Press Release

Led by Sen Patty Murray (D-WA) -- the top Democrat on the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee -- a group of Senate Democrats introduced new legislation aimed at closing the growing digital divide in communities across the country.

Sens Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-NY) introduced the Algorithmic Accountability Act, which requires companies to study and fix flawed computer algorithms that result in inaccurate, unfair, biased or discriminatory decisions impacting Americans. The Algorithmic Accountability Act would:

The Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission announced the renewal of the charter of the FCC’s Consumer Advisory Committee, the appointment of members for the Committee’s tenth two-year term, and the Committee’s next meeting date, time, and agenda. The membership consists of a diverse mix of organizations representing consumers, the communications industry, government regulators, trade associations, academia, and other stakeholders including four individuals serving as Special Government Employees. The first meeting of the CAC under its renewed charter will take place on June 3, 20

Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) and Deb Fischer (R-NE) have introduced the Deceptive Experiences To Online Users Reduction (DETOUR) Act, bipartisan legislation to prohibit large online platforms from using deceptive user interfaces, known as “dark patterns” to trick consumers into handing over their personal data.

Sens Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MM) sent a letter to the Federal Trade Commission asking the FTC to address concerns regarding potential privacy, data security, and antitrust violations involving online platforms. “Tennesseans are rightly concerned about who owns their Virtual You,” Sen Blackburn said. “They want to be certain that their privacy is protected in both the physical and virtual space. The FTC has a responsibility to hold technology companies accountable for securing their platforms.

The Federal Communications Commission will hold an Open Meeting on the subjects listed below on Friday, April 12, 2019:

Reps Paul Tonko (D-NY) and Susan Brooks (R-IN) announced the introduction of the ACCESS BROADBAND Act (HR 1328), bipartisan legislation that would expand broadband access in underserved areas and create a simpler process for small businesses and local economic developers to access federal broadband resources. The bill would also fund local training workshops to help small businesses and economic developers put federal broadband resources to work. Similar legislation passed in the House in the 115th Congress but was never taken up in the Senate.

The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation approved two telecommunications bills:

Based on a record of nearly 1 million documents comprised of 7.7 million pages of information submitted by the applicants, as well as arguments and evidence submitted by criminal justice advocates, consumer groups, and other commenters, FCC staff concluded that this deal posed significant competitive concerns and would not be in the public interest. I agree. I’m therefore pleased that the companies have determined that withdrawing their application is the best course.

The Federal Communications Commission recently chose thoughtful and sensible policy reform when an item was circulated to Commissioners to begin a rulemaking that would establish a much-needed and overdue budget for the agency’s Universal Service Fund (USF).  Against the backdrop of special interest groups and uninformed detractors reflexively opposed to any restraint on the agency’s redistributive subsidies, I am proud to lead this effort to inject more fiscal responsibility into the USF. Hardly a revolutionary idea, budgets are precisely what American families and businesses rely on to ma