Chairman Joe Simons suggested the FTC is examining Zoom’s privacy practices in light of COVID-19 concerns (see 2005070044). During a Monday teleconference with the House Consumer Protection Subcommittee, Simons didn’t directly link the company to any specific agency effort but said the agency monitors major events in the news media. “If you’re reading about it in the press, then you can be assured that either we’re looking at it already, or if we’re not, we will as a result of that media attention,” he responded to questions from Rep. Jerry McNerney, D-Calif., about Zoom. The company didn’t comment.
A November ballot vote on California consumer privacy might be inevitable despite lukewarm reception from groups that typically back such measures. Industry hasn’t formally opposed the proposed California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA) and legislative intervention is no sure thing, we were told last week. “That there is no campaign against this initiative” by businesses is “almost as telling” as “no privacy group coming out to support it,” said Corbin and Kaiser lobbying firm CEO Samantha Corbin.
If Amazon was untruthful in July when it testified about third-party seller data, a perjury referral would be "appropriate,” said House Antitrust Subcommittee Chairman David Cicilline, D-R.I., on Thursday. Last week, Cicilline said he was considering whether a perjury referral is warranted due to discrepancies between a Wall Street Journal report (see 2004300054) and testimony from Amazon Associate General Counsel-Litigation and Regulatory Legal Nate Sutton. “It certainly appears as if the testimony Mr. Sutton gave was contradicted directly by the WSJ report, and so I’m going to review all of that carefully,” Cicilline said during a Politico livestream.
Federal and state response to the COVID-19 pandemic sped adoption of telehealth technologies, said panelists at a Brookings Institution webinar. Quick support from Congress, the FCC and Department of Health & Human Services allowed patients to access clinical care via broadband, smartphones and telephone during social distancing, speakers said. The FCC announced it granted $11.9 million, totaling $24.9 million to date. This fifth round in the $200 million program includes grants to 26 healthcare providers, five in Texas, five in California, and three in Pennsylvania.
The Senate Intelligence Committee will vote “as soon as possible” to advance the nomination of Rep. John Ratcliffe, R-Texas, to be national intelligence director, Chairman Richard Burr, R-N.C., said during Tuesday’s hearing. Fielding questions from supportive Republicans and skeptical Democrats, Ratcliffe vowed to run an apolitical office free of outside political influence, while highlighting threats from China in the race for 5G.
At least four Supreme Court justices questioned why Booking.com can’t trademark its domain as companies do with toll-free phone numbers, in oral argument Monday. Four other justices raised concerns about enabling monopoly power by granting such trademarks, which might preclude rivals like ebooking.com from using "booking" in marketing materials.
ICANN rejected the proposed sale of Public Interest Registry to Ethos Capital (see 2005010001), Chairman Maarten Botterman blogged Thursday night. Directors said withholding consent to the transfer "is reasonable, and the right thing to do." The deal attracted scrutiny from legislators and at least one state attorney general, and was roundly opposed by nonprofit advocates. The decision "sets a dangerous precedent with broad industry concerns," said Ethos. The rejection restores public confidence, said California Attorney General Xavier Becerra (D).
Unlike for Prime Day and the holiday season, the COVID-19 crisis allowed for no preparation for “spikes in demand,” said Amazon Chief Financial Officer Brian Olsavsky on a Thursday earnings call. Customer demand remains high but “at a cost” -- for essential items with lower average selling prices, he said. It’s “up in the air” when Amazon will resume one-day delivery service for Prime members, Olsavsky said, saying it could be Q2, Q3 “or beyond.” The challenge is in speeding up warehouse operations.
Antitrust enforcers are weighing the competitive impacts of Amazon’s collection of seller data, but it’s unclear whether it will result in concrete action, academics and antitrust attorneys told us. Amazon got antitrust scrutiny last week after a Wall Street Journal article said the company uses seller data to build products that compete with third-party sellers on the platform. Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., called for a DOJ investigation, and Public Knowledge wrote Congress asking lawmakers to consider dramatic policy changes. The company didn’t comment.
China, India, Indonesia and Chile are among the top countries the U.S. is targeting for weak intellectual property protections, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative said Wednesday in its annual special 301 report (see 1904250052). In a controversial move, the administration singled out Amazon. President Donald Trump and the company have been at loggerheads over some issues.