Breakfast Media Minute
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Free Speech
Online Speech Has Harmful Effects on Both Individuals and Society, According to Mary Anne Franks
July 10, 2020 — A letter signed by over 150 prominent intellectuals and artists was published by Harper’s Magazine on Tuesday, warning against an “intolerant culture” engulfing American values. “As writers, we need a culture that leaves us room for experimentation, risk taking, and even mistakes,” t
Privacy
Pandemic Has Created an Environment for Consumer Fraud, Say Congressional Leaders
July 10, 2020 — The coronavirus pandemic has created an environment that is highly vulnerable to nefarious actors, said Rep. Richard Hudson, R-N.C., in a House Energy and Commerce hearing with members of the Subcommittee on Consumer Protection and Commerce on Thursday. A rise in disinformation, brou
Breakfast Media Minute
Breakfast Media Minute: July 10, 2020
Cybersecurity
Metrics and Automation Can Improve Federal Cybersecurity Measures
July 9, 2020 — Metrics are a new frontier for automating certain cybersecurity measurements, according to Mariam Baksh, a staff correspondent at Nextgov. In a Thursday Nextgov webinar, moderated by Baksh, panelists discussed the benefits of utilizing automation to gather data for more informed metri
Defense Department
Federal Communications Commission Must Reconsider Ligado Offer, Says Former Commissioner
July 9, 2020 — The Federal Communications Commission should rescind or reconsider its Ligado offer, former Commissioner Robert McDowell said in a Lincoln Network webinar Thursday. The webinar, titled “Industry Perspectives: FCC’s Ligado Decision,” saw participants discuss the Federal Communications
FCC
Georgia’s State-led Mapping Initiative, D.C. Has Fastest Mobile Speeds, Coalition to Fight Digital Divide
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp recently publicized Georgia’s Broadband Availability Map, a new tool that aims to bring more transparency about which Georgia households do not have access to high-speed internet. The Georgia Broadband Deployment Initiative team embarked on the public-private data collaborati
X (Twitter)
Algorithms Can Assist With the ‘Infodemic’, But Have Limitations, Says Center for Data Innovation
July 9, 2020 — Social media algorithms can assist with detecting false or misleading content amid the coronavirus, but they have many limitations, said participants in a Center for Data Innovation webinar Wednesday. The event, titled “Can Algorithms Tackle the ‘Infodemic’?” saw participants discuss
BBLO
Section 230 is Essential and Broadly Misunderstood, Say Panelists at Broadband Breakfast Live Online Event
July 8, 2020 — Despite the hate that big tech companies receive, social media platforms are essential in enabling online speech at the level seen today, with the help of Section 230, said Cathy Gellis, an attorney who specializes in internet intermediary law. Gellis made her remarks at the second ev
AI
Contact Tracing App Can Assist in Reopening Localities Safely, According to AI Task Force Panelists
July 9, 2020 — In the absence of federal leadership, the number of coronavirus cases has continued to climb in the United States, reaching a new single-day record number of infections on Wednesday with 60,000 cases recorded in 24 hours, according to infectious disease physician Dr. Krutika Kuppalli.
Breakfast Media Minute
Breakfast Media Minute: July 9, 2020
COVID
Verizon CEO Hans Vestberg Describes 5G-to-the-Home Vision, Claiming U.S. Leads in 5G Deployment
July 8, 2020 – The United States is leading in the deployment of 5G, claimed Verizon Communications CEO Hans Vestberg on Wednesday. Vestberg updated the public on the rollout of 5G and Verizon’s response to COVID-19, among other matters, in a virtual conversation with David Rubenstein, president of
American Federation of Teachers
Funds for Online Learning During Pandemic, Tech and Black Lives Matter Protests, Infrastructure in Massachusetts
Randy Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, called on the United States Senate to approve a House-passed bill that would provide $5 billion to American public schools. The bill would focus on developing solutions for disconnected students affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
Breakfast Media Minute
Breakfast Media Minute: July 8, 2020
CTA
Parler, Gab, and Section 230: Right-Leaning Social Networks Push Alternative to Twitter and Facebook
July 7, 2020 — Many conservatives have long accused popular social media platforms of discriminating against their ideas, but that feeling reached a new urgency in late May when Twitter flagged several of President Donald Trump’s tweets for touting unsubstantiated claims and glorifying violence. The
E-Rate
Lack of Affordable Internet Disproportionately Impacts Minority Communities, Says Commissioner Geoffrey Starks
July 7, 2020 — “The digital divide is just one of many systematic changes we need to make,” said Federal Communications Commissioner Geoffrey Starks on a Tuesday webinar centered on achieving nationwide digital equity and inclusion. The “digital divide” is not a new phenomenon, but one termed almost
