Amazon is hiring 75,000 fulfillment and logistics workers in the U.S. and Canada, it said Thursday. New hires already vaccinated for COVID-19 get $100, said Alicia Davis, vice president-global customer fulfillment. Open roles have an average starting pay of over $17 per hour, plus sign-on bonuses in some locations of about $1,000. Locations with the most openings are in Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Washington and Wisconsin.
Charter asked the FCC to waive certain of its obligations for the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund Phase I auction. The provider found some overlaps in Kentucky, Massachusetts, Missouri, Virginia and Wisconsin, said Wednesday's petition in docket 19-126. A waiver would be in the public interest because it "returns a proportionate amount of RDOF support that the commission can use to support universal service," Charter said. It made a similar request last year when it asked to exclude parts of New York from RDOF funding because it already planned to expand broadband to certain census bocks (see 2004290009).
Facebook should abandon plans to launch Instagram Kids, the National Association of Attorneys General wrote the company Monday, citing harms posed to young social media users (see 2104050035). Forty-four AGs -- from states, Washington, D.C., and territories -- argued social media can be harmful to children physically and emotionally, citing concerns about cyberbullying, Facebook’s “checkered” past and kids’ inability to navigate platforms. "As every parent knows, kids are already online,” a Facebook spokesperson said in a statement. “We want to improve this situation by delivering experiences that give parents visibility and control over what their kids are doing.” The company is consulting experts and looks forward to working with legislators and regulators, Facebook said. It committed to “not showing ads in any Instagram experience we develop for people under the age of 13.”
Broadband bills advanced in several states this week. The Arizona legislature passed a bill (HB-2596) authorizing the state transportation department to install telecom facilities on highways. The House voted 60-0 to concur with the Senate, which voted 30-0. The Ohio House voted 91-4 to concur with the Senate on a proposal (HB-2) to set up a $20 million state grant program for residential expansion, allow electric cooperative easements to be used for broadband, and set up a process for granting telecom companies access to electric co-op poles. Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte (R) received a bill (SB-297) from the legislature to set up an infrastructure funding program using American Rescue Plan Act and state funding. Lawmakers also sent him a bill (HB-181) to redirect 25% of $1 million in annual school technology funding to a state matching fund for the federal E-rate broadband program, and a measure (SB-81) to require prepaid wireless to collect state 911 fees.
FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr met with Nebraska public service commissioners and state lawmakers Wednesday to promote telehealth and rural broadband, a news release said. Sen. Deb Fischer (R) and Gov. Pete Ricketts (R) joined Carr.
The Texas House passed a state USF bill to expand the contribution base to include VoIP. The House voted 127-21 Tuesday for an amended HB-2667. The bill and a Senate version in that chamber’s Commerce Committee (SB-1246) are meant to stabilize a Texas USF that’s running out of cash (see 2103290060). The House voted 138-7 the same day for a bill (HB-1505) to update pole attachment rules for broadband deployment on poles owned by electric cooperatives. A similar measure (SB-1283) is in the Senate Transportation Committee. Monday, the House voted 125-21 for a constitutional amendment (HJR-2) creating two state funds, administered by the Texas Water Development Board, to support projects that enhance reliability and resiliency of utilities and broadband providers. The Senate has an identical bill (SJR-62) in the Commerce Committee.
A Louisiana House panel spiked a bill to allow private suits against social media companies that delete or censor a user’s religious or political speech. At a livestreamed Monday hearing, Commerce Committee Chairwoman Paula Davis (R) joined the 9-4 vote to involuntarily defer the bill (HB-602) by Rep. Beryl Amedee (R) to allow users to collect up to $75,000 in damages from websites. It was involuntary because Amedee didn’t request deferment; the proposal may only be reheard if two-thirds of the committee supports it. Amedee said she personally experienced censorship when Facebook deleted the second half of her pastor’s sermon during the pandemic. The state may step in because the largest sites are monopolies and effectively acting as public town squares, she said. The legislation isn’t meant to spur much litigation but to push back against large platforms, she said. Democrats slammed the bill. “The fact that I have about $150,000 in law school debt shows me that this bill is unconstitutional,” said Rep. Kyle Green (D). Rep. Royce Duplessis (D) chided that he “didn’t realize” the First Amendment “extended to private entities.” Social media companies have a First Amendment right to moderate content, testified James Hines, Internet Association state government affairs director-southern region. “Companies are not perfect ... but they’re doing their best to be a place where ideas can flourish and where they also enforce community standards and promote a positive experience.” The bill doesn’t promote conservative or Republican values and “would have the unintended consequence of creating content cesspools,” said NetChoice counsel Chris Marchese. Allowing up to $75,000 in damages will incentivize litigation, he said. Chris Sevier, a national anti-pornography advocate seen in other state legislatures backing bills to require porn filters (see 1704120070), supported HB-602 and said the bill is constitutional. The Florida legislature passed a social media regulation bill last week (see 2104300059).
Verizon plans to invest more than $3 billion by 2025 to bridge the digital divide, it announced Friday. Verizon partnered with the National 4-H Council to offer digital skills training in rural communities, restarted STEM learning programs and unveiled augmented reality apps. It reiterated its participation in the FCC emergency broadband benefit program, which begins May 12 (see 2104290085).
Rhode Island lawmakers held for further study a bill that would require ISPs seeking state contracts to adhere to net neutrality principles, during a Thursday Senate Commerce Committee hearing. SB-342 was introduced for the third time after stalling in 2019 and 2020 (see 2003110017). "We all want a safe and open internet," said bill sponsor Sen. Louis DiPalma (D). Public testimony was mixed, with opponents calling the bill unnecessary. It "is neither legally permissive nor an effective way to achieve" net neutrality goals, said Wilkinson Barker's Russell Hanser. The bill is "absolutely necessary," emailed DiPalma: "We cannot wait for the federal government to reinstate net neutrality. Should the FCC or Congress act, then the federal level action would supersede our state action."