COVID-19 highlights the need for federal baseline privacy legislation, which companies could have used to give consumers clarity about how data is used during the pandemic, FTC Commissioner Christine Wilson told the Brookings Institution Wednesday. The demand for privacy legislation has never been greater, she said.
Businesses will soon have to comply with the California Consumer Privacy Act despite calls for delay and speculation the state DOJ would miss an important procedural deadline. California Attorney General Xavier Becerra (D) submitted final rules for implementing CCPA just before Monday night’s Office of Administrative Law deadline (see 2006020039). Final text included no substantial changes to regulations from a March revised draft submitted for OAL review.
Senate Intellectual Property Subcommittee Chairman Thom Tillis, R-N.C., Tuesday voiced support for an update to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, and ranking member Chris Coons, D-Del., also appeared on board with an update (see 2005280038). Witnesses sought changes, other than the Internet Association.
California may miss the deadline to implement some of the strictest privacy rules of any state. Speculation continued to mount Monday, with any state request to put the rules into place this summer due within hours under standard procedures.
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai questioned Twitter’s policies, as the platform for a second day flagged President Donald Trump’s tweets (see 2005280060). Pai asked Friday whether tweets from Iran Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei violate platform rules about glorifying violence, rules that Twitter cited in flagging Trump.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday that would remove liability protections for online platforms that censure or edit content (see 2005270016). There would be a role for antitrust agencies and the FCC, whose commissioners reacted along party lines to the EO. “We’re here today to defend free speech from one of the greatest dangers,” Trump said, claiming tech monopolies have “unchecked power” to censor and restrict human interaction.
Congress should require radio stations pay artists for broadcasting their music, SoundExchange and music performance rights holders told the Senate Intellectual Property Subcommittee Wednesday. Such a drastic change would upend the free radio broadcast model, said NAB and National Religious Broadcasters.
Municipal broadband networks see a spike in subscribers and users upgrading speeds amid the coronavirus, said executives in recent interviews. The pandemic supports allowing muni broadband, they and other local advocates said. Skeptics countered that a short-term boom doesn’t set aside questionable economics. A North Carolina bill allowing public-private partnerships but keeping other limits has bipartisan support, but ISPs remain staunchly opposed, said state Rep. Josh Dobson (R).
If enforcers pursue an antitrust case against Google, it will be difficult to prove and is unlikely to result in major platform restructuring, ex-DOJ officials said in interviews. Econ One Research Managing Director Hal Singer argued there's a case to be made against Google’s advertising technology practices, and Public Knowledge Senior Policy Counsel Charlotte Slaiman cautioned against predictions until all facts are known.
Digital Millennium Copyright Act Section 512, which governs online infringement, is “unbalanced” and out of sync with Congress’ original intent, the Copyright Office concluded (see 2005210029) in a years-in-the-making report Thursday. It highlighted areas where the tech and creative industries have clashed over the years, drawing mixed reviews. "While the Office is not recommending any wholesale changes to section 512, the Report points out these and other areas where Congress may wish to consider legislation to rebuild the original balance between rightsholders and online service providers,” the office said.