Spence Purnell
Director of Technology Policy, Reason Foundation
Spence Purnell is Director of Technology Policy at the Reason Foundation.
Prior to joining Reason, Spence worked as director of business development at Florida startup Dealers United and as an analyst for the state of Florida's Executive Office of the Governor (Florida Gubernatorial Fellowship).
Spence graduated from Stetson University with a bachelors degree in political science and is working on an MPA at Florida State, where his research has focused on database infrastructure and analytics, economic development, and policy evaluation methods.
Purnell is based in Florida.
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DOJ anti-trust ruling on Google ignores the reality of exclusive contracts
The Justice Department's aggressive approach could have broad economic implications.
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Supreme Court sends Florida social media law back to lower court
Despite not directly ruling, the Supreme Court suggested the First Amendment protects companies’ right to curate and moderate content.
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Default settings don’t drive search engine queries
In a major antitrust decision, a federal judge ruled Google has an illegal monopoly in search.
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The American Privacy Rights Act could hurt the economy
The bill's “data minimization” policy could inhibit companies’ ability to innovate with data, deliver efficient services, and grow the economy.
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Colorado’s rejection of Senate Bill 24-158 is good for privacy, free speech
For now, the defeat of Colorado Senate Bill 24-158 was a win for consumers, privacy and free speech.
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House TikTok ban is unconstitutional and would not make America safer
Policymakers should address national security without infringing upon free trade and the right of free speech.
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Florida should be skeptical of age-based social media ban
Blanket bans on social media use for minors under the age of 16 represent a misguided approach that overlooks the complexities of the digital age and violates the First Amendment.
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Gallup shows how parenting supervision on social media use impacts youth mental health
Before politicians pass constitutionally dubious laws, they should consider other options to reduce the negative outcomes of teen social media use.
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The FTC’s case against Amazon is built on bad economics
The FTC’s claims about seller fees do not paint an accurate picture of the price interactions between Amazon and the third-party sellers who use the platform.
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One of the flaws in DOJ’s anti-trust case: People overwhelmingly choose Google
Even the European Union's 'choice screen' regulations haven't dented Google's dominant market position.
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The DOJ’s weak antitrust case against Google
Consumers have plenty of choices regarding search and other software products, but they often choose Google because they believe it provides the best results.
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Policymakers should examine the economics of data privacy
American policymakers implementing data privacy laws should consider the negative economic impact that overly burdensome frameworks like GDPR could induce.
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States should think twice before regulating AI
AI is already being used in important ways that would be harmed by an AI freeze or a rollback.
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Florida’s Digital Bill of Rights is a regulatory trojan horse
Florida's heavy-handed government regulations would make the internet less friendly for consumers and do damage to Florida’s small businesses.
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The pitfalls of regulating app stores
Policymakers should continue to let app stores innovate and evolve without policy intended to force them into certain practices.
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Florida should learn from the mistakes of California and European privacy laws
Florida can start to strike the correct balance by excluding a private right of action and providing clear guidelines for data sharing.
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Report says big tech monopoly claims are overblown
Paper says to look at Amazon, Google, Facebook, Netflix, Apple, Amazon and others by the level of firm concentration in the economy.
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Social media companies are free to make bad decisions
Social media companies are free to set their terms of service and moderate content as they choose. But this doesn’t mean their policies are smart.