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December 2014

Dutch Regulator Investigates Facebook's Privacy Policy

After other companies like Google have repeatedly run into issues with the region’s strict data protection rules, Facebook is now in the crosshairs of the Dutch privacy regulator, which said that it was investigating the social network’s revamped privacy policy.

The Dutch watchdog -- called College Bescherming Persoonsgegevens, or CBP -- said it had contacted Facebook about how the new privacy policy would affect local users, and asked the social network to postpone the roll-out of the new rules until the regulator completes its investigation. In response, Facebook said it was confident the new policy complied with the country’s laws.

EU tax change is about to hammer small digital service providers

[Commentary] Starting in January 2015, new European Union tax rules will force many businesses offering online services across the EU to take on a load of new administrative responsibilities. The changes have caused particular consternation among micro-businesses providing such services and the outrage seems especially virulent in the UK. The EU Value-Added Tax Action group began a Twitterstorm using the #EUVAT hashtag, calling on the European Commission to suspend the introduction of the new rules for micro-businesses and sole traders. Given the fact that the rules could kill off swathes of the small entrepreneurial digital sector -- which the Commission is supposedly trying to stimulate -- that may be a good idea.

Broadcasting Board of Governors

December 18, 2014
9 am
http://www.bbg.gov/blog/2013/10/24/board-meeting-december-18-2014/

In addition to Board business, the Board will receive a presentation providing an overview of the International Broadcasting Bureau. The Board will also recognize the 65th anniversary of VOA's Ukrainian Service and the fifth anniversary of RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal.


December 16, 2014 (Time for Lifeline Reform)

Our apologies: due to technical difficulties, Headlines is a bit late today. We’ll get up earlier tomorrow.

David Garth, 84, Dies; Consultant Was an Innovator of Political TV Ads

BENTON'S COMMUNICATIONS-RELATED HEADLINES for TUESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2014

To view Benton's Headlines feed in your RSS Aggregator, paste http://www.benton.org/index.php?q=taxonomy/term/6/all/feed into your reader.


INTERNET/BROADBAND
   GOP Tried again to stop President Obama from Giving up a key Internet oversight role. It won't work.
   Comcast, Charter and Time Warner Cable all tell investors strict network neutrality wouldn’t change much
   FCC Won't Issue Public Notice On Network Neutrality Options
   Verizon tells FCC to address blocking and paid prioritization without Title II reclassification
   Senators vow new push to outlaw an Internet tax [links to web]
   Mobile Future: Time For Permanent Internet Tax Freedom Act [links to web]
   A Year in Review and a Look Ahead: Time for Lifeline Reform - analysis

TELEPHONY
   Comptel Rural Call Completion Reporting Protest Could Delay Implementation [links to web]
   A Year in Review and a Look Ahead: Time for Lifeline Reform - analysis

DIVERSITY
   Uncovering the paradox of diversity: better results, lower satisfaction [links to web]

CONTENT
   Hollywood is still obsessed with breaking the Internet - analysis from The Verge [links to web]
   US Faces Tough Questions in Apple E-Books Antitrust Appeal [links to web]
   Apple, E-Books and the Amazon Juggernaut - op-ed [links to web]
   NBC to Live Stream Network Shows [links to web]

JOURNALISM
   Can Sony sue media outlets who publish the stolen Sony documents? - op-ed [links to web]
   Why Publishing Stolen Sony Data Is Problematic but Necessary - analysis [links to web]
   The Sony Hack and the Yellow Press - Aaron Sorkin op-ed [links to web]

PRIVACY/SECURITY
   Public Knowledge, 16 Privacy Advocates (including Benton) Urge FCC to Protect Consumers - press release
   Tech heads call for digital privacy law [links to web]
   Where Tech Giants Protect Privacy - analysis [links to web]
   Next-generation tracking technology could be in your gadgets soon [links to web]
   Hidden devices scrutinize employees [links to web]
   Why Edward Snowden thinks Amazon is “morally irresponsible.” [links to web]
   Agencies Mold Regulations Around 'Voluntary' Cyber Standards [links to web]

EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS
   Launching Disasters.Data.Gov to Empower First Responders and Survivors with Innovative Tools and Data - press release [links to web]

RESEARCH
   Study to Examine Effects of Artificial Intelligence [links to web]

FCC REFORM
   On Risks, Breaking Past the Status Quo, and IT Transformation - FCC press release [links to web]

POLICYMAKERS
   New GOP faces on Senate tech committees [links to web]
   Senate Democrats losing committee seats [links to web]
   Operational Excellence in Federal Spectrum Management - NTIA press release [links to web]

STORIES FROM ABROAD
   Dutch privacy regulators ticked off at Google, may fine company $18.7 million [links to web]
   Turkish Police Raid Media Outlets, Detain Top Execs And Arrest Dozens [links to web]

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INTERNET/BROADBAND

GOP TRIED AGAIN TO STOP PRESIDENT OBAMA FROM GIVING UP A KEY INTERNET OVERSIGHT ROLE. IT WON'T WORK.
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Nancy Scola]
After several attempts, Republicans in Congress managed to slip a provision into the massive $1.1 trillion spending bill passed by the Senate that would prevent the Obama administration from giving up part of its oversight of how the Internet runs. Observers say, though, that there's little chance that the GOP's legislative language will actually slow the process at all. The Commerce Department's Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) contract does not run out until fiscal 2016 and a measure in a fiscal 2015 appropriations bill won't affect the handover. Also, nothing in the bill stops the agency from taking steps to simply end the contract. What's more, Congress doesn't have oversight over the place where the real IANA action is taking place, which is Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), the California-based non-profit that oversees Internet governance all over the world.
benton.org/headlines/gop-tried-again-stop-president-obama-giving-key-internet-oversight-role-it-wont-work | Washington Post
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TITLE II AND INVESTMENT
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Brian Fung]
Turns out, Verizon wasn't the only one trying to ease concerns about the Federal Communications Commission's potential aggressive network neutrality rules. On the same day Verizon was playing down the investment risks of stricter regulation, so too were three other major Internet providers: Comcast, Time Warner Cable and Charter Communications. Executives from each of the three broadband companies said at an industry conference that the prospect of more stringent rules was something they could -- grudgingly, in some cases -- live with. That signal contrasts sharply with the broader industry's argument in Washington: that aggressive rules would cause new investments to dry up, hurting consumers in the process. Charter chief executive Tom Rutledge said so long as the FCC waived parts of Title II that weren't relevant -- a step that even staunch net neutrality advocates support -- it would be an acceptable outcome.
benton.org/headlines/comcast-charter-and-time-warner-cable-all-tell-investors-strict-network-neutrality-wouldnt | Washington Post
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FCC WON'T ISSUE PUBLIC NOTICE ON NETWORK NEUTRALITY OPTIONS
[SOURCE: Multichannel News, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
Apparently, the Federal Communications Commission will not put out a formal public notice seeking additional comment on any of the proposed hybrid variations on new Open Internet rules offered up by various parties. FCC staffers feel there has been sufficient input on those suggestions, including filings in recent weeks, that made them more comfortable with not putting out a separate notice. Such a notice could delay the process given that the FCC would have to set a comment period, even if it were only a couple of weeks, and then vet those new comments.
benton.org/headlines/fcc-wont-issue-public-notice-network-neutrality-options | Multichannel News
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VERIZON TELLS FCC TO ADDRESS BLOCKING AND PAID PRIORITIZATION WITHOUT TITLE II RECLASSIFICATION
[SOURCE: Fierce, AUTHOR: Sean Buckley]
In a filing with the Federal Communications Commission, Verizon said that the FCC has enough authority to enforce paid prioritization, blocking and throttling today without having to reclassify service providers under Title II regulation. Verizon wrote the DC Circuit has already confirmed that Section 706 provides the FCC with authority to protect the Open Internet. Service providers acknowledged the FCC already has the authority to protect consumers: broadband providers are barred from charging a content provider like Netflix to deliver its service faster than others over its last mile network; service providers should not be able to throttle or slow down traffic based on its source or content; and broadband providers should not block traffic based on the traffic's source, destination or content. Verizon also challenged claims made by supporters of Title II that say service providers have engaged in unlawful paid prioritization practices.
benton.org/headlines/verizon-tells-fcc-address-blocking-and-paid-prioritization-without-title-ii | Fierce
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LIFELINE REFORM
[SOURCE: Benton Foundation, AUTHOR: Kevin Taglang]
[Commentary] Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler has been on the job for just over a year. And with 2014 coming to a close, we look back at the accomplishments of the FCC in his first year. Today we look at the FCC’s Lifeline program which provides discounts on monthly telephone service for eligible low-income subscribers. Universal service is the principle that all Americans should have access to communications services. Universal service policies have helped make telephone service ubiquitous and affordable, even in remote rural areas. But in a world that increasing relies on broadband Internet access, the Federal Communications Commission has found that it must reform, streamline, and modernize all of its universal service programs to transform them from safety nets into springboards, improving access to and adoption of critical advanced communications services.
http://benton.org/blog/time-lifeline-reform
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PRIVACY/SECURITY

