U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai took a victory lap at the U.S Chamber of Commerce's Transatlantic Business Works Summit, pointing to the removal of the digital services taxes on American firms, the agreement on steel and aluminum and the resolution of a 17-year fight on subsidies for Airbus and Boeing.
The tech industry should create a regulatory body to set best practices for protecting children, and Communications Decency Act Section 230 immunity should be earned through adhering to those protections, Instagram Head Adam Mosseri told the Senate Consumer Protection Subcommittee at a Wednesday hearing. That regulatory body should gather input from civil society and regulators about universal protections, including age verification, age-appropriate design and parental controls, Mosseri said. TikTok Public Policy Head Michael Beckerman backed standardized age verification in November (see 2111090076).
The semiconductor industry is in a “renewed drive” amid the chip crunch to install more factory capacity at “the mature nodes” for automotive, industrial and IoT applications, and “as the chip market leads, the photomask market follows,” said Photronics CEO Peter Kirlin on an earnings call Wednesday for fiscal Q4 ended Oct. 31. Photronics manufactures photomasks for producing chips and flat panels, and analysts consider the company a bellwether of semiconductor and display industry health. The stock soared 26% higher Wednesday, closing at $17.91.
Texas is appealing a U.S. district court’s decision to pause the state's social media law, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said in a filing Tuesday, as expected in case 1:21-cv-00840 (in Pacer, and see 2112030033). Texas has raised legal questions never considered by the 5th Circuit of the Supreme Court regarding common carriers and the First Amendment, the state argued: A stay pending appeal is “warranted given the serious, novel legal questions at issue." The appeals court should have the opportunity to consider the issues before the injunction is implemented, argued Texas, calling the plaintiffs’ standing “highly questionable” and the injunction “vague and overbroad.”
Texas is appealing a U.S. district court’s decision to pause the state's social media law, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said in a filing Tuesday, as expected in case 1:21-cv-00840 (in Pacer, and see 2112030033). Texas has raised legal questions never considered by the 5th Circuit of the Supreme Court regarding common carriers and the First Amendment, the state argued: A stay pending appeal is “warranted given the serious, novel legal questions at issue." The appeals court should have the opportunity to consider the issues before the injunction is implemented, argued Texas, calling the plaintiffs’ standing “highly questionable” and the injunction “vague and overbroad.”
Texas will appeal a U.S. district court pausing the state's social media law, said a spokesperson for Gov. Greg Abbott (R) Thursday. Internet associations that challenged the law expected Texas to appeal Wednesday’s preliminary injunction, their officials said in interviews Thursday. Those same groups earlier won preliminary injunction -- also under appeal -- against a similar Florida law, but NetChoice Policy Counsel Chris Marchese told us a “very high risk” remains that more states will try to regulate social media.
Texas will appeal a U.S. district court pausing the state's social media law, a spokesperson for Gov. Greg Abbott (R) said Thursday. Internet associations that challenged the law expected Texas to appeal Wednesday’s preliminary injunction, their officials said in interviews Thursday. Those same groups earlier won preliminary injunction -- also under appeal -- against a similar Florida law, but NetChoice Policy Counsel Chris Marchese told us a “very high risk” remains that more states will try to regulate social media.
OMB released COVID-19 vaccination rates for numerous federal agencies Wednesday morning, but the listing doesn’t include the FCC, FTC or other nonexecutive branch agencies, and neither the FCC nor FTC provided vaccination rates to Communications Daily. The FCC declined to comment on vaccination rates. The FTC didn't respond. The chart has rates for numerous other agencies, including the State Department, the EPA and the Social Security Administration. OMB lists the National Science Foundation as having a 96.2% agency-wide vaccination rate, and the Commerce Department with a 93.9% vaccination rate. As of Tuesday, all federal employees were required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, with limited exceptions. OMB said 92% of the federal workforce has received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose. “For those employees who are not yet in compliance, agencies are beginning a period of education and counseling, followed by additional enforcement steps,” OMB said. Agencies will pause further enforcement if the employee begins the vaccination process or requests an exception. “This next stage of the process will not result in disruptions to Government services and operations and will result in more employees becoming vaccinated,” OMB said.
The Oregon Health Authority “accepts some criticisms” about a 2020 report that found insufficient evidence that cellphone exposure can cause cancer, said Center for Health Protection Administrator Andre Ourso at an Oregon Senate Education Committee virtual hearing Monday. Ourso generally defended the agency’s work after RF safety advocates urged state lawmakers to retract the report.
U.S. District Court in Vermont froze state net neutrality litigation until Jan. 3 or when the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals resolves litigation on California’s open internet law, whichever happens first. Monday’s order finalized last week’s agreement between Vermont and ISP groups (see 2111100070). Case 2:18-cv-167 would have resumed Monday without extension.