Florida asked the U.S. Supreme Court to reverse an 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decision that a state law’s social moderation limits are likely unconstitutional. The state filed a petition for certiorari Wednesday. Tech associations that challenged the Florida law supported SCOTUS review. Since the 5th Circuit upheld a Texas social media law last week, legal observers expect the Supreme Court to hear a case on the constitutionality of state social media laws to resolve the circuit split (see 2209200008).
Former FCC commissioners Harold Furchtgott-Roth, Robert McDowell and Mike O’Rielly questioned during a Hudson Institute event Wednesday the pending move by FCC Chairwoman to take on the 13 GHz band in a pending notice of inquiry in light of other bands waiting for action (see 2209200071). They also spoke of concerns with federal infrastructure spending and on the reauthorization of FCC auction authority (see 2209210076). All three do work for Hudson.
The FCC’s Communications Security, Reliability and Interoperability Council approved two reports Wednesday, on best practices to improve communications supply chain security and on security vulnerabilities in hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP). CSRIC also got updates from its other working groups. Neither report was immediately available.
The Senate Commerce Committee’s bipartisan kids’ privacy legislation doesn’t need any major amendments to pass, but sponsors are open to clarifying language about what companies and ages are covered, said Jamie Susskind, tech policy adviser to Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., Wednesday.
Telecom-focused lawmakers are hopeful they will be able to reach a final deal in the coming days to include a short-term extension of the FCC’s expiring spectrum auction authority in a potential continuing resolution to extend federal appropriations past Sept. 30 (see 2209090053). Talks Wednesday appeared to be strongly coalescing around a stopgap reauthorization through Dec. 16 -- in line with the likely expiration of the overall CR -- but there’s been no final deal, lawmakers and lobbyists told us. Lawmakers believe the temporary renewal will give them more breathing room to reach a deal on a broader spectrum legislative package during the lame-duck session (see 2208090001).
If the FTC finds Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal directly participated in data practices that violated a 2011 consent decree, the agency won’t hesitate to name him in a complaint, FTC Chair Lina Khan told members of the Senate Judiciary Committee during an oversight hearing Tuesday.
An Arkansas law doesn't clearly give municipalities the right to sue for franchise fees from Netflix and Hulu, a federal appeals judge suggested Tuesday. At oral argument teleconferenced Tuesday from St. Louis, 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Judge David Stras suggested Ashdown and other Arkansas localities might have to ask the legislature to update the Arkansas Video Service Act (VSA) to address their concerns that streaming video companies don’t pay franchise fees.
The FCC will release a notice of funding opportunity “in the coming months” for organizations seeking funding through the affordable connectivity program’s outreach grant program, said Derik Goatson, Office of Native Affairs Policy legal adviser, during a Consumer Action webinar Tuesday (see 2208050023). The grant program’s review process will “prioritize applicants who target underserved low-income households and communities with low ACP enrollment rates,” Goatson said, noting “many of these communities are often tribal communities.”
FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel’s announcement Monday the FCC will launch a notice of inquiry on 12.7-13.25 GHz was a surprise to advocates of using 12.2-12.7 for 5G, but doesn’t necessarily have negative implications for a long-awaited order on the lower part of the spectrum range. The most substantial objections are likely to come from broadcasters, though fixed service, satellite and other links are in the band.
A federal judge questioned whether Facebook has monopolized the social media market, citing reports about hundreds of thousands of users leaving the platform. DOJ and New York Attorney General Letitia James (D) asked the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit to revive an antitrust lawsuit against parent company Meta (see 2208240027), filed by 48 states and territories. U.S. District Judge James Boasberg dismissed the case in June 2021 (see 2106280057), saying the states waited too long to file the claim.