Illinois legislators should support a bill that prohibits app store owners from forcing developers to use exclusive in-app payment systems for collecting user payments, advocates wrote Wednesday. Introduced in March by Democratic Sens. Sara Feigenholtz and Robert Peters, SB-2311 would “protect small businesses, entrepreneurs, and consumers from the harmful gatekeeping powers of large app distributers like Apple’s App Store and Google’s Play Store,” wrote the American Economic Liberties Project, Fight Corporate Monopolies, Color of Change, Fight for the Future, Illinois PIRG, Progressive Change Campaign Committee and Public Citizen. Apple and Google didn’t comment.
A Texas bill to ban large social media sites from censoring people or content based on the poster’s viewpoint passed the state Senate Thursday. Senators voted 18-13 for SB-12, which would allow users to sue to get back online and make the site pay their legal fees. SB-12 also would let the state attorney general sue on behalf of a user or group of users. “Social media companies are the new town square, and a small group of people from San Francisco can’t dictate free speech for the rest of us,” said sponsor Sen. Bryan Hughes (R) in a tweeted video: SB-12 “is going to get Texans back online.” The House received the bill the same day.
FuboTV will carry Chicago Cubs games, it said Wednesday, signing an agreement with Marquee Sports Network. Fans can stream Cubs games, pregame and postgame shows, exclusive content and original programming on Android and iOS smartphone and tablets; Amazon Fire TV; Android TV and smart TVs; Apple TV and the Apple TV app; Chromecast; Hisense and Samsung smart TVs; the Roku platform; and Xbox consoles.
The Iowa House unanimously passed a broadband bill Monday that would require state grant winners to provide at least 100 Mbps symmetrical in targeted service areas. The bill (HB-848) arrived in the Senate the same day. State grants would be awarded based on a three-tier system. It would require state grants to cover 75% of a provider’s costs in unserved areas where no provider has 25/3 Mbps downloads/uploads, 50% in served areas where no provider has downloads of 25-50 Mbps, and 35% in areas where no provider has downloads of 50-80 Mbps. At least 20% of grants would have to go to projects in difficult-to-serve unserved areas.
A Mississippi bill allowing energy companies to lease dark fiber to ISPs cleared the legislature. The House and Senate adopted a conference report Tuesday to resolve the Senate’s disagreement with House changes to SB-2798 (see 2102040030). The legislature “made a strong statement ... to take an all hands on deck approach to expand broadband,” tweeted Public Service Commissioner Brandon Presley (D).
About half of WideOpenWest's NuLink customers in the Newnan, Georgia, area had their broadband and voice services restored after last week's tornado outside Atlanta left most without service, WOW said Tuesday. It said most NuLink customers didn't lose cable service. It said commercial power hasn't been restored in some areas, needed before NuLink services can return there.
Deere representatives told an aide to acting FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel that there's a need for more broadband on farms. “Many areas of active agricultural operations do not have reliable access to high-speed mobile broadband that is necessary to support working farms and high precision agriculture technologies,” said a Monday posting in docket 10-90. The reps noted the importance of protecting GPS from interference. Deere began exhibiting at CES two years ago (see 1901090024).
The California DOJ is “working with the Department of Veterans Affairs on resolving the zero-rating issue” possibly presented by California’s net neutrality law to veterans’ mobile telehealth services, a state DOJ spokesperson emailed Friday. VA said Thursday it's reviewing the impact (see 2103250027).
A Washington state Senate committee cleared the House’s muni broadband bill (HB-1336) at a livestreamed meeting Thursday, despite multiple members describing their ayes as reluctant. Seven members of the Technology Committee voted yes, two voted to move the bill along “without recommendation,” and three voted no. The panel adopted an amendment by Sen. Shelly Short (R) to add increasing broadband access to a list of statutory reasons why a locality could receive financial assistance. The committee rejected other amendments by Republicans who said they wanted to stop cross-subsidization, focus funds on unserved areas and keep the playing field level with private providers. Chairman Reuven Carlyle (D) seeks a more strategic approach but voted without recommendation to clear the bill. Sen. Lisa Wellman (D), who has a rival plan (SB-5383) with more constraints on public utility districts (PUDs) providing broadband, said she voted yes without recommendation in hopes the bill can be sharpened, including focusing on unserved areas. Wellman’s bill is a more “measured, practical approach,” said Sen. Steve Hobbs (D), though he voted yes on HB-1336. Sen. Tim Sheldon (D), a former PUD commissioner, said he’s an “enthusiastic yes” and thinks the bill can be melded with Wellman’s. Lawmakers shouldn't take lightly allowing public providers into retail broadband, said Short. HB-1336 turns broadband into a public utility, which probably will reduce private investment, ranking member Doug Ericksen (R) warned: “That’s a big decision.” The House Community and Economic Development Committee has a vote scheduled Friday on SB-5383.
Colorado Senate President Pro Tempore Kerry Donovan (D) received threats on social media for her proposal to stop hate speech on those platforms, she told a Senate State Committee livestreamed hearing: "This bill is a new idea in an uncomfortable space.” The committee voted 3-2 Tuesday to adopt the bill with an amendment proposed by Donovan to order a study. The original bill (SB-132) would have created a digital communications division and commission to regulate social media platforms. "The division shall investigate and the commission may hold hearings on claims filed with the division alleging that a digital communications platform has allowed a person to engage in one or more unfair or discriminatory digital communications practices on the platform," including hate speech, intentional disinformation and conspiracy theories, it said. Social media companies have been "petulant children" for not acknowledging what happens on their platforms, said Donovan, author of Colorado's 2019 net neutrality law. Their business model is to keep people engaged online and gather their information, she said. "What we are seeing from these social media companies is not a bug." The Senate leader added, "Russia didn't hack Facebook. It just used the platform.” The Internet Association didn't comment Wednesday. Government should “step in and bring an ax down to start protecting consumers,” testified Joe Toscano, a former Google consultant. “We are not their customer. We are their product.” The Computer and Communications Industry Association worried "that Colorado is one of multiple states proposing a patchwork of contradictory regulations. Complying with these would be difficult and costly for all platforms, particularly so for smaller companies." CCIA supports "the decision to study consumer protection concerns related to digital communications platforms," said President Matt Schruers Wednesday. "We encourage the study committee to consult with industry and issue area experts.”