The FTC unanimously approved a policy statement Wednesday aimed at bolstering consumers’ rights to self-repair and access to third-party independent repairs by vowing to crack down on manufacturers whose restrictions are deemed to violate antitrust or consumer protection laws. The agency also rescinded a merger-related policy statement on a party-line vote (see 2107190066).
Netflix views its foray into games “as an extension of the core entertainment offering that we’ve been focused on for the last 20 years,” said Greg Peters, chief operating officer and chief product officer, on a Q2 video earnings interview Tuesday. Just as Netflix has “continuously expanded” into new content genres, “we think we have an opportunity to add games to that offering and deliver more entertainment value to our members through that,” he said.
President Joe Biden will nominate Jonathan Kanter to lead DOJ’s Antitrust Division, the White House announced Tuesday. Congressional Democrats and consumer advocates called Kanter the right pick to strengthen antitrust enforcement against Big Tech. Some questioned the potential for Kanter to recuse himself in DOJ’s antitrust case against Google.
Some work is likely getting started on the next net neutrality order, before an eventual Democratic majority at the FCC, and industry experts said crafting an NPRM likely won’t be a heavy lift for commission staffers who have been working on the issue for years. In a recent executive order, President Joe Biden encouraged the agency at the least to restore the rescinded 2015 rules (see 2107090063).
FTC scrutiny for the tech industry’s smaller and serial acquisitions will increase if commissioners rescind a 1995 policy statement Wednesday, as expected, antitrust attorneys told us. The commission meets Wednesday for its second open meeting under Chair Lina Khan (see 2107120065). It will vote whether to rescind the policy statement on prior notice and prior approval remedies in transactions.
Always-on connections and smart home technology are delivering multiple and unexpected benefits for property managers, Vickie Rodgers, Cox Communities vice president, said at a virtual Parks Associates conference Wednesday. Parks data shows 70% of property managers have adopted smart home systems as a differentiator, primarily as a way to increase rent.
Amazon and Facebook are attempting to “bully” the FTC by seeking recusal of Chair Lina Khan (see 2107140036), Senate Democrats said in interviews. Republicans were more hesitant to dismiss the filings but credited Khan’s approach. A former FTC general counsel and a legal scholar told us it’s unlikely the companies will succeed.
Wireless has a big role to play in infrastructure building and looks like it will be part of bipartisan legislation, Wireless Infrastructure Association President Jonathan Adelstein told a Media Institute virtual event. "Fiber-only” may be “well-intentioned” but would “crash on the messy rocks of reality in rural America,” he said. At another event also Thursday, Commissioner Nathan Simington raised concerns about how far the FCC can go on data security and privacy.
Demand for technology for work, school and lifestyle will drive a 7.5% increase in retail tech sales this year to a record $487 billion, said CTA Thursday. The COVID-19 pandemic “strengthened consumers’ relationship with technology forever,” said CTA CEO Gary Shapiro.
The House Agriculture Committee voted unanimously to advance the Broadband Internet Connections for Rural America Act (HR-4374) that committee leaders hope to attach to the coming infrastructure spending package. President Joe Biden rallied Senate Democrats Wednesday to back a $3.5 trillion package party leaders aim to pass via budget reconciliation along with a bipartisan infrastructure plan he supports with $65 billion for broadband (see 2106240070).