Commissioners Mike O’Rielly and Brendan Carr are hopeful the FCC will soon propose sharing the 6 GHz band with Wi-Fi and other unlicensed users. “The conversation” here “has matured extensively,” O’Rielly said after Thursday's commissioners' meeting. “I’m excited about where we’re about to land.” He predicted an item could come in Q1. If we get rid of hyperbole and sensationalism, “we can get to the right mitigation mechanisms and the protections needed from different types of unlicensed,” he told us in Q&A. “I think we’re just about ready to turn the corner.” Carr said he has had “some very productive meetings” with power companies using the band. The band is “part of a 5G ecosystem that we need to develop,” he said. “I see the opportunity here for a significant win. … There are still decisions to be made on that band.”
World Trade Organization members extended a moratorium on customs duties on data transfers. Renewed at every opportunity since 1998, it remains at least until the WTO’s conference in June. Members also agreed Tuesday “to continue work under the existing 1998 work programme on e-commerce in the beginning part of 2020,” the body said. The International Chamber of Commerce said the actions underscore the continued importance of the body, despite no functioning dispute settlement mechanism due to appellate vacancies. "The shutdown of the Appellate Body is, without doubt, a blow -- but we shouldn’t slip into exaggerated claims about the imminent death of the WTO. ... WTO committees will continue the essential daily work of resolving trade frictions, while new rule making -- in areas such as services, investment and e-commerce -- is advancing at a rate not seen for over a decade,” said ICC Secretary General John Denton.
The FCC Enforcement Bureau issued Tuesday citations that could involve later fines if the problems aren't remedied. The actions are against ISPs for alleged failure to disclose, under net neutrality rules, things such as network management practices, performance and commercial terms. Those cited include International Power Systems (see here), Stoneham Cooperative Telephone (see here), RipFlo Network (see here), Reynolds Cable TV (see here) and MicroTek Solutions (see here). They didn't comment. Also cited, among others, were ISPs in Iowa (see here); Mississippi (see here); South Carolina (see here); Maryland (see here); Montana (see here); South Dakota (see here); New York (see here); Illinois (see here); Texas (see here and here); a Georgia city and a company in the state (see here and here); Michigan (see here); Pennsylvania (see here); California (see here); and West Virginia (see here).
The FTC announced settlements Tuesday with four companies that “allegedly misrepresented” participation in the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield framework. Click Labs, Incentive Services, Global Data Vault and TDARX falsely claimed participation, the agency alleged. Click Labs and Incentive Services also “claimed to participate in the Swiss-U.S. Privacy Shield framework,” the agency said. The companies face civil penalties of up to $42,530 per violation for future infractions and are barred from further misrepresentation. They didn’t comment.
The Council of Europe is exploring the need for global laws on artificial intelligence, it said. The human rights organization is taking part in an Internet Governance Forum event this week in Strasbourg during which representatives from governments, international organizations, business, civil society, academia and the IT sector will discuss internet policy issues such risks to human rights from advanced technologies. A CoE ad hoc committee on AI (CAHAI), which includes representatives from the organization's 47 members, met Nov. 18-20 to consider the feasibility of rules on developing, designing and using AI based on CoE standards on human rights, democracy and the rule of law. The implications for human rights and democracy "are manifold and we need to be able to answer the challenges for individuals but also for the whole society," emailed Jan Kleijssen, CoE director-information society, action against crime. The meeting "clearly revealed the high level of interest paid by member States to CAHAI." Participants agreed to a feasibility study that will map work on AI already done within the CoE and other bodies, plus relevant legally binding and soft-law instruments. The exercise is expected to help identify the main risks and opportunities from the development and use of AI, Kleijssen said. Participants will look at what principles should be applied to creating and using AI, and consider what the most suitable legal framework is. They discussed the impact of AI on people and society, plus different AI policies, particularly those of the U.S., France, Germany and Russia. The panel will report to the CoE Committee of Ministers in May on its progress, and will launch a "comprehensive consultation to build a legal framework that answers to the need and expectations of the citizens." Asked whether, given numerous ongoing AI activities, it will be difficult to set any sort of global rules, Kleijssen noted EU common standards on respect for human rights, rule of law and democracy to which all CoE members are committed. The council is part of global efforts to address challenges of using digital technologies, including AI, and cooperates closely with other organizations such as the EU, UN and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
The Commerce Department hopes to release proposed controls on emerging technology exports “in the next couple weeks,” said Matt Borman, deputy undersecretary for export administration. “We’ve got a set that we’re working on in internal review,” he told a Materials and Equipment Technical Advisory Committee meeting Wednesday. “So we’re hoping to get those through interagency [review] and out for public comment in the next couple weeks.” Officials have said for months the controls would be released soon, and companies and trade groups are growing concerned (see 1911070026). Also at the meeting, Borman said decisions on Huawei license applications are coming (see 1911210027).
The U.S. should study China’s efforts to dominate emerging technology sectors, said the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission. The congressionally created commission's annual report said China's outpacing the U.S. in artificial intelligence. Though it recommended Congress consider increased export controls, it said curbs on smart chips may “only accelerate China’s efforts to produce sophisticated chips domestically.” China faces “nearly insurmountable” hurdles in its effort to develop comparable technology to that of the U.S., as China’s semiconductor industry “is still heavily reliant on foundational technology dominated by U.S. firms,” the panel said Thursday. China's taking a “commanding position” in commercial satellite sectors, the commission found: That lets the country undercut some U.S. and other countries’ launch and satellite providers. The commission urged Congress to direct the National Science Foundation and the Trump administration to study China’s influence in international bodies charged with developing standards for emerging technologies. The China Embassy didn't comment.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit granted an unopposed motion for extension, until Dec. 13, to file petitions for a rehearing of the recent net neutrality case, it said Wednesday. Net neutrality advocacy groups had asked for a 28-day extension to request a rehearing or hearing en banc for Mozilla v. FCC, case 18-1051 (see 1911050038). The Digital Justice Foundation asked for rehearing (see 1911010008).
CTA will announce at CES it's working with the World Bank on how to use technology to solve global problems. CTA CEO Gary Shapiro said the association is working with the group to focus on global problems involving health, gender barriers, climate change, emergency preparedness, cybersecurity and other challenges. CTA officials also spoke Thursday about other CES 2020 plans (see 1911080045).
The U.S. should collaborate with state governments, industry and other stakeholders to help small businesses use technology for exporting, encourage tech providers to distribute digital tools to reduce barriers for small business exports and prioritize negotiations of trade deals that open markets for small businesses, said a study released Wednesday by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and Google. Pressing obstacles include unclear privacy rules and liability risks of foreign regulations, they said after surveying 3,800 small firms. “Many of the barriers that impede small business exports can be reduced and mitigated through digital tools,” the study said. “However, many U.S. small businesses are unaware of these tools, and in other cases, these tools are not optimized for small businesses.”