States are where the action is on tech policy

Yesterday I joined a panel at the MIT Media Lab called “So, Big Tech Tried to Kill My Bill.” It was part of the State Leadership Summit on Digital Choice and the Future of Social Media hosted by Project Liberty and The Anxious Generation Movement. I sat alongside Rep. Brandon Guffey of South Carolina and Casey Mock, with Elizabeth Bramson-Boudreau of MIT Technology Review moderating. Our goal was simple and urgent: compare notes on what industry throws at state lawmakers, how to write bills that hold up in court, and how to keep the public with us.

I left proud of the work happening in Vermont and across the country, and more certain than ever that states are the front line for data privacy and AI governance. Most people still picture Congress when they think about tech policy. The numbers tell a very different story.

What the numbers show

These are the data points behind the slides I’m sharing from the summit:

  • Momentum is real. Statehouses introduced far more technology bills in 2025 than in 2023, a 57 percent increase. That reflects the scale of the challenge and how fast communities want action.
  • AI is surging. States saw a 210 percent jump in AI-related bills from 2023 to 2025. This includes work on frontier model safety, state AI task forces, deepfakes and chatbot abuses, and rules for campaign communications.
  • States are leading, not Washington. Since this wave began, states introduced 2,441 tech bills compared to 179 in Congress, and enacted 242 laws compared to 2 at the federal level.
  • This is red, blue, and purple. More than thirty states and DC have taken steps to restrict phones in school, and comprehensive privacy laws have grown from 3 states in 2021 to 19 in 2024. Voters across the map want reasonable guardrails.
  • Industry is pushing back hard. NetChoice and allies have filed 22 lawsuits to block state tech laws since 2021, and Big Tech’s state-level lobbying has tripled over the last decade.
  • The public is with us. Americans strongly support rules that give people control:
    • 91 percent support the right to delete personal information
    • 90 percent support the right to opt out of targeted ads
    • 90 percent support default privacy settings for kids
    • 86 percent want clear explanations of how algorithms target people
    • 70 percent support easy data portability

Why states, and why now

Everyone knows where policy is actually moving. Civil society groups, academics, engineers, industry, and well-funded front groups are all showing up in state capitols because that is where the laws are being written. The flood of activity can overwhelm smaller legislatures and rural districts. It also means we need to be fluent in complex technical and legal issues while we keep our focus on people.

That is where I lean on my background. I am a technologist and longtime community organizer, and I have spent my career connecting people and systems to solve problems. In the Legislature I serve as Clerk of the House Commerce and Economic Development Committee and on the Joint Information Technology Oversight Committee. I co-chair the Rural Caucus and the Future Caucus National Task Force on AI Policy, and I serve on the NCSL Task Force on Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity and Privacy, as well as NCSL’s Technology and Communications and Labor and Economic Development committees. That mix of hands-on tech experience and bipartisan legislative work is the right toolset for this moment.

Relationships make the difference

These topics are technical. No one writes strong policy alone. I am grateful for the network that is forming across states and sectors. I learn from law professors, researchers, engineers, industry practitioners, civil society advocates, parents, and youth. We compare drafts, pressure-test ideas, and translate fast-moving research into workable statute. The work is deeply bipartisan and cross-chamber. I am collaborating daily with colleagues who do not vote the same way I do, and that gives me real hope.

What this means for Vermont

Vermont cannot afford to sit out while other states set the standard. The evidence is clear. Policy is moving in statehouses, the public wants it, and industry is treating states as the arena that matters most. We will keep advancing practical, legally sound rules on data privacy, child-safe design, and responsible AI. We will keep inviting experts and community members into the process. And we will keep building coalitions that put people first.

Thank you to Project Liberty, The Anxious Generation Movement, MIT Technology Review, my fellow panelists, and the many partners who are doing the work. I am bringing what I learned back home so we can keep Vermont at the table and not on the menu.

Sources noted on slides: Technology Policy Tracker, Project Liberty Institute and Ipsos, Husch Blackwell, OpenSecrets, and NetChoice.

Learn more about Project Liberty here (source of the slides).