WASHINGTON, December 10, 2018 — When Google CEO Sundar Pichai raises his right hand before the House Judiciary Committee Tuesday morning, it’s possible the ensuing hearing will be a sober and judicious look into his company’s data collection practices. But Pichai is far more likely to become the latest punching bag for House members –… Keep Reading
WASHINGTON, June 7, 2018 – A top Facebook policy official on Wednesday defended the social media giant’s new policies about safeguarding privacy and data transparency against the doubts of an audience at the New America Foundation, a think tank generally friendly to Facebook. In recent months, Facebook has faced heavy scrutiny from Congress for potential… Keep Reading
WASHINGTON, June 4, 2018 - If the tenor of a Thursday event at the CATO Institute is any indication, Facebook continues to face tough scrutiny from many sides in Washington. Although the event was titled, “Will Social Media Save Democracy?”, the panel instead became a multi-pronged attack on the company framed around a more negative… Keep Reading
WASHINGTON, January 4, 2018 – As the government of Iran continues to restrict internet access to hinder anti-government protesters’ ability to organize and communicate, the Trump Administration continues to condemn the restrictions – which include blocking numerous American social media websites and apps – in spite of previous statements by President Trump that endorsed “closing… Keep Reading
BROADBAND BREAKFAST INSIGHT: Is everyone having enough fun on this issue of network neutrality/open internet/"search neutrality"/Twitter-fenestration? It's been a wacky week, and the craziness is likely to accelerate over the next two weeks. Here, CNET's Marguerite Reardon covers Pai's Tuesday speech at the R Street Institute in Washington. FCC chairman calls Twitter the real threat… Keep Reading
WASHINGTON, November 21, 2017 – In a move that could further infuriate an already-energized coalition of technology industry power players, consumer advocates, and progressive interest groups, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai on Tuesday unveiled plans to undo the net neutrality rules that put in place in some form or another since the early years… Keep Reading
BROADBAND BREAKFAST INSIGHT: Impossible task, meet unfortunate federal agency. | Federal Agency Drafts New Rules For Transparency In Political Social Media Ads, from NPR: The Federal Election Commission is moving to improve disclosure of the money behind Internet and digital ads, as the shadow of Russian-funded social media ads in last year's presidential race hangs… Keep Reading
WASHINGTON, June 15, 2017 - Cybercrimes cost the global economy about $450 billion annually, House Communications Subcommittee Chairman Marsha Blackburn, R-Tennessee, said Tuesday as she cited the 2017 Hiscox Cyber Readiness Report. “Hackers are smart, and they are adapting,” said Blackburn. “McAfee’s 2016 Mobile Threat Report notes mobile devices are quickly becoming the cybercriminals target… Keep Reading
WASHINGTON, September 12, 2014 - In what would have seemed highly unlikely just a few months ago, growing support for public utility regulation is emerging. Tech companies, politicians, internet service providers, and component makers have started to outline their views regarding their policy approach to the issue of net neutrality. In order to understand the… Keep Reading
WASHINGTON, April 15, 2013 – Tom Wheeler, one of the most-frequently mentioned names to take the chairmanship of the Federal Communications Commission, remains perhaps the leading contender for the role, according to a Friday telecom update from Medley Global Advisors. “Venture capitalist and former lobbyist Tom Wheeler picked up a strong vote of confidence from a… Keep Reading
March 17, 2013 – How a music festival connects to their audience is paramount to having a successful event. In recent years, several festivals – including the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival – have turned to aggressive viral campaigns to keep people talking about a festival before and after the music plays. The culture of… Keep Reading
WASHINGTON, March 14, 2013 - As print newspapers continue their long descent into inoperable demise, the rise of the blogger – specifically sports bloggers – has tossed the classic definition of journalist into grayer areas. Matthew Cerrone, a former P.R strategist, started MetsBlog.com in 2003. In the 10 years since the site’s inception, what was… Keep Reading
February 18, 2013 - When pitcher C.J. Nitkowski first started blogging in 1997, even he could never have predicted how fast the medium would grow. By his own accord, Nitkowski “fell into being the first active player on the web.” In 1997, the Houston Astros website, astros.com, asked Nitkowski to write a semi-annual newsletter chronicling… Keep Reading
WASHINGTON, January 29, 2013 - For Max Brown, founding partner and owner of Washington’s Chinatown Coffee Company, small business owners need to embrace the benefits that technology brings. In the two years that Chinatown Coffee has used the app called “Square,” Brown has seen his credit card charge costs drop by about 50 percent. That… Keep Reading
WASHINGTON, January 24, 2013 - Whenever a large gathering commences, chances are that, in addition to cramped quarters and long lines, the influx will also mean a major increase in the number of cell phones, laptops and other Wi-Fi dependent devices. As when on January 21, 2013, President Barack Obama was sworn in for his… Keep Reading
WASHINGTON Thursday April 19, 2012 – First search, then social media, and now privacy concerns? The digital world has transformed the way consumers access content; one can search an article they are interested in, subscribe to Google Reader, follow a friend’s recommendation from Twitter or read an article a co worker read via the Washington… Keep Reading
January 12, 2012 – The Broadband Economy has always been about three things: wired and wireless connections; the iPods, iPhones, and iPads that we got in our Christmas stockings; and the content that makes it fun and useful to “connect” your device to the internet. Some of us talk about the internet and broadband but… Keep Reading
At MIO, we’re well aware that broadband isn’t being used to its full potential because not enough of the right people know what it is or what it can do for them. And since they don’t know what they’re missing, they’re not asking policymakers or the companies that provide broadband to make it more accessible. This is, in essence, the underlying problem that will perpetuate the digital divide. Our nation’s goal is to decrease that divide: to help key decision-makers understand what broadband is and why they need it; encourage companies and policymakers to make it widely available; and help communities make the most of the opportunities it offers for economic development, increased quality and reach of services, and jobs. Keep Reading
WASHINGTON, June 17, 2011 - In the past year, there has been an extensive push for universal access to Internet, seen as the ultimate democratizing tool enabling two-way communication between governors and the governed. But the reality of a ‘digital divide’ leaves the majority of the world’s population without access to the technological infrastructure to support its use. And those who do have access are sometimes more vulnerable to restriction on political basis, as seen in the recent uprisings in the Middle East and North Africa. Keep Reading
SAN FRANCISCO, February 17, 2011 -- President Obama checked in with the U.S.' titans of tech on Thursday in a brief swing through Silicon Valley before heading north to Oregon to visit Intel.
