Alan Davidson

Databricks. Former Assistant Secretary of Commerce and NTIA Administrator. Ex-Mozilla, ex-OTI, ex-Google, ex-CDT. Technology + Policy. Dad. Husband.

[Alan Davidson @abdavidson]

Grateful to be confirmed today to serve as Assistant Secretary of Commerce @NTIAgov. My thanks to @SecRaimondo and the many supporters who made this possible. Now on to the work of connecting America and building a better Internet.

[Alan Davidson @abdavidson]

@POTUS @NTIAgov And congratulations to @JRosenworcel and @gigibsohn - two terrific public servants - on their historic FCC appointments. I look forward to working closely with them both.

[Alan Davidson @abdavidson]

I am so honored to be named by @POTUS to serve our country as Assistant Secretary of Commerce and Administrator of @NTIAgov. We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to close the Digital Divide, make the best use of our airwaves, and build a better Internet for all.

[Alan Davidson @abdavidson]

Great reminder @amac: Many of the most pro-consumer, pro-innovation features of Internet law today are not random but the product of principled organizations and people fighting for important things, sometimes over years and at great cost.

[Alexander Macgillivray @amac]

With the Oracle decision today, Google wins the third of a set of big copyright cases about decisions made >10yrs ago by a strong team of lawyers with whom I was privileged to work:
1) book search is fair use
2) the DMCA protects YouTube
3) Android's use Java APIs is fair use

[Alan Davidson @abdavidson]

Congratulations to the many who contributed to this case over the last decade. This amicus last year from @mozilla and other open source tech orgs was just one of many to lay out the stakes. https://t.co/kt1vZcxsZi

[Alan Davidson @abdavidson]

Tremendous Breyer opinion in Google v. Oracle. Hugely positive for the future of computing (and copyright.)
https://t.co/w5pQW0Xh5A

[Alan Davidson @abdavidson]

The tech CEOs risk winning the battle but losing the war. No viral slipups, but no changed minds either. A bipartisan majority is fed up and wants action. The wheels of Congress move slowly, but this was a first step.

[Alan Davidson @abdavidson]

Another historic and frustrating tech CEO hearing today. Nobody should walk away satisfied. That may be just the recipe needed for action. https://t.co/QPyWLMljvn

[Alan Davidson @abdavidson]

The @jack open social media protocol has real promise and was underexplored once again. It remains one of the best product ideas out there for giving users more control over their feeds.

[Alan Davidson @abdavidson]

@SteveBellovin @djweitzner @JerryBerman @sfmnemonic @JonahSeiger @RonWyden @AdamThierer @DMulliganUCB @jmorrisjr @nicolewong "Just when I thought I was out. They pull me back in."
- The First Amendment

[Alan Davidson @abdavidson]

Respect.

[matt blaze @mattblaze]

Discussed signaling and transmission in the telephone local loop today in my surveillance class and it reminded me of what an utterly amazing piece of engineering POTS telephony is.

[Alan Davidson @abdavidson]

@ceciliakang helpfully calls out the top points in our Sec. 230 panel at #SOTN2021. Many thx @ellgood @oliviersylvain @ericgoldman @glakier for keen insight on a tough topic. No pressure, only the future of the Internet and democratic discourse at stake.

[Cecilia Kang @ceciliakang]

good section 230 convo (i'm serious) right now on #SOTN2021

[Alan Davidson @abdavidson]

Repeal Section 230? Leave it alone? Something in between? Something else entirely? Diving into these questions and what might actually happen in DC, with the excellent @ellgood
@oliviersylvain @ericgoldman @glakier Tuesday at #SOTN2021.

[State of the Net Series on February 9, 2026 @SOTN]

Joe Biden and fmr President Trump agreed on only one thing: Section 230 needed to be "revoked, immediately." But amending 230 is more likely. Our experts - @abdavidson @oliviersylvain @glakier @ellgood @ericgoldman - will break down the myriad proposals. https://t.co/nhezFcal4g

[Alan Davidson @abdavidson]

Reading through these orders is like reliving the worst moments of the last Administration, only in reverse.
It's been a good day for America.

[nicolewong @nicolewong]

Today @POTUS will sign executive orders to:
* Rejoin Paris Climate Accord
* Require masks for fed buildings & employees
* End Muslim travel ban
* Bring back DACA
* Pause student loans, mortgage payments & evictions
With historic challenges, this Administration is #ReadyonDayOne.

[Alan Davidson @abdavidson]

We can build a healthier internet with an updated vision of open. Needed: New tech w. a commitment to open standards/sw; demand for healthy open products; tougher regulation to protect users/promote open. A reimagined open internet is the key to the better online life we need.

[Alan Davidson @abdavidson]

This just in: So pleased to share “Reimagine Open”, a paper examining how an updated vision of “openness” can create the better Internet we need. With @mozilla @MitchellBaker @amunyua @ambaonadventure and online here:
https://t.co/uAPXcVPlcs

[Alan Davidson @abdavidson]

Today’s internet moved away from this. “Open” is a watered-down term. Open standards became closed platforms. Companies build walled gardens but call them open. And old tools for accountability have failed to scale. The result: An internet we know can be better.