Social Media
Members of Congress Request Facebook Halt ‘Instagram For Kids’ Plan Following Mental Health Research Report
Letter follows Wall Street Journal story that reports Facebook knew about mental health damage Instagram has on teens.
Florida Social Media Law Halted, Ohio GOP Drops Muni Broadband Ban, Online Privacy Protections For Children
Judge rules against Florida social media law, Ohio GOP cuts muni broadband ban, Democrats want increased child privacy protections.
COVID
Sen. Ed Markey Demands Answers from Facebook, Telia Carrier Reports, Google Maps Shows Vaccine Sites
January 27, 2021—Senator Edward Markey, D-Massachusetts, a member of the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, sent a letter Tuesday to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. The letter pressed Zuckerberg to explain why Facebook continues to allow controversial political groups to be recommended t
Former FCC Chief Tom Wheeler Proposes Spectrum Sharing, Communications and Disabilities, 5G in South Korea
In a Brookings Institute post, Former Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler, recommends spectrum sharing to minimize the spectrum shortage caused by increased demand for wireless radio frequencies. As of yet, spectrum is a rivalrous asset. If one party owns it, another party cannot
FCC
Price Caps on Prison Calls, Facial Recognition Act Gains Momentum, Free State Foundation Calls for TCPA Updates
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai is urging state governments to impose price caps on prison phone calls, Ars Technica reported. Pai sent a letter to the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners on Wednesday, saying that it was up to state governments to cap intrast
COVID
Coronavirus Roundup: Senators Question Google on Privacy, UTOPIA CEO on Fiber’s Inevitability, NCTA’s COVID19 Dashboard
Sens. Edward Markey, D-Mass., and Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., on Tuesday asked Google for information about the company’s recently announced COVID-19 Community Mobility Reports. Google describes the project as an aggregated and anonymized form of providing insight into movement trends related to th
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
Net Neutrality
Broadband Roundup: Justice Clarence Thomas Expresses Regret on Brand X, Clearview AI Hacked, Online Privacy Act
In the seemingly never-ending debate over whether broadband classifies as a Title I information service, or a Title 2 telecommunications service, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas regrets his ruling in 2005 that “gave federal agencies extensive power to interpret U.S. law,” reports Jon Brodkin f
FCC
Sen. Markey’s CAMRA Act Gains Support, Senators Seek Delay on Rural Health Changes, Groups Oppose USF Cap
Sen. Edward Markey, D-Mass., announced on Tuesday four new endorsements for the Children and Media Research Advancement Act. This legislation would authorize the National Institute of Health to lead a research program on technology and media’s effects on infants, children, and adolescents. “The lack
Big Tech
Will Copyright Law Save New York Area Baseball Fans?
As the landmark dispute over retransmission consent fees between Fox and Cablevision threatens to drag on through Tuesday, New York area baseball fans who are also Cablevision subscribers are scrambling to make alternative plans to view or hear the game. One ostensibly legal option they have is to
FCC
House Leaders Call on FCC to Protect the Open Internet
WASHINGTON, August 16, 2010 – Democratic Representatives Edward J. Markey of Massachusetts, Anna G. Eshoo of California, Jay Inslee of Washington and Mike Doyle of Pennsylvania urged that the Federal Communications Commission weigh in to preserve an open internet. The letter, they said, is a direct
FCC
Markey Wants FCC to Act to Protect Consumers
WASHINGTON August 6, 2010 – Massachusetts Representative Ed Markey (D) is urging the Federal Communications Commission to enforce network neutrality.
Mobile
Is Apple Big Brother?
WASHINGTON, July 21, 2010 – Buried within a 40 page privacy policy Apple says that it will share location data with its partners. “Apple and our partners and licensees may collect, use, and share precise location data, including the real-time geographic location of your Apple computer or device.” W
