The FCC’s Communications Security, Reliability and Interoperability Council approved two reports Wednesday, on best practices to improve communications supply chain security and on security vulnerabilities in hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP). CSRIC also got updates from its other working groups. Neither report was immediately available.
The Senate Commerce Committee’s bipartisan kids’ privacy legislation doesn’t need any major amendments to pass, but sponsors are open to clarifying language about what companies and ages are covered, said Jamie Susskind, tech policy adviser to Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., Wednesday.
Telecom-focused lawmakers are hopeful they will be able to reach a final deal in the coming days to include a short-term extension of the FCC’s expiring spectrum auction authority in a potential continuing resolution to extend federal appropriations past Sept. 30 (see 2209090053). Talks Wednesday appeared to be strongly coalescing around a stopgap reauthorization through Dec. 16 -- in line with the likely expiration of the overall CR -- but there’s been no final deal, lawmakers and lobbyists told us. Lawmakers believe the temporary renewal will give them more breathing room to reach a deal on a broader spectrum legislative package during the lame-duck session (see 2208090001).
If the FTC finds Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal directly participated in data practices that violated a 2011 consent decree, the agency won’t hesitate to name him in a complaint, FTC Chair Lina Khan told members of the Senate Judiciary Committee during an oversight hearing Tuesday.
An Arkansas law doesn't clearly give municipalities the right to sue for franchise fees from Netflix and Hulu, a federal appeals judge suggested Tuesday. At oral argument teleconferenced Tuesday from St. Louis, 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Judge David Stras suggested Ashdown and other Arkansas localities might have to ask the legislature to update the Arkansas Video Service Act (VSA) to address their concerns that streaming video companies don’t pay franchise fees.
The FCC will release a notice of funding opportunity “in the coming months” for organizations seeking funding through the affordable connectivity program’s outreach grant program, said Derik Goatson, Office of Native Affairs Policy legal adviser, during a Consumer Action webinar Tuesday (see 2208050023). The grant program’s review process will “prioritize applicants who target underserved low-income households and communities with low ACP enrollment rates,” Goatson said, noting “many of these communities are often tribal communities.”
FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel’s announcement Monday the FCC will launch a notice of inquiry on 12.7-13.25 GHz was a surprise to advocates of using 12.2-12.7 for 5G, but doesn’t necessarily have negative implications for a long-awaited order on the lower part of the spectrum range. The most substantial objections are likely to come from broadcasters, though fixed service, satellite and other links are in the band.
A federal judge questioned whether Facebook has monopolized the social media market, citing reports about hundreds of thousands of users leaving the platform. DOJ and New York Attorney General Letitia James (D) asked the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit to revive an antitrust lawsuit against parent company Meta (see 2208240027), filed by 48 states and territories. U.S. District Judge James Boasberg dismissed the case in June 2021 (see 2106280057), saying the states waited too long to file the claim.
Industry groups continued to disagree whether the FCC should impose stricter requirements on certain voice service providers to curb illegal robocalls (see 2207150053). Some said the commission should extend Stir/Shaken obligations to all providers, while others sought continued flexibility and a technologically neutral approach on which industries any new rules would apply to.
A 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel repeatedly challenged Reno's right-of-action arguments Monday during oral argument in the city's appeal (docket 21-16560) of a lower court rejecting its franchise fee litigation against streamers Netflix and Hulu (see 2202080088). The 8th Circuit is scheduled to hear oral argument Tuesday in an appeal by Ashdown, Arkansas, regarding a similar dismissed franchise fee suit against the streaming services.