BENTON'S COMMUNICATIONS-RELATED HEADLINES for THURSDAY, JULY 27, 2017
Today's Event -- Chief FOIA Officers’ Council Meeting -- https://www.benton.org/node/260831
COMMUNICATIONS & DEMOCRACY
Journalist skirmish in the Senate: What you should know
White House press secretary almost bails on briefing over her failure to discuss White House policy - analysis
WH Communications Director Scaramucci: President Trump may be ‘most media savvy person in history’ [links to Hill, The]
Eric Trump Decries Fake News-Driven 'Witch Hunt' [links to Benton summary]
ELECTIONS
Facebook Shells Out $500,000 For Project to Fight Election Hacking [links to Benton summary]
NET NEUTRALITY
Rep Doyle asks FCC chair if anything can stop net neutrality rollback
Reps Pallone and Doyle Ask House Commerce Committee GOP to Invite Additional Witnesses To September Network Neutrality Hearing - press release
Lawsuit seeks Ajit Pai’s net neutrality talks with Internet providers
Congressional Progressive Caucus to Federal Communications Commission: What Are You Hiding?
A Day of Reflection after the Day of Action - AT&T blog
Op-ed: Congress should pass a strong net neutrality law - San Bernardino County Sun op-ed [links to Benton summary]
Repealing Net Neutrality is Easy. Replacing it Will Be Hard - Wired analysis [links to Benton summary]
MORE INTERNET/BROADBAND
How Trump’s infrastructure plan can expand broadband coverage [links to Benton summary]
Treasury Secretary Mnuchin is ‘looking closely’ at online sales taxes
Pinetops, North Carolina: The Town That Had Free Gigabit Internet [links to Benton summary]
A people-owned internet exists. Here is what it looks like - The Guardian op-ed [links to Benton summary]
WIRELESS/SPECTRUM
RootMetrics: Mobile performance in the US - press release [links to Benton summary]
GAO Report: Internet of Things: Communities Deploy Projects by Combing Federal Support with Other Funds and Expertise - research [links to Benton summary]
TELECOM
FCC Fines Robocalling Platform Almost $3 Million for Illegal Calls - press release [links to Benton summary]
BROADCASTING
Bill Introduced to Boost TV Station Repack Fund [links to Benton summary]
OWNERSHIP
Democrats say they want to go after monopoly power. Here’s why that’s a great idea. - op-ed [links to Benton summary]
SECURITY/PRIVACY
Sens Expected to Unveil E-mail Privacy Legislation July 27
House Homeland Sec Committee Passes Bills to Reorganize DHS Cyber Team [links to nextgov]
An OTI Experiment: Open Source Surveillance Detection - press release [links to Benton summary]
Hospitals Face Growing Cybersecurity Threats [links to NPR]
A cybersecurity expert on why you should be very worried about the internet’s future [links to Vox]
The Economics of Privacy [links to Technology Academics Policy]
FTC Announces Winner of its Internet of Things Home Device Security Contest - press release [links to Benton summary]
ACCESSIBILITY
Celebrating the 27th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act - press release
CONTENT
Republican Reps battle within party over online sales tax bill [links to Benton summary]
Our Minds Have Been Hijacked By Our Phones. Tristan Harris Wants to Rescue Them [links to Wired]
First Facebook TV Episodes Are Said to Be Ready for Mid-August [links to Bloomberg]
ADVERTISING
Facebook's ads keep creeping into new apps [links to Los Angeles Times]
LABOR
President Trump, electronics manufacturer Foxconn announce new Wisconsin plant [links to Benton summary]
Google announces $50 million initiative for displaced workers [links to Hill, The]
DIVERSITY
LGBT Tech Vows to Fight Trump Transgender Ban [links to Broadcasting&Cable]
Foundation Launched To Promote Content Diversity [links to Benton summary]
Airbnb teams up with the NAACP to fight racism on its platform [links to Verge, The]
Judge Tosses Racial Discrimination Suit Against CNN, Time Warner [links to Benton summary]
TRANSPORTATION
New TSA rule for screening large electronics to expand to all U.S. airports [links to Benton summary]
EDUCATION
Secretary DeVos Accepts President Trump’s Q2 Salary as a Donation for STEM-Focused Camp [links to US Department of Education]
GOVERNMENT & COMMUNICATIONS
IT Modernization Gets Nod, But No Money, In House Funding Bill [links to nextgov]
POLICYMAKERS
USDS Official Departs [links to Benton summary]
Scaramucci fast accruing power in White House [links to Hill, The]
David Apol, President Trump’s New Ethics Chief, Has Fought to Roll Back Restrictions [links to New York Times]
