Tuesday, the British Parliament’s House of Commons will debate the controversial surveillance legislation the British government revealed last week, said a Parliament news release Monday (http://bit.ly/1sV2ZqO). The bill would require British telecom companies to retain user data for 12 months, down from the previous 24-month requirement (CD July 14 p15). But civil liberties advocates said the government is rushing through the provision in response to recent European Court of Justice decision to eliminate the European Data Retention Directive. “It is outrageous that instead of reforming its laws to address concerns about its involvement in mass surveillance, the UK government is renewing its powers to monitor the communications of people who aren’t suspected of breaking any laws,” said Izza Leghtas, Western Europe researcher at Human Rights Watch, in a Monday release (http://bit.ly/1maa5Sw). The House of Commons is expected to debate the measure, the Data Retention and Investigatory Powers Bill, starting between 7:40 and 7:50 a.m. EDT, according to Parliament.
At least two of the big three broadcasters in South Korea, one of the few major markets outside North America to use the ATSC DTV broadcasting standard, “expressed their willingness to consider deploying ATSC 3.0 commercially” if the next-generation system is ready in time for the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang. That’s according to ATSC board member John Godfrey, Samsung Electronics America vice president-communications policy and regulatory affairs, who was part of an ATSC delegation that recently toured the facilities of the Seoul Broadcasting System and the Munhwa Broadcasting Corp. Representatives of SBS and MBC “told us that they are pushing ahead with Ultra HD terrestrial broadcast experiments using DVB-T2, but that’s only because it’s what’s available today,” ATSC’s monthly newsletter quoted Godfrey as saying in reference to Europe’s terrestrial DTV transmission system. SBS and MBC representatives “didn’t say they would definitely deploy ATSC 3.0, only that they would consider it,” Godfrey emphasized to us in an email. SBS and MBC representatives didn’t immediately comment. The ATSC delegation, Godfrey said, did not tour the facilities of the Korean Broadcasting System, which in presentations last fall described DVB-T2 as the best transmission system available today for 4K (CD Oct 2 p10). KBS has said it plans live 4K coverage of the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, which open Sept. 19 for a 16-day run. In four years, KBS, like SBS and MBC, plan live 4K coverage of the Pyeongchang winter games, KBS has said. KBS and its terrestrial broadcast partners are targeting year-end 2015 for the official launch of commercial 4K broadcasts because “we have a sense of urgency about this,” it has said. Year-end 2015 also happens to be the time frame the ATSC has quoted for completing ATSC 3.0 as a “candidate standard” that then goes out for balloting among the ATSC membership. But ATSC has been vague in predicting the commercial or regulatory course that ATSC 3.0 will take after that. It has said it hopes ATSC 3.0 ultimately will be the basis of a single unified global DTV standard.
The British government will propose emergency legislation Monday to alter its data retention and communications intercept programs, according to a Thursday news release (http://bit.ly/1mSvsO8). The move is in response to a recent European Court of Justice ruling to eliminate the European Data Retention Directive, citing privacy and human rights issues, said Covington and Burling data protection lawyer Daniel Cooper. The ruling “left many unsure about the status of member state data retention rules,” he said by email Thursday night. Previously, the U.K. government had required telecom providers to retain data for 24 months. Its proposal Monday would implement a 12-month retention period, said Cooper. “Clearly, the government intends to plug that gap by passing similar provisions as a primary act of law.” Human Rights Watch (HRW) was angered by the tactic. “Given what we know about the UK’s involvement in mass surveillance, it is outrageous that the government wants to rush through emergency legislation that allows the government to monitor people not suspected of any wrongdoing,” said Izza Leghtas, Western Europe researcher with HRW. The civil rights advocate said the proposed legislation will expire in 2016. “A proper debate about how to reform surveillance powers is long overdue and it has to happen now, not in 2016,” Leghtas said. As part of its surveillance reforms, Cooper said the British government will propose to further restrict access to collected communications data, establish a Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board (PCLOB) similar to the American’s PCLOB and launch discussions with the U.S. government and Internet companies on cross-border data sharing. The British government also plans to start a review, to be completed by 2016, of its communications intercept law, he said. “Now, we will have to wait and see whether this legislation, when adopted, will be challenged as being incompatible with European privacy and human rights law."
China ratified the Beijing Treaty on Audiovisual Performances (http://bit.ly/1nb3EyI) to strengthen the rights of performers in movie, TV and other audiovisual works, said a World Intellectual Property Organization news release (http://bit.ly/W0Hni0). WIPO said the treaty “will enter into force after 30 ratifications or accessions are presented to WIPO.” China was one of the first countries to ratify the treaty, said WIPO Director General Francis Gurry.
Representatives of British intelligence agencies will appear in public hearings next week to respond to a case brought by civil liberties advocates about the legality of British surveillance programs, said a Wednesday news release from Privacy International (http://bit.ly/1neJo3Y). Several groups, including Amnesty International and the American Civil Liberties Union, collectively brought a case against British intelligence agency Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) in the Investigatory Powers Tribunal (IPT) “to challenge the UK government’s insistence that alleged operations involving bulk interception, collection, analysis and use of people’s communications, and related intelligence-sharing arrangements with the US, are lawful,” said Privacy International. Hearings will be Monday to Friday. IPT is a court created to hear cases regarding allegations of legal violations by British intelligence agencies. It will be the first time GCHQ officials have appeared in public to discuss their surveillance programs, Privacy International said.
