FCC
Facebook has launched a competitor to Chinese social media app TikTok called Instagram Reels, Axios reported. Embedded within Instagram, the service will allow users to create fifteen second videos with a variety of editing tools inside the app, accompanied by a library of music licensed by Instagra
The White House announced Monday, in a notice sent to the Senate, that it was withdrawing the nomination of Mike O’Rielly to Federal Communications Commission for a third term. The notice did not provide reasoning for the action, WKZO reported. The incidence was widely unexpected, coming after O’Rie
August 3, 2020 — Microsoft confirmed its plan to buy Chinese social media app TikTok on Sunday, CNBC reported. U.S. lawmakers have put significant pressure on TikTok, which is owned by ByteDance, accusing it of having dangerous ties to the Chinese government. TikTok and other Chinese apps are “feedi
Americans could soon receive another $1200 stimulus check, CNET reported. On Monday, Senate Republicans plan to introduce the CARES 2 bill, the successor to March’s CARES Act. Once introduced, negotiations will begin over how much money the checks will contain and who qualifies for the funding. Trea
FCC
July 22, 2020 — The United States’ attempts to derail the influence of Chinese technology domestically could backfire, CNET reported. China’s technology offerings are largely high-quality and cost-effective, making them competitive players in the race for universal 5G in the United States. But conce
Tech companies are hesitant to reopen their offices, Axios reported. Many companies have announced that employees will be able to telework through the end of the year, although several had previously planned to allow some employees to resume in-office work before that. Snapchat announced Tuesday tha
COVID
July 15, 2020 — Continuing to expand access to telehealth to facilitate health care during the coronavirus pandemic and beyond is essential, said Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai on Tuesday. In a virtual event sponsored by Axios, Pai explained why the fight for telehealth accessib
FCC
The effort to expedite the production of 5G connective technology is pulling the world apart, WIRED reported. Telecom companies in the United States and abroad have long looked at 5G technology as having the potential to connect disparate ends of the world more quickly and efficiently than ever, but
FCC
5G technology has continued to grow despite the coronavirus pandemic, but some aspects of 5G-compatible technology development have been derailed, CNET reported. In late 2019, China saw its first cases of the coronavirus, and subsequent lockdowns slowed the production of iPhones and other devices th
The Justice Department will reportedly suggest rolling back protections on social media companies, CNET reported. The move follows President Donald Trump’s May executive order, which sought to recategorize social media platforms as “publishers” rather than “platforms” and limit their protections und
china
Downloads of police scanner apps and secure messaging apps have increased in response to concerns about a lack of privacy amid widespread protests, CNET reported. Several companies have already committed to halting the development of facial recognition technologies. But protestors are still concerne
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg defended his decision to leave intact a post from President Donald Trump, which responded to widespread protests by saying that “when the looting starts, the shooting starts,” the New York Times reported. Zuckerberg’s decision comes after Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey chose to
AI
While millions are working from home and attending several online meetings every week on platforms like Zoom, many have reported feeling unnaturally tired after using them. This “Zoom fatigue” is not caused merely by social interaction, scientists say, but a sudden disruption in the way that we comm
A report from BroadbandNow finds that people from states with municipal broadband restrictions pay more for their internet than those without them. The report found that more than half of those from states without municipal broadband restrictions paid $60 or less for their connection. Several states
COVID
The Wireless Internet Service Providers Association on Monday filed comments to the FCC with guidance on taking full advantage of so-called TV “white space” technology. The recommendations are intended to increase the appeal of available technologies to service providers and device manufacturers by
March 31, 2020 – Private-public partnerships are coming to the rescue in the fight against the digital divide and homework gap, writes Kim Hart and Margaret Harding McGill for Axios. Internet Service Providers, non-profits, and companies across the United States are donating devices, providing broad
