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Government requests for Google user data rose slightly in the first half of 2016. Google said that it received 44,943 requests from government entities worldwide in the first six months of the year, up from 40,677 in the previous six month period. The requests affected 76,713 accounts — a decrease from the previous six months. The company said it had provided the authorities with some data in 64 percent of cases. That was the same rate as in the prior six months. For the first time, the company said, it had received requests from officials in Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Belarus, El Salvador, Fiji and the Cayman Islands.

Comcast has blocked versions of an advertisement backing a hike in Oregon’s corporate tax, which the cable giant opposes, from appearing on its video-on-demand service.

The versions that raised red flags specifically mention Comcast as one of the out-of-state corporations that would have to pay higher taxes as a result of Measure 97, which would raise income taxes on corporations across the state. New versions of all three advertisements initially flagged by Comcast are back on air and do not mention the cable giant, but the initial decision has rankled supporters of the tax. “It’s ridiculous. I’ve never experienced anything like this. It’s very unusual,” said John Coghlan, the consultant who bought ads for the measure. Coghland received an email from Comcast that the ads wouldn’t be allowed after he made the purchase on Comcast’s video-on-demand service. “The spot was flagged on our end and placed on HOLD while we escalate it for review for compliance with our guidelines,” the Comcast representative told Coghlan. Coghlan said the guidelines were never made available to the campaign. Comcast has donated $465,000 to the campaign against Measure 97.

An e-mail stolen from Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta and posted on WikiLeaks indicates that an official within the campaign appeared to have discussions with sources inside the Department of Justice (DOJ) about ongoing open records lawsuits regarding Clinton’s e-mails.

In May 2015, Clinton campaign spokesman Brian Fallon said that “DOJ folks” had “inform[ed]” him about an upcoming status conference in one of the lawsuits regarding Clinton’s private e-mail setup. The information about an upcoming court event would have been public knowledge and open for all to attend. And it’s unclear whether the people Fallon spoke to at the Justice Department were officials who regularly communicate with the public. However, the fact that Fallon — a former spokesman with the Department of Justice — remained in contact with anyone from the department is likely to renew allegations that the Obama Administration maintained an especially cozy relationship with the former Secretary of State’s presidential campaign.

The top job on the House Energy and Commerce Committee is likely up for grabs in the next Congress, with Rep Fred Upton (R-MI) reaching his six-year term limit with the gavel. The chairmanship has long been prized because it comes with sweeping jurisdiction over technology, healthcare and energy issues.

Rep Greg Walden (R-OR), who now leads the campaign arm for House Republicans, has his eye on the job. So does Rep John Shimkus (R-IL), who outranks Rep Walden in seniority. Both men have been reaching out to party leaders and members who serve on the Steering Committee, which will be awarding top committee jobs after the elections in November. “I’ve talked to a few members of the Steering Committee to make sure that they understood that I do intend to pursue it,” Rep Walden said. The composition of the Steering Committee will shift somewhat after the November elections. But lawmakers seeking to chair a committee, and their aides, often have a good sense of who the decision-makers will be. Rep Shimkus said that he spent much of September speaking with colleagues who might have a say in who gets the gavel. “Yeah, I think pretty much we talked to everyone we were targeted to talk to,” he said. The Energy and Commerce Committee’s wide jurisdiction makes its work of interest to a range of businesses, from Silicon Valley startups to coal-mining companies in Appalachia.

[Commentary] When multiple federal agencies regulate the same industry, it’s critically important that their rules and standards complement, rather than conflict, with one another. This principle is all the more important when consumer privacy in the ever-expanding world of broadband use is at stake. Unfortunately, the Federal Communications Commission’s pending privacy rulemaking threatens to sacrifice the virtues of consistent protection and put it out of sync with the Federal Trade Commission.

The challenge arises following the FCC’s action to adopt network neutrality rules. As a senior member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which oversees these policy areas, I strongly supported net neutrality. However, one unfortunate consequence of the FCC’s decision to classify Internet Service Providers (ISPs) as common carriers was that it eliminated the FTC’s longstanding authority to police the privacy practices of ISPs. While I agree it’s necessary to fix this problem, it’s not a reason to go overboard. There is no need for the FCC to reinvent the wheel here. By synchronizing its final regulations with the FTC’s successful privacy framework – including vital details like what information the FTC counts as sensitive and what
kinds of data uses will still require opt-in consent – the FCC can protect consumers’ privacy online in a lasting, durable and consistent way.

[Henry Waxman is a former House Commerce Commitee Chairman from California. He currently serves as Chairman of Waxman Strategies where he represents both technology companies and broadband providers.]

Fourteen organizations filed a court brief voicing opposition to a lawsuit intended to block the transition of internet domain oversight from the US to an international governing body. The Internet Association — an advocacy group backed by Google and Facebook — and Mozilla were among the groups that filed the brief.