FCC URGED TO PROTECT CONSUMERS
[SOURCE: Public Knowledge, AUTHOR: Shiva Stella]
Public Knowledge filed comments with the Federal Communications Commission highlighting privacy concerns raised by the “Roadmap for Improving E911 Location Accuracy” proposed by the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials, the National Emergency Number Association, AT&T Mobility, Sprint, T-Mobile USA, and Verizon. Multiple public interest groups join Public Knowledge in these comments, including: American Civil Liberties Union, Alvaro Bedoya, Benton Foundation, Center for Democracy & Technology, Center for Digital Democracy, Common Sense Media, Consumer Action, Consumer Federation of America, Consumer Federation of California, Consumer Watchdog, Electronic Frontier Foundation, Electronic Privacy Information Center, New America Foundation’s Open Technology Institute, Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, US PIRG, and World Privacy Forum. Public Knowledge and other privacy advocates point out a number of significant privacy-related concerns raised by the roadmap that have not been adequately addressed. For example, the roadmap proposes building a national database of physical addresses of wireless consumer home devices such as Wi-Fi routers and set-top boxes, but contains no information about how that database will be protected, and whether the database will be available to be shared with or sold to third parties. In light of this and other newly raised concerns, Public Knowledge and privacy advocates urge the FCC to:
pass regulations to protect the highly accurate location information that will be generated to meet improved E911 location accuracy standards
require that representatives of consumer privacy organizations be allowed to participate fully in the further development of improved E911 location accuracy, and
ensure that any final agreement(s) will be subject to further notice and comment
benton.org/headlines/public-knowledge-16-privacy-advocates-urge-fcc-protect-consumers | Public Knowledge
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A Year in Review and a Look Ahead: Time for Lifeline Reform

[Commentary] Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler has been on the job for just over a year. And with 2014 coming to a close, we look back at the accomplishments of the FCC in his first year. Today we look at the FCC’s Lifeline program which provides discounts on monthly telephone service for eligible low-income subscribers. Universal service is the principle that all Americans should have access to communications services. Universal service policies have helped make telephone service ubiquitous and affordable, even in remote rural areas. But in a world that increasing relies on broadband Internet access, the Federal Communications Commission has found that it must reform, streamline, and modernize all of its universal service programs to transform them from safety nets into springboards, improving access to and adoption of critical advanced communications services.

