The Archives

Everything written by Ian Adams on law, economics, and more

Ian Adams

Ian Adams is executive director of the International Center for Law & Economics (ICLE). He is responsible for ICLE’s strategic planning, programmatic implementation, and organizational growth. Ian’s substantive policy work focuses on the disruptive impact of burgeoning technologies on law and regulation, with a particular concentration on automation and the future of work, privacy and insurance.

Earlier in his career, Ian was vice president of policy at TechFreedom. Before that, he worked as associate vice president of government affairs at the R Street Institute and held staff roles in the California and Oregon state legislatures. Ian is also a public policy attorney at the international law firm of Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP.

Ian is a graduate of Seattle University, with bachelor’s degrees in history and philosophy, and received his juris doctor from the University of Oregon. He is a member of the California, District of Columbia, and Illinois bars.

Posts

ITSA Foreshadows Final Act in 5.9GHz Fight

Ian Adams & Harold Feld Jun 10, 2021

It’s a telecom tale as old as time: industry gets a prime slice of radio spectrum and falls in love with it, only to take it for granted. Then, faced with the reapportionment of that spectrum, it proceeds to fight tooth and nail (and law firm) to maintain the status quo.  In that way, the ... ITSA Foreshadows Final Act in 5.9GHz Fight

Administrative LawFCCSpectrum & Wireless

In Defense of Usage-Based Billing

Geoffrey A. Manne & Ian Adams Jul 13, 2020

In the face of an unprecedented surge of demand for bandwidth as Americans responded to COVID-19, the nation’s Internet infrastructure delivered for urban and rural users alike. In fact, since the crisis began in March, there has been no appreciable degradation in either the quality or availability of service. That success story is as much ... In Defense of Usage-Based Billing

BroadbandDigital DivideEconomics

Congress Considers Privacy in the Context of COVID-19 and Gets it All Wrong

Ian Adams May 20, 2020

The COVID-19 crisis has recast virtually every contemporary policy debate in the context of public health, and digital privacy is no exception. Conversations that once focused on the value and manner of tracking to enable behavioral advertising have shifted. Congress, on the heels of years of false-starts and failed efforts to introduce nationwide standards, is ... Congress Considers Privacy in the Context of COVID-19 and Gets it All Wrong

AdvertisingConsumer ProtectionFTC