No Cyber Reporting in Defense Bill, Newspapers Sue Social Platforms, 6 GHz Use
Republican interests in the Senate squashed cyber reporting requirements in a bipartisan draft of the bill.
T.J. York
December 8, 2021 – Requirements for certain organizations to report cyber incidents was left out of the Senate’s bipartisan version of the National Defense Authorization Act.
Such requirements were included in the House’s initial version of the bill but following changes in the Senate, the House approved the final bipartisan version of the bill Tuesday.
The reporting requirements also would have established a new Cyber Incident Review Office at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.
Department of Justice officials have expressed support for requiring companies to report cybersecurity breaches, and the Transportation Security Agency has implemented requirements for reporting in the transportation sector that have faced much pushback from industry power players.
According to The Hill, a Senate aide said Minority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, was responsible for blocking the cybersecurity provision during bill negotiations.
CyberScoop reported that Sen. Rick Scott, R-Florida, had asked McConnell to oppose the provision, believing that very few agencies should be subject to reporting requirements.
Newspapers file antitrust suits against Facebook, Google
Over the past year, more than 150 newspapers across 17 newspaper groups have filed advertising antitrust lawsuits against Facebook and Google stating that the tech giants have engaged in illegal competition with local media by monopolizing online advertising.
The lawsuits seek to recover past damages and create a new system that would allow newspapers to compete with the large social media platforms going forward, per Axios.
Similar legal regulations exist in Australia, where online platforms are required to pay publishers when their content is posted on a site.
This legal action comes at a time when Facebook and Google are facing unprecedented legal challenges from both U.S. and international regulators.
Even more newspapers are planning to potentially launch suits against the companies – more than 30 newspaper groups owning more than 200 news outlets have retained the same group of antitrust specialist attorneys.
UTC urges FCC action on 6 GHz
The Utilities Technology Council announced in a press release Wednesday that it had filed a petition with the Federal Communications Commission urging rulemaking and a stay to prevent radiofrequency interference from unlicensed operations in the 6 GHz band.
UTC says that real-world testing has proved that 6 GHz low-power indoor devices cause interference to licensed microwave systems.
They suggest that the FCC stop certifying 6 GHz LPI devices and revoke the certification of those devices it has already approved.
Additionally, they recommend that the agency conduct independent tests to determine if it is necessary to develop new rules for unlicensed standard power access devices, and that a cost recovery mechanism be implemented for incumbent licensees who incurred costs in managing interference from unlicensed 6 GHz operators.
As a global trade association, UTC promotes advocacy, education and collaboration for its members in the technology sector.