STORIES FROM ABROAD
Where Civic Space is Most Threatened [links to Fast Company]
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COMMUNICATIONS AND DEMOCRACY
JOURNALIST SKIRMISH IN THE SENATE
[SOURCE: Columbia Journalism Review, AUTHOR: Jonathan Peters]
Protesters chanted in the Senate visitor galleries July 25 as legislators prepared to vote to open debate on a bill repealing parts of the Affordable Care Act, prompting the Capitol Police to arrest the protesters—and, reportedly, to tell some journalists to delete photos or videos they had taken of the arrests. The protesters began yelling “kill the bill, don’t kill us” from the galleries after Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) made his opening remarks. Asked to restore order, the Capitol Police removed the protesters and arrested some in the Senate hallways, where journalists trying to document the scene clashed with police and other officials. Daily Beast reporter Andrew Desiderio tweeted that “Capitol Police made me delete the video I recorded.” HuffPost reporter Jennifer Bendery tweeted that journalists were kept away from hallways where arrests were occurring—and that an officer pushed her when she tried to “get a look” at the protesters.
benton.org/headlines/journalist-skirmish-senate-what-you-should-know | Columbia Journalism Review
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WH BRIEFING ON WH POLICY
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Erik Wemple]
The good news: Cameras were allowed to record July 26’s White House briefing. The bad news: They didn’t have a whole lot to record. The crew of White House correspondents had a number of questions about the new White House policy on the service of transgender Americans in the military — a policy that President Donald Trump announced on twitter. Of course, any policy change announced via three tweets invites questions, owing to the fact that 420 characters leave only so much room for details. But the back and forth at the briefing did not go well. The questions were about a proactive White House policy announced directly by the President of the United States. Accordingly, the White House press secretary should be brimming with facts and perspectives and talking points. Or at least an answer as to what happens to current transgender service members. That she sounded like a besieged PR type speaks to a matter of continuity in the Trump White House: Though a new communications director — Anthony Scaramucci — took over recently, Trump’s spokespeople appear to be no better briefed on the issues of the day than they’ve been over the past six months. The dearth of information coming from the podium will prompt cries — again — that the briefings are useless. Not true. They show that White House officials are as clueless about the outside world as they are about what’s going on inside the building.
benton.org/headlines/white-house-press-secretary-almost-bails-briefing-over-her-failure-discuss-white-house | Washington Post
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NET NEUTRALITY
REP DOYLE ASKS FCC CHAIR IF ANYTHING CAN STOP NN ROLLBACK
[SOURCE: ars technica, AUTHOR: Jon Brodkin]
Rep Michael Doyle (D-PA) accused Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai of pursuing an agenda that harms both consumers and small businesses. "Chairman Pai, in the time that you have been head of this agency, we have seen an agenda that is anti-consumer, anti-small business, anti-competition, anti-innovation, and anti-opportunity," Rep Doyle said during an FCC oversight hearing held by the House Communications Subcommittee. Rep Doyle pointed to several of Chairman Pai’s decisions, including ending a net neutrality investigation into what Rep Doyle called "anti-competitive zero-rating practices" by AT&T and Verizon Wireless. Doyle also questioned whether anything would stop Pai's Republican majority from rolling back net neutrality rules and the classification of ISPs as common carriers. Doyle asked Pai, "what kind of comment would cause you to change your mind?" Chairman Pai responded, "economic analysis that shows credibly that there's infrastructure investment that has increased dramatically" since the net neutrality rules went into effect. Chairman Pai said he also would take evidence seriously if it shows that the overall economy would suffer from a net neutrality rollback or that startups and consumers can't thrive without the existing rules.
