i2Coalition Internet Infrastructure Policy Brief: May 2026

Your brief update on important Internet policy issues

OUTLOOK

Republican majority leaders in Congress faced substantial political obstacles in their efforts to pass priority legislation prior to the Memorial Day recess period at month’s end.  The leaders had missed an April deadline for passing a longer term reauthorization of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), so they temporarily extended the law until June 12. Meeting that new FISA deadline is an urgent task for Congress when it returns to Washington on June 1. Similarly, the Republicans were unable to pass by majority vote a reconciliation 2.0 bill to provide 3-year funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Patrol (CBP). A reconciliation 2.0 vote in the Senate was abruptly called off after a series of additional, politically charged issues complicated the debate, including $1 billion in funding for the White House ballroom, followed by backlash and bipartisan blocking efforts planned against the Trump Administration’s nearly $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund announced in May. The Department of Justice explained that the fund is intended to compensate individuals who claim they were politically targeted or suffered from government “weaponization” and “lawfare,” but its opponents voiced concerns that it would function as a political slush fund. A number of lawsuits have been filed to block implementation of the fund.  After the recess Republican Congressional leaders thus need to meet the challenge of achieving a successful ICE and CPB funding majority vote through the reconciliation process, unencumbered by conflicts. On the international front, since the April 8 ceasefire, the Trump Administration has been grappling with how to negotiate the end of the Iran military conflict. President Trump has dismissed suggestions that he needs to strike a deal with Iran quickly to avoid further oil price spikes and political damage to his party in the November midterm elections. A tentative agreement between the U.S. and Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz and start nuclear talks was announced on May 27, subject to final approvals.

TECH POLICY PRIORITIES

Intermediary Liability/Content Moderation. The Senate Judiciary Committee scheduled a social media online safety oversight hearing for June 23 to receive testimony from four major tech company CEOs (Alphabet, Meta, Snap, and TikTok). The hearing is entitled “Examining Tech Industry Practices and the Implications for Users and Families: Is This Social Media’s Big Tobacco Moment?” The Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology, and the Law held a May 13 hearing on children’s online safety. The FTC began enforcement of the TAKE IT DOWN Act, the law which addresses removal of nonconsensual intimate images (NCII).

Federal Privacy. House Energy and Commerce Committee Republicans introduced federal comprehensive consumer data and security legislation – the SECURE Data Act – on April 22. A House E&C Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade (CMT) hearing on the bill has been scheduled for June 3.

Copyright/IP. On May 12, the Senate Judiciary IP subcommittee held an oversight hearing on the U.S. Copyright Office at which Register Shira Perlmutter testified in support of site blocking legislation to combat foreign piracy websites. The House Judiciary IP subcommittee plans to hold a hearing on June 30 expected to cover a range of digital copyright matters, including site blocking legislation and AI.

Antitrust/Competition. Google is appealing a federal ruling that found it violated antitrust law by creating agreements with companies like Apple and Mozilla to make it their default search engine.

Broadband. Rural broadband interests are pressing the NTIA to publicly release performance testing results of all BEAD-funded projects to increase transparency and better assess the program. Congressional efforts on universal service fund (USF) reform are proceeding on two tracks, with Senators Deb Fischer (R-NE) and Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) leading the Senate’s work, and Rep. Richard Hudson (R-NC) leading the House’s USF deliberations.

Find Out More

For more in-depth updates on Internet policy, including issues that specifically impact your organization, please contact us about joining the i2Coalition.