U.K. communications regulator Ofcom began accepting license applications Tuesday to run a second national digital audio broadcasting (DAB) “multiplex,” which will allow the launch of about 10 new national DAB services, the agency said. The first DAB multiplex, Digital One, has reached full capacity, as the number of DAB stations available nationally has risen to 14, from four in 2009, it said. It estimated more than a third of U.K. radio listening is done on a DAB radio. Applications will close Oct. 30, when they'll be posted on the Ofcom website for public comment, the agency said. Digital Radio UK, the industry group that promotes DAB adoption, hailed the Ofcom announcement. The new DAB multiplex will “increase the additional station choice on DAB and could lead to further innovation and creativity,” said Ford Ennals, the group’s CEO.
Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim will buy out AT&T’s $5.9 billion stake in America Movil, America Movil said in a filing at the SEC Friday (http://1.usa.gov/1qjVj2Y). AT&T is selling its holdings of Slim’s company to avoid any conflict of interest because it’s buying DirecTV, which competes with America Movil for pay-TV customers in Latin America, Bloomberg reported (http://buswk.co/1yVfcQh).
The FTC approved final orders to settle charges for U.S.-EU safe harbor enforcement actions it has taken against 14 companies this year, said a Wednesday news release (http://1.usa.gov/1mfjPL7). Companies ranged from retailers like American Apparel, to data brokers like Apperian, to medical facilities like DDC Laboratories and even several NFL teams (CD Jan 22 p9). Four FTC commissioners unanimously approved the final orders, with recently sworn-in Terrell McSweeny not voting. Very few comments were filed during the public comment period. One commenter pushed for the FTC to take action against TRUSTe, which certifies companies’ compliance with various FTC regulations. The FTC responded it “cannot comment on whether it is investigating any particular companies or allegations. However, the Commission takes seriously the role of self-regulatory privacy programs that certify company compliance with the Safe Harbor framework, such as TRUSTe.” The Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) was the only major organization to file a comment (http://1.usa.gov/1lUFAWm). EPIC chastised the FTC for rarely making changes to final orders based on public comments: “It is becoming unclear what purpose is served by the Commission’s request for public comments on a proposed settlement if the agency is unwilling to make any modifications.” It did suggest the FTC’s safe harbor settlements should require companies to comply with the White House’s consumer privacy bill of rights (CPBR) (http://1.usa.gov/1hwy3KA) and that each company’s initial safe harbor compliance report -- required in the consent order -- be made public. EPIC’s suggestions were not incorporated into the final orders. In its response (http://1.usa.gov/1pBTgnj), the FTC said it “supports the goals laid out in the CPBR,” but that “the order is designed to address specific conduct as alleged in the complaint—which did not include substantive violations of the Safe Harbor framework—not to impose obligations that may not be tied to such conduct.” The commission also noted the compliance reports could be made public: “The public may seek access to compliance reports required by the orders by making a request under the Freedom of Information Act,” it said. But the FTC would be required to keep confidential any trade secrets or commercial and financial information about the company, it said.
The International Trade Commission is seeking comment by July 7 on public interest factors it should consider as it decides whether to issue limited exclusion orders banning imports of some Nokia and ZTE devices, said an ITC notice appearing in Friday’s Federal Register (http://1.usa.gov/1qihPH0). The ITC began its investigation on wireless devices with 3G or 4G capabilities in January 2013 in response to a request from InterDigital, which alleged patent infringement by way of imports of devices including Nokia’s Lumia 822 and 920 and ZTE’s ZTE Avail, Jetpack and 4G Hotspot. An administrative law judge June 13 recommended issuing limited exclusion orders against Nokia and ZTE, and a cease and desist order against Nokia, should the commission find a violation of Tariff Act Section 337. The ALJ also recommended implementation of any limited exclusion orders be delayed by six months. Nokia and ZTE representatives had no comment Thursday.
Europe’s mobile saturation and weakened consumer spending resulted in a “high single digit” percentage drop in mobile service revenue for the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region in 2013, Infonetics Research said Friday. Global mobile service revenue rose by 1 percent for 2013 due to offsetting rises in revenue in other regions, said the industry research firm. The Asia-Pacific region saw revenue rise 5 percent, while the Caribbean and Latin America’s rose 4 percent and North America’s rose 3 percent, Infonetics said. Europe’s declining revenue occurred regionwide, including more competitive markets in Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain, said Stéphane Téral, Infonetics’ principal analyst-mobile infrastructure and carrier economics. European carriers Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Telecom Italia, Telefónica and Vodafone are pushing for the European Commission to allow more consolidation, which may “restore operators’ revenue growth and margins, similar to what we saw in Austria,” Téral said in a news release (http://bit.ly/1lqU2ne).