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  2. October 2016

October 2016

Shut Down the Internet, and the Economy Goes With It

Governments damage their economies when they shut down Internet applications and services, according to a new analysis. During the past year, 81 disruptions in 19 countries cost those economies at least $2.4 billion, according a study by Darrell West at the Brookings Institution that estimates the cost of disrupting a nation’s online activities. Governments can cut off citizens’ Internet access for a variety of reasons, including to quell dissent or force a company to comply with a law. In 2011, the Egyptian government shut down access for five days to prevent communication between protesters, while more recently, Brazil blocked the messaging app WhatsApp after it refused to comply with requests for user data.

Spirit Communications, partners launch GigUp South Carolina initiative

Spirit Communications and its 11 independent incumbent local exchange carrier (ILEC) partners have taken a page out of the Google Fiber playbook by launching a “GigUP South Carolina” campaign, illustrating the utility of 1 Gbps fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) services. The goal of the GigUP South Carolina campaign is to promote the advances in the state’s gigabit Internet capabilities that result from Spirit’s unique business model focused on serving the state’s telecom needs. Similar to efforts in Chattanooga (TN), a city that’s been able to attract new startups and technology talent through EPB and Comcast’s 1 Gbps service rollouts, the GigUP partnership is touting South Carolina as a hub for businesses and consumers to either locate a new business or relocate.

Internet is becoming unreadable because of a trend towards lighter, thinner fonts

The Internet is becoming unreadable because of a trend towards lighter and thinner fonts, making it difficult for the elderly or visually-impaired to see words clearly, a web expert has found. Where text used to be bold and dark, which contrasted well with predominantly white backgrounds, now many websites are switching to light greys or blues for their type.

Award winning blogger Kevin Marks, founder of Microformats and former vice president of web services at BT, decided to look into the trend after becoming concerned that his eyesight was failing because he was increasingly struggling to read on screen text. He found a ‘widespread movement’ to reduce the contrast between the words and the background, with tech giants Apple, Google and Twitter all altering their typography. True black on white text has a contrast ratio of 21:1 - the maximum which can be achieved. Most technology companies agree that it is good practice for type to be a minimum of 7:1 so that the visually-impaired can still see text. But Mr Marks, found that even Apple’s own typography guidelines, which recommended 7:1 are written in a contrast ratio of 5.5:1.

Fearing Trump, Bar Association Stifles Report Calling Him a ‘Libel Bully’

Alarmed by Donald Trump’s record of filing lawsuits to punish and silence his critics, a committee of media lawyers at the American Bar Association commissioned a report on Trump’s litigation history. The report concluded that Trump was a “libel bully” who had filed many meritless suits attacking his opponents and had never won in court. But the bar association refused to publish the report, citing “the risk of the ABA being sued by Mr. Trump.” David J. Bodney, a former chairman of the media-law committee, said he was baffled by the bar association’s interference in the committee’s journal.

“It is more than a little ironic,” he said, “that a publication dedicated to the exploration of First Amendment issues is subjected to censorship when it seeks to publish an article about threats to free speech.” In internal communications, the bar association’s leadership, including its general counsel’s office and public relations staff, did not appear to dispute the report’s conclusions. But James Dimos, the association’s deputy executive director, objected to the term “libel bully” and other sharp language in the report, saying in an Oct. 19 email that the changes were needed to address “the legitimately held views of ABA staff who are charged with managing the reputational and financial risk to the association.”

US courts: Electronic surveillance up 500 percent in DC-area since 2011, almost all sealed cases

Secret law enforcement requests to conduct electronic surveillance in domestic criminal cases have surged in federal courts for Northern Virginia and the District, but only one in a thousand of the applications ever becomes public, newly released data show. The bare-bones release by the courts leaves unanswered how long, in what ways and for what crimes federal investigators tracked individuals’ data and whether long-running investigations result in charges. Yet the listings of how often law enforcement applied to judges to conduct covert electronic surveillance — a list that itself is usually sealed — underscore the exponential growth in the use of a 1986 law to collect data about users’ telephone, email and other Internet communications.

How conservative TV could change after Election Day

Donald Trump continued to feed speculation that he will start a television network after Election Day by debuting a nightly webcast on his Facebook page. Also conservative commentator Mark Levin announced his plan to launch Conservative Review TV in December. Meanwhile, the Right Side Broadcasting Network, which has built a loyal following by streaming Trump rallies on YouTube, hopes to add more original programming after the election to become something akin to Glenn Beck's TheBlaze, said the network's founder, Joe Seales. (Of course, Right Side will not be quite like TheBlaze. Seales is a Trump acolyte, but Beck is one of the Republican presidential nominee's harshest critics.)

Then there is post-Roger Ailes Fox News. Anchor Shepard Smith said that network owner Rupert Murdoch “wants to hire a lot more journalists” and build “a massive new newsroom.” “When the biggest boss, who controls everything, comes and says, 'That's what I want to do,' that's the greatest news I've heard in years,” Smith said. “And he didn't mention one thing about our opinion side.” When polls close Nov. 8, the conservative TV landscape could get crowded in a hurry — especially if Trump loses, which he is very likely to do

In emails, aide stressed need to ‘clean up’ Obama’s comments on Clinton’s email

A top aide to Hillary Clinton appeared to worry in March 2015 that President Barack Obama might be accused of lying about his knowledge of Clinton’s private email server. In a brief email chain released by WikiLeaks, Clinton allies seemed to scurry to respond to Obama’s claim that he was unaware of Clinton’s use of a personal email account while she was Secretary of State until after it became public.

“[L]ooks like POTUS just said he found out HRC was using her personal email when he saw it in the news,” Clinton spokesman Josh Schwerin told other campaign aides in a March 7, 2015 email, using acronyms for the President and Clinton. “[W]e need to clean this up - he has emails from her - they do not say state.gov,” responded Cheryl Mills, Clinton’s former chief of staff at the State Department. The White House has insisted that President Obama was unaware of Clinton’s unusual email setup during her tenure at the State Department, even though the two occasionally communicated by email.

What’s Next for FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn?

Federal Communications Commissioner Mignon Clyburn’s summer pursuits are fueling speculation about whether she's eyeing an eventual run for her father's seat in Congress. Her just-completed cross-country tour and policy conference in DC have the trappings of someone looking to set the stage for a bigger role, and many expect that her 7-year stint at the FCC is nearing its end. Rep Jim Clyburn (D-SC) has shown little sign he's getting ready to step down. But key South Carolina Democrats who know Commissioner Mignon say the congressional role is squarely on her radar -- and state Democratic powerbroker Dick Harpootlian says she would immediately be the front-runner. DC folks in her orbit, however, are less convinced she will go the Capitol Hill route -- and they have their own thoughts on what she might pursue after the FCC.

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