Congress
Republicans Leaders in a ‘Tight Spot’ After Insurrection Led By Trump, Say Brookings Panelists
Moderate Republicans fear retaliation if they do not support Trump supporters.
Antitrust
Should Conservatives Be For or Against Big Tech? A Question Raised at CES 2021
January 14, 2021 – Big tech companies like Google literally control the flow of information, with significant significant network effects, said Rachel Bovard, a self-described conservative invited to speak at a panel on “What to do about Big Tech” at CES 2021. Speaking at the Consumer Technology Ass
Argentina
Michigan Resident Builds Homemade Fiber, Latest Innovations from LG, 2020 Internet Speeds Declined
January 13, 2021– Jared Mauch works as a senior network architect in rural Michigan and lacked good broadband at home. When Mauch first moved into his home in 2002, he believed that an internet service provider would eventually wire and connect his house with fiber or cable, but it never happened. A
Social Media
Trump Blasts Big Tech and Takes No Responsibility For Inciting Deadly U.S. Capitol Insurrection
January 12, 2021 — President Donald Trump on Tuesday reacted to the content moderation practices that digital platforms exercised since the events of January 6 – including banning him from Twitter — before departing Andrews Joint Base in Prince George’s County, Maryland, onboard Air Force One. The P
CES
Congress Criticizes Big Tech, CES 2021’s Consumer Engagement Playbook, Internet Association’s New CEO
January 12, 2021 – In the wake of a riot at the U.S. Capitol by supporters of President Donald Trump on January 6, Congress is turning their scrutinizing gaze toward big tech companies like Twitter, Facebook, and Amazon. Members of Congress on both sides of the political aisle — although for differe
Broadband Live
Special Broadband Breakfast Live Online Town Hall on Section 230 on Wednesday, January 13, 2021
See, “Crackdown on Online Conspiracy Speakers After January 6 Highlights Need for Platform Accountability,” Broadband Breakfast, January 14, 2021 Our Broadband Breakfast Live Online events take place every Wednesday at 12 Noon ET. You can watch the January 13, 2021, event on this page. You can also
Social Media
Mark Zuckerberg Announces Donald Trump Ban from Facebook and Instagram
January 7, 2021 — Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has announced in a statement posted to his personal page Thursday that Donald Trump will be blocked from using both Facebook and Instagram “for at least the next two weeks until the peaceful transition of power is complete.” The company blocked his acco
Expert Opinion
Drew Clark: The Top 10 Broadband Stories of 2020, and What They Mean for 2021
WASHINGTON, December 30, 2020 – Here are my reflections on the top 10 broadband stories of the past year, presented from number 10 to number one. I’ve also noted the Broadband Breakfast events, news, and expert opinion pieces tracking these topics as they evolve in 2021. 10. The fall of China As mig
Social Media
Facebook Lifts Its Political Ad Ban In Georgia, Leading Up To Senate Runoff
December 23, 2020 — Less than a week after President-elect Joe Biden secured a victory in the 2020 presidential election, Facebook’s post-election plan began to backfire. Since the 2020 election, Facebook has sought to avoid intense and continued criticism over its policies on political ads. Now, as
Section 230
Section 230 Author Calls SESTA-FOSTA a Cautionary Tale of the Dangers of Altering Intermediary Liability Shield
December 15, 2020 — At a moment in which many are calling for the repeal or revision of Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, from President Donald Trump to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham to President-elect Joe Biden (by some statements), the Electric Frontier Foundation
Biden-Harris Administration
Senate Confirms Trump FCC Nominee Nathan Simington, Threatening to Deadlock Commission
December 9, 2020 — The Senate on Wednesday voted 49-46, along party lines, to confirm the appointment of President Donald Trump’s nominee Nathan Simington to the Federal Communications Commission. Critics warn that Simington’s confirmation could stall the incoming Biden administration’s agenda, incl
FCC
Trump Threatens to Veto Defense Bill Over Section 230, Verizon and Pole Attachments, One-Ring Robocalls
President Donald Trump is threatening to veto a critical defense spending bill unless Congress agrees to repeal Section 230 of the 1996 Communications Decency Act, the provision which grants social media companies a liability shield for content posted by third-party users. The president ratcheted up
Section 230
GOP Senators Call Platforms ‘Publishers’ and Want to Strip Section 230 Protections, and Dems Aren’t Fans Either
November 17, 2020 – In the second major showdown between the CEOs of Twitter and Facebook and senators within less than three weeks, Republican Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas, Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, and John Kennedy of Louisiana said the social media platforms needed to be treated as common publish
Commerce
Facebook and Austrian Censorship, Qualcomm Sells 4G Chips to Huawei, Giving Artificial Intelligence Legal Rights
A ruling by the high court in Austria, in line with local defamation policy, ordered Facebook to remove a post insulting a former Green Party leader, and demanded that all similar posts be removed on a global scale. This case has been going on since 2016 when a Facebook user shared a photo of Eva […
Section 230
Proposals to Curtail Section 230 Gather Steam Among Journalists and Thinkers at Reboot Event
November 11, 2020 – The pervasiveness of the debate over recrafting Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act is even impacting discussions about the future of journalism. Speaking on Tuesday at the final day of the Lincoln Network’s Reboot conference, Alberto Ibarguen, CEO of the John S. and Ja
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
