It feels like the ground is moving under our feet. Honestly, if you’re trying to keep up with us tech policy news right now, you’ve probably realized that the old rulebook hasn’t just been revised—it’s been tossed into a shredder. We’re sitting here in early 2026, and the vibe has shifted from "government oversight" to a chaotic mix of aggressive deregulation and intense state-level power grabs.
You might think you know what’s happening because you saw a headline about AI or TikTok. But the reality is way messier. While DC is busy "cleaning house," states like California and Texas are building their own digital borders. It’s a weird, fragmented reality that most people are completely misinterpreting.
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The Great Deregulation: Why the FCC is "Deleting" the Internet
Basically, the biggest story in us tech policy news this year is the "Delete, Delete, Delete" initiative at the FCC.
Brendan Carr, the FCC Chairman, isn't just trimming the fat. He’s gutting the kitchen. Just a few weeks ago, the commission moved to wipe out nearly 3,000 words and dozens of rules from the Code of Federal Regulations. Most of these were "utility-style" burdens—the kind of stuff that formed the backbone of Net Neutrality.
Remember the decade-long war over Net Neutrality? It’s over. The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals effectively killed it by ruling that the FCC doesn’t even have the authority to regulate broadband as a telecommunications service.
"We're continuing to clean house," Carr said recently.
It’s not just talk. The agency is literally looking at every single rule on the books to see what can be axed. For businesses, this means less federal red tape. For you? It might mean your ISP has a lot more freedom to experiment with "fast lanes" or bundled services that we haven't seen in years.
The Nvidia Twist: A 25% "Tax" on AI Strategy
If you follow the money, you have to look at what’s happening with the Department of Commerce and Nvidia. This is where us tech policy news gets really spicy.
For the last couple of years, the US had a "presumption of denial" for selling high-end AI chips to China. That’s gone. As of January 15, 2026, the policy has flipped to a "case-by-case review" for the Nvidia H200 chips.
But there’s a massive catch.
President Trump greenlit these sales but slapped a 25% tariff on chips transiting the US for testing before they head to China. It’s a bizarre middle ground. On one hand, Nvidia gets to reclaim a massive market. On the other, the US government is taking a huge cut of the revenue.
The Fine Print on the H200 Deal:
- Performance Caps: The chips sold to China must be roughly 18 months behind the "bleeding edge" tech used in the US.
- Volume Limits: Exporters can't ship more chips to China than 50% of what they ship to US customers.
- Domestic Priority: Companies have to certify that Chinese orders aren't causing "any delay" for American buyers.
Honestly, it’s a logistical nightmare. Imagine trying to prove to a federal auditor that a shipment to Beijing didn't slow down a delivery to a startup in Austin. It’s "pro-business" on the surface, but the compliance weight is heavy.
The State vs. Federal Privacy War
While DC is deregulating, the states are doing the exact opposite. This is the part of us tech policy news that actually affects your daily life.
As of January 1, 2026, Indiana, Kentucky, and Rhode Island officially joined the "privacy club." We now have 20 states with their own comprehensive consumer privacy laws. Because there is still no federal privacy law, we are living in a patchwork of rules.
California is still the leader here. Their "DELETE Act" is now in full swing. By the end of this month, data brokers have to comply with a statewide deletion system. If they ignore a consumer's request to vanish from their database? The fines are $200 per day, per request. If you have 100,000 unfulfilled requests, you’re looking at billions in penalties.
It’s a game of chicken between state AGs and Big Tech. Texas just secured a settlement over $1 billion for biometric data violations. They aren't playing around.
Musk, OpenAI, and the Death of Section 230?
You can’t talk about tech policy without mentioning the legal drama. Elon Musk’s lawsuit against OpenAI is heading to a jury trial. That’s huge. It’s not just a billionaire spat; it’s a legal test of whether an AI company can pivot from a "non-profit mission" to a "for-profit powerhouse" without consequences.
And then there’s Section 230.
For years, this law was the "Get Out of Jail Free" card for social media companies. It meant they weren't liable for what users posted. But the 9th Circuit is currently weighing whether Meta and TikTok can be sued for "social media addiction."
The argument is that the algorithm—not the content—is the product. If the algorithm is designed to be addictive, Section 230 might not protect them anymore. If that shield cracks, the entire business model of Silicon Valley changes overnight.
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What You Should Actually Do Now
Keeping up with us tech policy news is exhausting, but if you're a business owner or just a concerned citizen, you need a plan.
1. Audit your data footprint immediately. Don't wait for a federal law. If you have customers in California, Texas, or Oregon, you’re already subject to intense scrutiny. Use the new state portals to request data deletions—they actually work now.
2. Watch your ISP bills. With Net Neutrality dead at the federal level, keep an eye on "service optimizations." If your streaming starts buffering while your ISP’s own video service is lightning fast, you’ll know why.
3. If you use AI, check your "Right to Know." States like New York now require chatbots to clearly disclose they are AI. If you're building tools, make sure your transparency UI is up to 2026 standards, or you'll get slapped with a consumer protection lawsuit before you can even ship your beta.
The "light-touch" federal approach is great for innovation, but the state-level "heavy-hand" is where the real legal battles are being fought. Stay sharp. It's going to be a long year.
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Actionable Insight for 2026:
Businesses should prioritize "Privacy by Design" to meet the strictest state standard (likely California or Maryland’s new data minimization rules) rather than trying to manage 20 different sets of compliance. This "highest common denominator" approach is the only way to survive the current regulatory fragmentation.