Privacy
Led by Wyden, Democrats Call on NTIA to Reform Privacy Standards for .US Domains
The Democratic legislator called on NTIA end the automatic disclosure of .US web domain users’ personal information.
FCC
Senators, Citing Funding Influx, Press Need to Confirm Rosenworcel
Senators pointed to FCC’s initiatives on mapping, which will need to be good to maximize federal funds for broadband.
Joe Biden
Lisa Hone to National Economic Council, EBB Enrolls 3.2 Million Homes, Oregon Network, Data Sharing Request
FCC’s Lisa Hone appointed to NEC, EBB signs up 3.2 million homes, Oregon finishes network, senators request data sharing.
Benton
Major Change on the Horizon? Explaining the Affordable, Accessible Internet for All Act
December 2, 2020 – As House GOP leaders ask the Government Accountability Office to audit the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) ReConnect program because of concerns federal funds are being used to “overbuild,” Democratic leaders in the House and Senate have filed legislation that aims to build
Section 230
Google, Facebook and Twitter Defend Themselves as GOP Slams Big Tech and Dems Mock Hearing
October 30, 2020 – Tech platform companies Google, Facebook, and Twitter said they not in favor of redefining the phrase, “otherwise objectionable,” that has become a key source of controversy in the political firestorm surrounding Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. The CEOs of the three
CTA
Brendan Carr Thinks FCC Has Section 230 Authority, But Not Others at Communications Association Event
September 29, 2020 – Federal Communications Commissioner Brendan Carr was the odd man out in a conversation about Section 230 in that he actually believes that his agency has the authority to interpret the significant internet statute, he said. In a Thursday discussion hosted by the Federal Communic
Commerce
Senators Discuss Section 230 Shortcomings and Potential Reforms
July 28, 2020 — Senators on Tuesday remained broadly divided on the extent and direction that changes to Section 230 should take. The tenor of the discussion at a Senate Commerce Communications Subcommittee hearing suggested that the law was overdue for an overhaul, as senator after senator criticiz
Boston
Broadband Roundup: FiberCity, Bipartisan Support for Modifying Section 230, Boston Dumps Facial Recognition
June 25, 2020 — The United States’ largest privately-funded citywide open access network is now connected to fiber, announced SiFi Networks on Tuesday. The company has implemented the open access network in the first area of Fullerton, California, and will continue to expand. The objective is to con
Senate Commerce
Rural Digital Opportunity Funds Should be Decreased Until FCC Gets Mapping Right, Says Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel
June 24, 2020 — The Federal Communications Commission should decrease the amount of money distributed through the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund, said Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel in a Senate hearing on Wednesday. The sometimes-confrontational meeting saw members of the Committee on Commerce, Sc
Congress
Senators Introduce Healthcare Broadband Bill as House Companion, Proposes $2 Billion Telehealth Expansion
May 26, 2020 — On Friday, Sens. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, John Boozman, R-Arkansas, Gary Peters, D-Michigan, Angus King, I-Maine, Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., and Ed Markey, D-Mass. introduced “Health Care Broadband Expansion During COVID-19 Act,” the Senate
Apple
Coronavirus Roundup: Contact Tracing Gold Rush, Tech Companies’ Misinformation Criteria, Additional Telelearning Funds
May 12, 2020 — As the United States turns its focus to reopening, tech companies are looking at the opportunities for contact-tracing technology as the next tech gold rush, CNBC reported. Contact-tracing technology, as seen in South Korea, would use GPS technology to tell users if they have come wit
Privacy
Coronavirus Roundup: Senators Urge Distance Learning, Zoom Privacy, NTIA Broadband and RUS Grants
Sens. Edward Markey, D-Mass., Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., Michael Bennet, D-Colo., and Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, on Thursday joined 31 of their colleagues in a letter to House and Senate leadership requesting funding for all K-12 students to have adequate home internet connectivity if their schools close
E-Rate
Coronavirus Rondup: AI on YouTube, Comcast and Internet Essentials, Senators Press FCC over E-Rate Funds
YouTube will be relying on AI to take down content policy violations as the coronavirus spreads, according to Paresh Dave of Japan Today. Alphabet Inc’s Google, which owns YouTube and typically relies on humans to identify violating content, is now transitioning to less accurate automated tools as o
CTIA
In Law More Than a Year, MOBILE Now Advocates Say Act Requires Further Implementation for 5G Deployment
WASHINGTON, December 6, 2019 – Even though the so-called MOBILE NOW law has been effect since March 2018, former Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John Thune, R-S.D., highlighted ongoing implementation needs at a Thursday hearing. Dubbed the Making Opportunities for Broadband Investment and Limitin
Infrastructure
Comcast Touts 100 Gigabit Service, SHLB Seeks Reconsideration on Telehealth, Senate Clears Emergency Communications
Comcast announced Wednesday that it would begin broadband marketing plans reaching speeds up to 100 gigabits per second to businesses, Post and Courrier reports. The company also announced that it has finished a $14-million upgrade to its fiber network in the Charleston, South Carolina, area. Comcas
AI
Senate Hearing Created a Clash With Google Over the Definition of ‘Persuasive’ Technology
WASHINGTON, June 27, 2019 — A Tuesday Senate Commerce Subcommittee hearing, on “Optimizing for Engagement: Understanding the Use of Persuasive Technology on Internet Platforms,” became an open invitation for senators to attack the business model of the technology industry. At the hearing, Google con