Comcast, Charter and Time Warner Cable all tell investors strict network neutrality wouldn’t change much

Turns out, Verizon wasn't the only one trying to ease concerns about the Federal Communications Commission's potential aggressive network neutrality rules. On the same day Verizon was playing down the investment risks of stricter regulation, so too were three other major Internet providers: Comcast, Time Warner Cable and Charter Communications.

Executives from each of the three broadband companies said at an industry conference that the prospect of more stringent rules was something they could -- grudgingly, in some cases -- live with. That signal contrasts sharply with the broader industry's argument in Washington: that aggressive rules would cause new investments to dry up, hurting consumers in the process. Charter chief executive Tom Rutledge said so long as the FCC waived parts of Title II that weren't relevant -- a step that even staunch net neutrality advocates support -- it would be an acceptable outcome.

Public Knowledge, 16 Privacy Advocates Urge FCC to Protect Consumers

Public Knowledge filed comments with the Federal Communications Commission highlighting privacy concerns raised by the “Roadmap for Improving E911 Location Accuracy” proposed by the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials, the National Emergency Number Association, AT&T Mobility, Sprint, T-Mobile USA, and Verizon.

Multiple public interest groups join Public Knowledge in these comments, including: American Civil Liberties Union, Alvaro Bedoya, Benton Foundation, Center for Democracy & Technology, Center for Digital Democracy, Common Sense Media, Consumer Action, Consumer Federation of America, Consumer Federation of California, Consumer Watchdog, Electronic Frontier Foundation, Electronic Privacy Information Center, New America Foundation’s Open Technology Institute, Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, US PIRG, and World Privacy Forum.

Public Knowledge and other privacy advocates point out a number of significant privacy-related concerns raised by the roadmap that have not been adequately addressed. For example, the roadmap proposes building a national database of physical addresses of wireless consumer home devices such as Wi-Fi routers and set-top boxes, but contains no information about how that database will be protected, and whether the database will be available to be shared with or sold to third parties.

In light of this and other newly raised concerns, Public Knowledge and privacy advocates urge the FCC to:

  • pass regulations to protect the highly accurate location information that will be generated to meet improved E911 location accuracy standards
  • require that representatives of consumer privacy organizations be allowed to participate fully in the further development of improved E911 location accuracy, and
  • ensure that any final agreement(s) will be subject to further notice and comment

NBC to Live Stream Network Shows

NBC is launching a live stream of its broadcast network, part of a broader effort at parent NBCUniversal to make more of its content available online via computers and mobile devices.

Unlike CBS and Time Warner’s HBO, NBC isn’t planning to sell a separate online version of its network to consumers without requiring that they be pay-TV subscribers. Instead, to access NBC’s live stream as well as additional content the company plans to offer via an on-demand platform, consumers will have to provide proof that they already have a pay-TV subscription. NBC’s live stream will debut Dec 16 online.

On Risks, Breaking Past the Status Quo, and IT Transformation

The Federal Communications Commission has assembled a strong team with staff members who have strengths that complement each other to execute a transformation of our information technology systems.

Our current plans for our IT transformation will occur in three phases:

  1. Stabilization of our aging IT infrastructure
  2. Rationalization of our legacy IT systems to identify in what order we will shift applications to cloud-based platforms to support more efficient internal work processes, and
  3. Modernization of our IT systems, where we will rewrite IT systems to employ a reusable "service catalog" of modular components across the entire FCC, with open Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), and built upon a common data platform.

Study to Examine Effects of Artificial Intelligence

Scientists have begun what they say will be a century-long study of the effects of artificial intelligence on society, including on the economy, war and crime, officials at Stanford University announced.

The project, hosted by the university, is unusual not just because of its duration but because it seeks to track the effects of these technologies as they reshape the roles played by human beings in a broad range of endeavors. “My take is that A.I. is taking over,” said Sebastian Thrun, a well-known roboticist who led the development of Google’s self-driving car. “A few humans might still be ‘in charge,’ but less and less so.”

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