California’s Browser Law: The Next Quiet Hours Trap
Across North America and beyond, policymakers are taking new interest in how data, consent, and communication standards evolve. MEF Advisor Paul Ruppert explains how California’s latest privacy move signals a broader shift in digital governance and explores what’s driving that momentum. California’s latest “browser privacy” initiative may appear to be a noble act of consumer protection.
Wireless Wars, Emerging Networks & AI: A Conversation with Jon Pelson
MEF Advisor Paul Ruppert welcomes telecom veteran and Wireless Wars author Jon Pelson for a discussion on how emerging networks shape AI, security, and global competitiveness. Pelson’s book, published in 2021, chronicled how the West squandered its lead in wireless technology, paving the way for China’s Huawei to dominate the world’s 5G infrastructure.
Safe Houses, SIM Cards, and Shadow Wars: Lessons from the Secret Service Bust
MEF Advisor Paul Ruppert discusses how the case of a recent discovery of a massive SIM farm in New York highlights growing risks within global telecommunications, underscoring broader concerns around supply chains, infrastructure security, and potential nation-state or criminal involvement.
When the U.S. Secret Service announced earlier this week that it had dismantled a sprawling “cellular device network” across the New York City region, most headlines framed it as a thwarted plot to threaten senior officials. Fair enough — that’s the public hook.
The Power – and Responsibility – of Personalisation
Personalisation is no longer a buzzword but a strategic imperative shaping mobile commerce, identity, and customer engagement. A recent Meta-Deloitte report highlights trust, regulation, AI, and cross-functional collaboration as critical to success. While mobile remains the most personal channel, demanding privacy-first strategies, MEF CEO Dario Betti suggests this is both a challenge and opportunity for the mobile ecosystem.
The FTC draws a Red Line: Don’t Export Foreign Censorship – or Weaken U.S. Security
MEF Advisor Paul Ruppert highlights the FTC warning to tech firms not to weaken U.S. security or apply foreign censorship rules to Americans. The agency cites Europe’s DSA and UK laws as pressure points. Companies must separate U.S. operations, substantiate encryption promises, disclose constraints, and prepare governance plans or risk enforcement under Section 5 of the FTC Act.
Match Group’s $14 Million FTC Settlement: the Click-to-Cancel Debate
Match Group will pay $14M and revise practices after an FTC settlement over misleading guarantees and tough cancellations. The case underscores risks for subscription businesses, payment providers, and aggregators in the mobile ecosystem. It stresses transparency, fairness, and trust as essentials. MEF CEO Dario Betti examines how consumer protection remains central, urging businesses to simplify cancellations and avoid dark patterns.
Text Messaging becoming ‘telemarketing’? What legislators in Texas, Oregon and Michigan mean for Business Messaging
U.S. states are moving fast to fold text messaging into telemarketing laws, reshaping compliance for brands and platforms. MEF Advisor Paul R. Ruppert explains why the trend, fueled by consumer frustration and shifting legal interpretations, means messaging programmes must adapt quickly or risk lawsuits and disruption. The U.S. is in the middle of a fast clip of state laws that pull text messages into telemarketing rules—and give consumers and attorneys new ways to enforce them. In June, Texas enacted SB 140, which explicitly treats SMS/MMS as “telephone solicitation
Telecom Services: Cheaper Than Ever, Is It Sustainable?
Telecom prices in Italy have dropped 30% over the past decade, benefiting consumers but straining operators. As revenues fall and infrastructure costs rise, the industry’s ability to fund 5G and fiber rollouts is under pressure. MEF CEO Dario Betti discusses how the sector can sustain investment while prices keep falling. Telecom bills are falling fast—at least for now. According to the latest AGCOM 2025 annual survey, telecom services in Italy are now 30% cheaper than they were a decade ago.
Mobile Content Consumption Trends and Growth in Sub-Saharan Africa: The Role of Mobile Payments
With over 55% of adults now using mobile money and digital content consumption accelerating, Sub-Saharan Africa is at the forefront of a mobile-first revolution. From 5G rollouts and booming local content production to new monetization strategies like direct carrier billing, the region is shaping the future of digital engagement. MEF CEO Dario Betti takes a look at the trends driving this transformation. Sub-Saharan Africa is experiencing a digital revolution, with mobile technology at its core. The region’s mobile industry is a major economic driver, and mobile payments are pivotal in this transformation.
Mobile Content Consumption Trends and Growth in Sub-Saharan Africa: The Role of Mobile Payments
With over 55% of adults now using mobile money and digital content consumption accelerating, Sub-Saharan Africa is at the forefront of a mobile-first revolution. From 5G rollouts and booming local content production to new monetization strategies like direct carrier billing, the region is shaping the future of digital engagement. MEF CEO Dario Betti takes a look at the trends driving this transformation. Sub-Saharan Africa is experiencing a digital revolution, with mobile technology at its core. The region’s mobile industry is a major economic driver, and mobile payments are pivotal in this transformation.
