1. Monthly archive
  2. December 2021

December 2021

FCC nominee Gigi Sohn will not receive a confirmation vote on December 15

The Senate Commerce Committee will not be voting next week on Federal Communications Commission nominee Gigi Sohn [Senior Fellow and Public Advocate at the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society]’s nomination because some committee members asked for more time to meet with her. That’s another ominous sign for her nomination, in the wake of fierce GOP criticism. And it seems to ensure that her possible confirmation — which is required to secure a Democratic majority at the FCC — won’t happen until 2022.

Senators announce legislation to ensure transparency at social media platforms

US Sens Chris Coons (D-DE), Rob Portman (R-OH), and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) announced the Platform Accountability and Transparency Act (PATA), a new bipartisan bill that would require social media companies to provide vetted, independent researchers and the public with access to certain platform data. While major social media companies retain granular data on their products’ impact on Americans and our communities, only a small fraction of it is ever made available to the public.

NTIA’s Connecting Minority Communities Program Receives Over $833 Million in Funding Requests

The US Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announced that it has received more than 200 applications for the Connecting Minority Communities Pilot Program, resulting in more than $833 million in funding requests for the purchase of broadband internet service, equipment, or devices, among other project goals.

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