FCC Proposal for Robotexts, FCC Mapping Problems, TikTok’s Preliminary Deal
The FCC is looking to adapt its robocall methods for texts.
September 27, 2022 – The Federal Communications Commission is requesting comments on a proposed new rule to apply caller ID authentication standards to text messaging, according to the release on Monday.
The FCC is proposing requiring mobile wireless providers to block texts, at the network level, that appear to be from invalid, unallocated, or unused numbers, and numbers on a Do-Not-Originate (DNO) list. It also seeks input on other actions the commission might take to address illegal texts, including enhanced consumer education, the release said.
“Recently, scam text messaging has become a growing threat to consumers’ wallets and privacy,” said FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. “More can be done to address this growing problem and today we are formally starting an effort to take a serious, comprehensive, and fresh look at our policies for fighting unwanted robo texts.”
In August, the FCC’s Robocall Response Team reported an increase of consumer complaints about unwanted text messages, which have risen steadily in recent years from approximately 5,700 in 2019 to 8,500 this year.
The FCC’s STIR/SHAKEN robocall regime – which requires providers to authenticate phone calls – went into force in late July.
Broadband data collectors flag early problems with FCC mapping data
Telecompetitor is reporting Monday that organizations are already flagging problems with the FCC’s broadband mapping fabric, including missing locations.
The database is designed to provide address and geolocation information for every broadband serviceable location in the country.
Telecompetitor is reporting that Mike Romano, executive vice president of rural broadband trade association National Telephone Cooperative Association, said 90 percent of its members saw missing locations on the FCC database maps.
According to the story, one complained that coordinates for a broadband serviceable location actually pointed to a swamp; another talked of a location that pointed to a boulder.
“NTIA realized the maps won’t be done until the challenge process is completed,” Romano said, referring to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, which is handling $42.5 billion for broadband infrastructure contingent on those FCC maps.
The next FCC-issued broadband maps are set to be released in November, and the challenge process is ongoing for state agencies, community organizations, and consulting firms to correct potential inaccuracies.
TikTok reaches preliminary deal with White House on security concerns
The Biden administration and video-sharing app TikTok have drafted a preliminary agreement to make changes to its data security and governance without requiring its Chinese-based owner to sell the company, the New York Times reported on Monday.
The drafted terms, according to the Times, state that TikTok would store its American data solely on servers in the United States – rather than on its own servers. Cloud company Oracle is then expected to monitor TikTok’s algorithms that determine the content that the app recommends. TikTok is also expected to create an oversight board made up of security experts that will report to the government, according to anonymous sources cited by the Times.
Senator Marco Rubio, R-Florida, is not convinced of the measures. “Anything short of a complete separation” [of TikTok from ByteDance] “will likely leave significant national security issues regarding operations, data and algorithms unresolved,” he said, according to the story.
Former President Donald Trump, who wanted to ban TikTok, attempted to bridge a deal with ByteDance for a portion of TikTok to be sold to Oracle, which did not materialize.
Concerns have swirled around ByteDance, the Chinese owner of the popular app, and its alleged surveillance and privacy policies that require data from any Chinese applications to be shared with Chinese authorities. TikTok US has repeatedly denied breaching US data privacy regulations.
FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr, who has been an outspoken critic of the app, said on Twitter that the preliminary deal “is very concerning” in that the terms “fall short of securing our [national security].”
