Industry and others should take many steps to ensure phone customers are aware of call blocking options, an FCC advisory panel recommended. At Monday's Consumer Advisory Committee meeting, CAC members unanimously approved the recommendations to the commission (see 1909160019). Text was released Wednesday in docket 17-59. People should get "blocked call information where consumers customarily view information about the call-blocking and labeling service," such as in wireless and wireline customers' online account information, the proposal said. "Consumers should have options to manage robocall blocking preferences, such as through a customer portal, in-store, by phone, or other choices." Customer service personnel should be trained to help, the committee said. "Providers should maintain a webpage that includes information about opt-out blocking and labeling tools, clearly explaining to consumers the robocall-related services provided, which calls are blocked, and how to opt in and out. The service should be provided at no additional line-item charge." Don't forget traditional wireline service, CAC suggested. "Explore potential means to protect legacy copper line customers from illegal robocalls," it asked of telcos. "The FCC should continue to directly collaborate with consumer advocacy groups and industry to educate consumers on the options for and risks of various methods of combatting robocalls." Stakeholders should together consider "public service ad campaigns, possibly including a celebrity spokesperson, to educate and alert consumers to the efforts of government and industry to tackle the robocall epidemic, and to educate and alert consumers to the robocall-blocking options," the group said. The agency seeks default call blocking services to be free, an agency spokesperson confirmed. FCC representatives wouldn't say whether CAC wants the same. “NCTA voted in favor of the recommendation" by CAC, emailed a spokesperson for the association. "We appreciate all the hard work of the ... committee in developing it.” The Competitive Carriers Association, amid its conference in Providence, Rhode Island (see 1909180061), declined to comment. America's Communications Association backed the declaratory ruling allowing "robocall blocking, including popular third-party robocall blocking tools, on an opt-out basis," an ACA spokesperson emailed. It hopes "CAC’s recommendations will provide helpful guidance to voice providers in deploying opt-out call blocking that protects their customers from the torrent of unwanted and illegal robocalls.” Incompas declined to comment, while USTelecom said it didn't have a comment right away.
CTA standards for health wearables are a “great first step,” but were not independent, Scott McLean, senior manager-biomechanics at engineering consultant Exponent told a Sports & Fitness Industry Association webinar Tuesday. CTA approved voluntary wearables standards for heart-rate monitoring last year. Wearable tech companies “themselves generated those standards,” said the ex-Fitbit researcher. “What’s necessary here is a much stronger, more independent oversight on those standards.” The “biggest challenge” in wearables is what counts for sufficient accuracy in the devices, he said. “That is a really big issue with developing standards, but it’s something that really does need to be addressed.” CTA devised a “reasonable standard for a consumer grade of accuracy,” he said. “But as consumers use these products in new ways, then the question becomes, does that standard really hold true now for these new applications?” As wearable devices “proliferate more," he said, data reliability "can be challenged." There are "limited standards to hold these products against," he said. "Those that do exist tend to have been developed with very limited independent oversight.” CTA didn’t comment Tuesday.
Congress should pass comprehensive federal privacy legislation for a national standard reflecting American values, the Internet Association said Tuesday. IA’s new campaign seeks privacy protections that enable user control over data regardless of industry and location. IA urged legislation that allows users to access, correct, delete and download data. Fight for the Future Deputy Director Evan Greer accused Silicon Valley of trying to get “Congress to pass a law that lets them continue harvesting and abusing our sensitive data” and override state laws like those in California (see 1909160045): “We need real data privacy protections that guard against discrimination, allow people to sue tech companies that misuse their data, and don’t pre-empt state laws.” Also Tuesday, the Internet Society’s (ISOC) Online Trust Alliance reported most companies and organizations it studied don’t comply with international privacy regulations and aren’t “prepared for new US regulations rolling out in 2020.” About 98 percent have privacy statements with language about data sharing, and 67 percent said they don’t share data with third parties. Less than 1 percent “had language stating which types of third parties could access user data,” the group said. ISOC said it analyzed 1,200 privacy statements from organizations.