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CHICAGO, March 12, 2010 - When the City of Chicago has tried its hand at computerized technology of recent, it hasn't exactly been a hit with citizens. Those fancy electronic signs on public transit platforms? They tell you everything except the time the next trains will arrive, a la London’s Underground. Those year-old parking meter kiosks that take credit cards? Convenient, perhaps—though they also ushered in an era of quadrupled parking fees. So when city officials unveiled Chicago’s official new website Friday, they took great pains to emphasize that www.cityofchicago.org would make life simpler for residents, businesses and visitors alike. Keep Reading
NAIROBI, Kenya, December 28, 2009 - Confusion about the legal status of undersea cables has caused internet connectivity costs to remain inappropriately high for web users in Africa, speakers said last week at a two-day conference here sponsored by the non-profit group Africa Gathering. “There is a need for an on-going relationship regarding the integration of cables between states, in order to regulate bandwidth, and give consumers high quality internet access, at reasonable costs,” said Nkeiru Joe, a lecturer in International Law at the University of Kent, Brussels. Keep Reading
December 23, 2009 - The Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration is launching accounts to share more information with the public through the social networking sites Facebook, Flickr, and Twitter, according to an internal email sent to NTIA employees last week. Keep Reading
WASHINGTON, December 17, 2009 – A senior government official said Thursday that the Obama Administration has been looking for innovative ways to use technology for the common good. Keep Reading
WASHINGTON, December 16, 2009 - Web content producers applauded the efforts of the Federal Communications Commission to turn Net neutrality principles into enforceable rules – but lawyers, academics and commissioners were divided on whether the agency should begin regulating the internet in the name of democracy and economic growth. “The genius of the Internet is its openness, its dynamism and its availability to one and all,” said FCC Commissioner Michael Copps in his opening statements at a Tuesday afternoon workshop on “Democratic Engagement and the Open Internet.” Keep Reading
December 15, 2009 - The value of universal access to broadband was discussed at an occasionally tense Federal Communications Commission field hearing in Memphis on Monday night. The hearing was intended to focus on whether broadband services are being deployed in a way that allows all Americans to benefit, though it also addressed why internet access is necessary. “I believe that universal access to broadband needs to be seen as a civil right,” said FCC commissioner Mignon Clyburn. “I don’t think you can look at it in any other way.” Keep Reading
SAN FRANCISCO, December 2, 2009 - The phenomenal growth of online social networks is finally moving the decades-long debate over the nature of privacy in the digital world forward, said legal experts at an annual conference on innovation in San Francisco on Tuesday. Congress has threatened to enact and revamp consumer privacy laws for decades, but the complexity of the task has generally stumped the body, except for the areas of finance and health. Keep Reading
November 16, 2009 - Speaking in a country known for its internet censorship policies and heavy-handed government involvement in communications technologies, President Obama repeatedly took the time to voice his support for an “open internet” in Shanghai on Monday. “So I'm a big supporter of not restricting internet use, internet access, other information technologies like Twitter. The more open we are, the more we can communicate. And it also helps to draw the world together,” said Obama. Keep Reading
The FCC has established the OpenInternet.gov web site as a portal for public participation in the discussion about preserving the free and open Internet, introducing collaborative tools Web 2.0 applications. Among the links included on the site is one to Idealscale at http://openinternet.ideascale.com/, which allows the public to evaluate, rank and discuss the ideas regarding the open Internet, in new and improved pathways for communication to encourage and facilitate public participation. Keep Reading
WASHINGTON, September 11, 2009 – The Federal Communications Commission continues to expand its social networking efforts. On Friday, the agency launched a crowd-sourcing platform, Ideascale, at http://broadband.gov/ideascale. Keep Reading
WASHINGTON, June 1, 2009 – This week marks the 19th annual conference, about “Computers, Freedom and Privacy,” which is hosted this week in Washington, D.C. Keep Reading
WASHINGTON, May 14, 2009 - One of President Obama's top technology and economic policy officials said Thursday that broadband infrastructure is and must remain a key priority of the Obama administration. Keep Reading