harms of unauthorized AI-generated deepfakes, the legislation in its current form contains critical flaws that threaten online expression and the technology sector.

"Good intentions do not make good law. We urge the Senate Judiciary Committee to delay advancing the NO FAKES Act until its serious flaws are addressed," said @abos255, Vice President of Government Affairs at NetChoice. "As written, this bill creates a dangerous financial incentive for platforms to aggressively over-remove lawful content, burdens creators with an unworkable counter-notification system, and fails to deliver the uniform national standard its sponsors promised."

The bill’s current liability structure penalizes platforms up to $750,000 per work for failing to comply with notice-and-takedown obligations, compared to just $25,000 for good-faith compliance. This massive disparity creates an inevitable First Amendment harm by forcing platforms to err on the side of aggressive content removal. Furthermore, the bill remains silent on how services outside the traditional "online service" definition, such as app stores, game stores, and private cloud providers, should handle claims once they have actual knowledge of an alleged replica. This regulatory silence leaves much of the digital ecosystem to guess at its obligations, practically guaranteeing widespread over-removal.

Despite promises of replacing a confusing state-by-state patchwork, the NO FAKES Act fails to establish a true national standard. By preserving every state digital-replica statute and common-law cause of action in existence as of January 2, 2025, the bill simply layers a complex federal regime on top of existing frameworks. Companies seeking to comply in good faith will still be forced to navigate dozens of conflicting state rules, resulting in immense regulatory red tape for American businesses.

Please contact [email protected] with inquiries.

[Robert Winterton @RobPWJ]

@AlexanderPayton Wait till you see our own government try the same thing

[Ben Graham @BenGrahamUK]

If Britain starts restricting VPNs, we'll be joining an exclusive club that includes China, Russia and Iran.

How did the country that gave the world the magna carta end up aligning our internet controls with authoritarian states?

[Teo🗽 @teomanonline_]

Only dictators ban VPNs
Starmer is a dictator

[Robert Winterton @RobPWJ]

Ffs 🤦‍♂️

[GB Politics @GBPolitcs]

🚨NEW: Technology Secretary Liz Kendall says the government is going to make further statements in July regarding "VPNs and further restrictions"

[Chris Ferguson 🇺🇸🎇🎆 @CJFerguson1111]

We’ve been wringing our hands about the crisis in youth mental health and attention. Kids are isolated and anxious, unable to cope with basic things like ordering from a menu. In class, they can no longer read books or concentrate more than a few seconds. But what if, like the “narcissism epidemic” of yore, this never really happened?

I examine some new research in my post today. Check it out!

As ever, link in comments

[Robert Winterton @RobPWJ]

@RebeccaCNReid @matthewdmarsden You can’t just swap government lawmaking in for parenting. It’s not that simple.

Many good parents want their families to have access to these services. It should be up to them.

Kids w/o good parents aren’t going to be helped by a blanket ban that will be poorly enforced.

[Sam Bowman @s8mb]

The internet is good, social media is a large part of the internet, and I resent the government making decisions about what my children can access instead of me.

[Robert Winterton @RobPWJ]

@Conservatives Oh dear oh dear oh dear. Bad policy.

[Christian Dean @christiandean_]

Jonathan Haidt (@JonHaidt) is getting exactly what he wants.

Kids banned from YouTube. Phones banned in schools. Private schools taxed into bankruptcy.

The only information kids will get is state-funded, state-approved, nothing outside the state, nothing against the state.

[Robert Winterton @RobPWJ]

The nanny state is particularly bad when “nanny” is an idiot

[GB Politics @GBPolitcs]

🚨NEW: Teachers are raising concerns about a ban on YouTube for under-16s as many year 10 and 11 students use the platform to learn and revise GCSE content

[Rhydian Lloyd-Francis @RhydianLFrancis]

Nanny-state on steroids. This is a parent’s job, not the government’s.

[Landeur 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 @Landeur]

At 16 you can:

1) Vote
2) Join the Army
3) Play the lottery
4) Have sex.
5) Drive (provisional, full licence at 17).

However, you cannot go on Facebook in the evening.

Makes sense, Keir. Thanks.

[NetChoice @NetChoice]

NetChoice Applauds Sens. Cruz and Wyden for Introducing the JAWBONE Act to Stop Government Censorship

WASHINGTON—Today, Sens. Ted Cruz and Ron Wyden introduced the JAWBONE Act, a bipartisan effort to combat government coercion of online speech. NetChoice welcomes this critical legislation, which takes concrete steps to protect the First Amendment rights of online platforms, broadcasters, and artificial intelligence developers.

"For years, the NetChoice doctrine has established that private platforms possess a clear First Amendment right to independent editorial discretion," said @ZacharyLeeLee, Director of Government Affairs. "The JAWBONE Act takes concrete, necessary steps to shield digital services from illegal government coercion and backchannel bullying."

“This bill gives platforms and everyday Americans a real avenue to vindicate their constitutional rights in court when overreaching bureaucrats violate them,” continued Lilly. “This protection is especially critical in the era of AI, where consumers must be able to use AI services to access important information completely independent of state control. NetChoice applauds this bipartisan effort to safeguard free expression and free enterprise online."

By providing a framework to distinguish between legitimate dialogue and unconstitutional coercion, the JAWBONE Act ensures that law enforcement can continue to work with platforms to protect consumers while empowering those same platforms and citizens when the government oversteps its bounds and violates the First Amendment. NetChoice applauds the JAWBONE Act and encourages the Senate to swiftly advance it.

Please contact [email protected] with inquiries.

[Kent Walker @Kent_Walker]

In stopping scams, industry-leading security is table stakes. But we're going further by filing suits and coordinating with law enforcement and industry partners to dismantle the criminal networks behind the operations.

More details in today's blog → https://t.co/lE1YZOyMxk

[Erik Hovenkamp @ErikHovenkamp]

I had ChatGPT make this table summarizing the new AICOA antitrust bill in terms of (1) violation types, (2) what the plaintiff has to prove, (3) available defenses.

In most cases, the plaintiff doesn't have to show harm to competition. Instead, the burden is on the platform to disprove harm.

[Robert Winterton @RobPWJ]

RT @NetChoice: While tech companies compete to build a robust Digital Safety Shield that empowers parents, lawmakers remain obsessed with u…

[Robert Winterton @RobPWJ]

AICOA would make special rules for businesses like Amazon that don’t apply to Target, CVS, grocery stores, etc. The “play by the same rules” line is completely phony.

The bill attacks leading US firms to no consumer benefit. Foolish & poorly drafted.

[Chuck Grassley @ChuckGrassley]

Big Tech abuses their market power 2stifle competition+restrict consumer choice+raise prices online American consumers pay the price Sen Klobuchar&I introd American Innovation& Choice Online Act 2ensure the worlds largest digital platforms play by the same rules as everyone else