Providers are gearing up to offer discounted services through the FCC emergency broadband benefit program. The $3.2 billion program is expected to help millions of low-income consumers and those hit hardest by the pandemic (see 2102260058).
Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Mark Warner, D-Va., is drafting a mandatory cyber breach reporting bill with Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and John Cornyn, R-Texas, they told us this week. Ranking member Marco Rubio, R-Fla., also expressed interest. He said there’s a future for such legislation, after the Russia-linked SolarWinds hack (see 2102230064).
European Commission proposals don't go far enough to address problems raised by online platforms, stakeholders told a webcast conference Thursday. EU lawmakers, civil society, internet companies, broadcasters and others backed the Digital Services Act and Digital Markets Act. But they said DSA and DMA need work. DSA measures could counter illegal content and require platform transparency, building on EU e-commerce directive intermediary liability rules (see 2012150022). DMA further obligates very large platforms ("gatekeepers").
The Library of Congress’ 3G cell system, which is nearing the “end of its life” and has security issues, must be replaced, Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden told a House Legislative Branch Subcommittee hearing Wednesday.
President Joe Biden's administration is developing policies on AI, 5G and in other areas, likely building on work done under the last administration, NTIA officials said during an FCBA webinar Tuesday. Last year, under then-President Donald Trump, the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology recommended increased national focus on AI (see 2007010041). At CES last year, the Trump administration unveiled principles to govern private-sector AI development (see 2001080067).
House Communications Subcommittee ranking member Bob Latta, R-Ohio, wants to legislate access to personal Whois data, he told us (see 2008270055). Stakeholders concerned with intellectual property, online security, law enforcement and other interests said in interviews that Congress must take control of the debate because ICANN can't resolve the issue.
Cyber notification requirements are a legislative priority, said House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., and ranking member John Katko, R-N.Y., Friday during a virtual hearing on the SolarWinds breach. They echoed interest from Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Mark Warner, D-Va., Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, at a hearing earlier in the week (see 2102230064).
Data portability and interoperability could get early movement as the House Antitrust Subcommittee looks to draft bipartisan bills for its antitrust review, Chairman David Cicilline, D-R.I., and ranking member Ken Buck, R-Colo., told us. At a hearing earlier Thursday, members of both parties showed support for working on portability and interoperability. Buck highlighted both items for potential subcommittee collaboration.
There won’t be legislative announcements from leadership at Thursday’s hearing on tech antitrust, House Antitrust Subcommittee Chair David Cicilline, D-R.I., told us Wednesday. But he expects the conversation to further define specific proposals. Legislative proposals could touch on interoperability, explicit prohibitions on favoring products and services, and nondiscrimination, he said. The hearing focus will be on the power of dominant firms to exclude competitors and favor products and services to make it difficult for entrants to compete, he added.
Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Mark Warner, D-Va., and Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, suggested Tuesday it might be time for legislation on mandatory notification requirements for cyberattacks. Microsoft and FireEye executives agreed with the suggestion, which would include liability protection, during a hearing on the SolarWinds breach (see 2102180043).