benton.org/headlines/rep-doyle-asks-fcc-chair-if-anything-can-stop-net-neutrality-rollback | Ars Technica
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DEMS ASK FOR ADDITIONAL WITNESSES AT NET NEUTRALITY HEARING
[SOURCE: House of Representatives, AUTHOR: Rep Frank Pallone (D-NJ), Rep Mike Doyle (D-PA)]
After House Commerce Committee Chairman Greg Walden (R-OR) announce that he had invited the CEOs of both Internet-based companies and broadband internet access service providers to a September hearing on network neutrality, the committee’s Democratic leadership wrote to him saying, “In your announcement of the hearing, you said the Chief Executive Officers from eight of the largest corporations in the world with a combined market capitalization of nearly $2.5 trillion had been invited to testify. Although you stated the hearing was an inquiry into the ‘internet ecosystem,’ you once again failed to recognize how important the internet is for consumers, small businesses, entrepreneurs, political organizers, public interest groups, and people looking for work. We therefore ask that you make sure that any hearing has sufficient witnesses to represent the diversity of real people who will be affected by the FCC’s efforts to roll back net neutrality,”
benton.org/headlines/reps-pallone-and-doyle-ask-house-commerce-committee-gop-invite-additional-witnesses | House of Representatives
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LAWSUIT SEEKS PAIS NN TALKS WITH ISPS
[SOURCE: ars technica, AUTHOR: Jon Brodkin]
The Federal Communications Commission was sued by a group that says the commission failed to comply with a public records request for communications about net neutrality between FCC officials and Internet service providers. On April 26, a nonprofit called American Oversight filed a Freedom of Information Act (FoIA) request asking the FCC for all records related to communications on net neutrality between Internet service providers and Chairman Ajit Pai or Pai's staff. The group asked for "correspondence, e-mails, telephone call logs, calendar entries, meeting agendas," and any other records of such communications. The group also asked for similar records related to FCC communications with members of Congress, congressional staff, and members of the media. But American Oversight's lawsuit against the FCC says the commission hasn't complied with the requests. “The FCC has made it clear that they’re ignoring feedback from the general public, so we’re going to court to find out who they’re actually listening to about net neutrality," American Oversight Executive Director Austin Evers said in the group's announcement of its lawsuit. "If the Trump administration is going to let industry lobbyists rewrite the rules of the Internet for millions of Americans, we’re going to make them do it in full view of the public."
benton.org/headlines/lawsuit-seeks-ajit-pais-net-neutrality-talks-internet-providers | Ars Technica
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CONGRESSIONAL PROGRESSIVE CAUCUS TO FCC
[SOURCE: KRWG, AUTHOR: ]
Congressional Progressive Caucus Co-Chairs Rep Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ) and Mark Pocan (D-WI) respond to the Federal Communications Commission’s failure to release 47,000 public complaints that could show the American public's desire to keep the internet open and free. The comment period on a new FCC proposal to undo net neutrality was closed on July 17. National Hispanic Media Coalition had requested the comment deadline be extended until complaints against internet service providers (ISPs) were made public. “The fact that 47,000 complaints were filed against internet providers since the rules on net neutrality went into place shows an enormous need for these consumer protections. The FCC’s failure, so far, to comply with the FOIA request gives the appearance that they would rather bury these complaints than admit that the current rules are necessary...Internet access can no longer be considered a luxury commodity for the wealthy. The rules governing the internet must ensure it remains free and open and unfortunately President Trump’s new FCC commissioner is moving in the exact opposite direction while ignoring the evidence.”