They are opposing a lawsuit from four Republican state attorneys general who want to keep the U.S. from turning over functions of the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) to a group representing 162 countries. “The case before the Court is without merit and we request that the Court deny any motions seeking a delay of the IANA transition,” said Michael Beckerman, president and CEO of the Internet Association. “We are confident the transition will keep the internet safe, secure, reliable, and resilient.” A source familiar with the matter expects a decision before midnight Sept 30. Unless US District Judge George Hanks Jr. rules to grant a restraining order before then, the transition is set to start Oct 1.

Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John Thune (R-SD) is calling on Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler to release the FCC’s latest proposal on rules for pay-television set-top boxes.

Thune’s letter was delivered a day after Chairman Wheeler indefinitely delayed a vote on his latest proposal to change the rules for set-top boxes, a market that has been dominated by cable companies. Wheeler’s rule would require companies to make their television feeds available as apps to other companies, such as Apple and Google, that might make set-top boxes. The decision to delay the vote shows Chairman Wheeler does not have support on the FCC for his rule to be approved at this time. Chairman Thune said the public should be able to see the latest version of the rule and be able to comment on it. “Your new proposal is intended to benefit consumers, yet those same consumers are not currently able to read this far-reaching new plan,” Chairman Thune wrote in the letter.

The Federal Communications Commission pulled a vote on a contentious proposal to open up the market for television set-top boxes from its agenda minutes before the start of its monthly meeting on Sept 29. The delay is a blow to FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler, who had been pitted against the pay-television industry in a fight over the reforms. “We have made tremendous progress — and we share the goal of creating a more innovative and inexpensive market for these consumer devices,” said Chairman Wheeler and the agency’s other two Democratic commissioners, Mignon Clyburn and Jessica Rosenworcel. “We are still working to resolve the remaining technical and legal issues and we are committed to unlocking the set-top box for consumers across this country.” The item now remains on “circulation,” in the parlance of the agency, meaning it is being weighed by the commissioners.

An industry trade association, NCTA -- The Internet and Television Association, said they were pleased with the FCC’s move. “We are pleased that the FCC has chosen to delay consideration of its set-top box item and hope that additional time will lead to meaningful public review and comment on any newly-crafted proposal under consideration.” Sen Ed Markey (D-MA), a vocal advocate for the reforms, said he was frustrated by the delay. "Today’s vote delay is an unequivocal loss for the tens of millions of Americans across the country who are forced to spend their hard-earned money on overpriced set-top box leases that cost them hundreds of dollars a year," he said. "I am extremely disappointed that the majority of the FCC Commissioners have not yet come to an agreement to provide relief for consumers for these bloated set-top box rental fees and certainty to companies who wish to innovate with new products."

Republican attorneys general in four states are filing a lawsuit to block the transfer of Internet domain systems oversight from the US to an international governing body. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich, Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt, and Nevada Attorney General Paul Laxalt filed a lawsuit on Sept 28 to stop the White House's proposed transition of Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) functions.

The state officials cite constitutional concerns in their suit against the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, US government and the Department of Commerce. “The Obama Administration’s decision violates the Property Clause of the US Constitution by giving away government property without congressional authorization, the First Amendment to the US Constitution by chilling speech, and the Administrative Procedure Act by acting beyond statutory authority,” a statement released by Paxton’s office reads. The attorneys generals claim that the US government is ceding government property, pointing to a Government Accountability Office (GAO) review that “concluded that the transition does not involve a transfer of US government property requiring Congressional approval.” AG Paxton also echoed Sen Ted Cruz's (R-TX) warnings that the transition could harm free speech on the Internet by giving Russia, China and Iran a voice on the international governing body that would oversee internet domain systems.

“Trusting authoritarian regimes to ensure the continued freedom of the internet is lunacy,” AG Paxton said. “The president does not have the authority to simply give away America’s pioneering role in ensuring that the Internet remains a place where free expression can flourish.”

Intelligence officials told Donald Trump they had “high confidence” that Russia was behind the hacks of several Democratic organizations, including the Democratic National Committee (DNC), before the Republican presidential nominee said during the first presidential debate of 2016 that no one knew Moscow was involved.

After Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton said during the debate that Russia perpetrated the attacks, Trump said he was not certain. “She’s saying, 'Russia, Russia, Russia,' but I don’t know. Maybe it was. It could be Russia, but it could also be China. It could also be lots of other people. It could also be someone sitting on their bed that weighs 400 pounds,” Trump said. It is widely believed in the intelligence community that Russia was behind the attacks. More than a year ago, officials briefed members of Congress that Russia was trying to attack Democratic groups. Later, officials warned the groups they were likely to be under attack, although they omitted crucial details to preserve active intelligence-gathering operations.