Associated Press
A torpedoed Biden FCC nominee shows the power of dark money campaigns and a ‘perfect storm’ of industry interests
When President Joe Biden nominated Gigi Sohn [Senior Fellow and Public Advocate at the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society] to serve on the Federal Communications Commission, the longtime consumer advocate expected to face criticism over her desire to expand free internet access and improve competition among broadband providers. Instead, Sohn found herself the target of an aggressive campaign funded by a conservative group that doesn’t have to disclose its donors. The American Accountability Foundation called Sohn too partisan, anti-police, and soft on sex trafficking.
Alabama lawmakers begin special session; will consider $260 million from American Rescue Plan Act for broadband (Associated Press)
Submitted by dclay@benton.org on Thu, 03/09/2023 - 17:15Drug Enforcement Administration seeks to limit telehealth prescriptions for some drugs (Associated Press)
Submitted by benton on Tue, 02/28/2023 - 13:06Maryland bans TikTok in state agencies, latest state to act (Associated Press)
Submitted by dclay@benton.org on Wed, 12/07/2022 - 11:10Facebook still banning Trump — for now — despite campaign (Associated Press)
Submitted by dclay@benton.org on Thu, 11/17/2022 - 11:30Musk says he expects to find a new Twitter CEO “over time” (Associated Press)
Submitted by dclay@benton.org on Thu, 11/17/2022 - 11:29White House invites dozens of nations for ransomware summit (Associated Press)
Submitted by benton on Mon, 10/31/2022 - 06:32House approves antitrust bill targeting Big Tech dominance
The House of representatives approved antitrust legislation targeting the dominance of Big Tech companies by giving states greater power in competition cases and increasing money for federal regulators. The Merger Filing Fee Modernization Act passed by a 242-184 vote. It was separated from more ambitious provisions aimed at reining in Meta, Google, Amazon, and Apple and cleared by key House and Senate committees. Those proposals have languished for months, giving the companies time for vigorous lobbying campaigns against them.