benton.org/headlines/congressional-progressive-caucus-federal-communications-commission-what-are-you-hiding | KRWG
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ATT DAY OF REFLECTION AFTER DAY OF ACTION
[SOURCE: AT&T, AUTHOR: Joan Marsh]
First, AT&T joined the Day of Action because we too support an open internet. We are and have always been against blocking, censorship and discriminatory throttling. We support transparency in internet practices. The activists were confounded. I’ll be honest, I don’t get the confusion. AT&T has for years consistently supported the core tenets of an open internet in our advocacy, in our business practices and even in sworn testimony before Congress. But that didn’t matter. Far from embracing our support for internet freedom, the Fight for the Future crowd declared our support a deliberate effort to mislead the public, all because we share a common goal but do not embrace common means. FFF went as far as to mean-girl us by proclaiming that we couldn’t even sit at the open internet table. Is it ironic to pursue an agenda of openness through exclusionary tactics, or is it just me? If the Day of Action proved anything, it’s that there is broad consensus that the internet in America should always be a place for free expression of ideas and an open exchange of information free from censorship and blocking. The disagreement is really quite narrow.
benton.org/headlines/day-reflection-after-day-action | AT&T
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INTERNET/BROADBAND
TREASURY SEC MNUCHIN LOOKING CLOSELY AT ONLINE SALES TAXES
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Brian Fung]
The Trump administration is weighing whether to support online sales taxes that could give state governments greater flexibility in their budgets. Testifying before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee July 25, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said the White House “is looking very closely at this issue” and that it intends to “come out with a position shortly.” Sec Mnuchin said that the policy could be an important way for states to fund infrastructure — an issue that President donald Trump has touted as a key part of his agenda with a $1 trillion spending plan. Some analysts have questioned the feasibility of that plan because it would cut federal investments in infrastructure by tens of billions of dollars. But allowing states to require companies to collect and remit taxes on online sales could help make up some of the shortfall.
benton.org/headlines/treasury-secretary-mnuchin-looking-closely-online-sales-taxes | Washington Post
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SECURITY/PRIVACY
E-MAIL PRIVACY LEGISLATION
[SOURCE: The Hill, AUTHOR: Ali Breland]
Apparently, Sens Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Mike Lee (R-UT) are expected to unveil legislation that will force the government to obtain warrants to look at American citizen’s e-mails. Sens Leahy and Lee’s bill, titled the ECPA Modernization Act of 2017, aims to update the Email Communications Privacy Act of 1986. The bill will initially be released without any cosponsors. Currently, law enforcement can obtain Americans’ e-mail correspondence with a written statement saying that the e-mails are necessary to an investigation, a process that does not require judicial review. The new bill would change this and require law enforcement agencies to get warrants through a court to gain access to citizens’ e-mails. Apparently, the reforms would cover areas beyond email privacy like protections on metadata, and improvements to the current gag rules which allow the government to keep e-mail service providers from notifying users that their e-mails have been obtained. The bill has been extremely popular in the House, passing with an overwhelming, bipartisan majority the last two times it was introduced.
benton.org/headlines/sens-expected-unveil-e-mail-privacy-legislation-july-27 | Hill, The
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ACCESSIBILITY
CELEBRATING 27TH ANNIVERSARY OF ADA
[SOURCE: Federal Communications Commission, AUTHOR: Patrick Webre]
On July 26, 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) became the law of the land. This landmark legislation gave the Federal Communications Commission a mandate to ensure access to telecommunications by Americans with hearing and speech disabilities. Title IV of the ADA requires the FCC to ensure that nationwide telecommunications relay services are available for people who are deaf, hard of hearing, deaf-blind, or who have a speech disability to communicate with other individuals in a manner that is functionally equivalent to people who use voice telephone services. In 2010, with passage of the Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act (CVAA), Congress authorized the distribution of free communications equipment to low-income individuals who are deaf-blind. The FCC used this authority to develop the National Deaf-Blind Equipment Distribution Program, also known as "iCanConnect." Since 2012, iCanConnect has provided the equipment needed to make communications services accessible to low-income individuals who have both significant vision loss and significant hearing loss. Among other things, this program has enabled people who are deaf-blind and were unable to access telecommunications relay services to now do so. Although iCanConnect started as a pilot FCC program, it became permanent as of July 1, 2017. Through iCanConnect, relay service programs, and other accessibility initiatives under the ADA and CVAA, the FCC is working to ensure that all Americans have equal access to essential telecommunications services so that everyone can take full advantage of all the latest life-enhancing innovations.
benton.org/headlines/celebrating-27th-anniversary-americans-disabilities-act | Federal Communications Commission
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