Stakeholders want the FCC to delay further Lifeline changes and promptly answer an industry petition requesting a pause on stricter minimum broadband service standards set for Dec. 1 (see 1908300026), they said in interviews last week. A proposed order and Further NPRM stirred some concern amid others that the poor could lose access to mobile broadband if the cost exceeds federal reimbursements. Last month, Chairman Ajit Pai circulated the "administrative clean-up" order and FNPRM (see 1908290028). Since a "highly problematic" 2017 NPRM on Lifeline fraud and abuse, Public Knowledge has been cautious about Pai's Lifeline proposals, said Policy Director Phillip Berenbroick. Industry groups are focusing on a representative accountability database (RAD) that collects personally identifying information (PII) from sales agents and employees of eligible telecom carriers (ETCs) who interact with the national verifier database to sign up and renew Lifeline subscribers. Mike Romano, NTCA senior vice president-business development and industry affairs, said ETC employees shouldn't have to provide PII because the telecom companies can track them down. Romano said the RAD asks for last four digits of a Social Security number and home address on a voluntary basis, saying such information would be required if the FCC doesn't decide otherwise by year-end. "It's hard to put the toothpaste back in the tube. If in four months, it turns out you don't need it, that information is already out there. If we're going to think this through, let's wait." ITTA had meetings involving the RAD, said President Genny Morelli, including some last week and others set for this week. ITTA, too, is arguing ETC employees who don't receive commissions to sign up Lifeline subscribers shouldn't have to register. If they do, information should be limited to name, title, business phone number and email, Morelli said. She's encouraged that commissioners' offices were still taking meetings. The petition to delay implementation of new service standards remains "under review," an agency spokesperson emailed Friday. The representative doesn't expect any draft items not covered in a news-media call last month (see 1908190028) to be controversial.
California lawmakers made some improvements to a privacy law, but “many clarifications are still necessary before it will work,” said TechNet California Executive Director Courtney Jensen Friday. The legislative deadline to amend the California Consumer Privacy Act passed last week (see 1909120053). A California attorney general rulemaking is pending. “While we hope the rulemaking process will allow for additional improvements, the importance of federal action to avoid a patchwork of privacy laws has never been clearer, and we urge Congress to act,” Jensen said. With many less-controversial bills headed to the governor, consumer privacy groups breathed a sigh of relief that several state bills they opposed failed to clear the legislature. “Industry tried and failed this session to weaken or eliminate the key protections of the CCPA … but the fight is not over,” said American Civil Liberties Union-Northern California Legislative Director Kevin Baker with Consumer Reports, the Electronic Frontier Foundation and other privacy groups.
Yodel Technologies asked the FCC for a declaratory ruling or retroactive waiver saying calls made using soundboard technology aren’t subject to the Telephone Consumer Protection Act. Soundboard is a computer program, web application or device that catalogs and plays short sound bites and audio clips. The technology requires “a live agent on each call” and “affords the capability for a high degree of interactivity between a caller and a called party,” Yodel said in docket 02-278, posted Friday: “These calls are not wholly prerecorded calls that deprive consumers of the ability to register their discontent or otherwise interact.”
EU and U.S. officials agree on the need for “strong and credible” privacy enforcement to protect citizens and “ensure trust in the digital economy,” said Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and EU Commissioner-Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality Vera Jourova Friday. Senior U.S. and EU officials met in Washington Thursday and Friday, launching the third annual joint review of the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield Framework (see 1909110037). The European Commission is expected to soon publish its annual PS report.
Transparency about use of personal data the health tech industry collects from consumers is among hallmarks of “voluntary privacy guidelines” CTA released Thursday, it said. It created them through consensus from among a “wide range” of member companies, said the association. “The principles cover the collection, use and sharing of data generated from personal health and wellness devices, apps, websites and other digital tools,” it said. They're meant as “baseline recommendations,” said the principles. “We want companies to retain flexibility on how to implement the Principles so they can account for differences in technology, products, and services. We also want companies to preserve control over how they communicate with their consumers.”
The deadline to amend California’s new privacy law passed Tuesday without any filings. But several bills that would affect the California Consumer Privacy Act are pending. A spokesperson for Assemblymember Ed Chau (D), who co-authored CCPA, emailed us Thursday that multiple bills likely to pass this year would make “clarifications and changes” to the privacy law that could have “major impacts for consumers and some businesses.” The Software & Information Industry Association applauded Wednesday’s passage of such a bill. AB-874 amends the CCPA to exclude publicly available information from the definition of personal information. The bill “shows California’s longstanding commitment to the openness of public records and the First Amendment,” said CEO Jeff Joseph.
Ticketmaster should ban facial recognition technology at festivals and concerts, Fight for the Future said Tuesday. The campaign has some tie-ins to Washington: Musicians and groups including Thievery Corporation, from the District of Columbia area, back the request, while Washington’s Summer Meltdown Festival said it will honor it. "@Ticketmaster and others" shouldn't "use #facialrecognition at festivals and concerts,” tweeted guitarist Tom Morello. TicketMaster didn’t comment.