Politco
FTC Democrats chart a new course
Thought things are tough for the tech industry in Washington now? Building Democratic frustration with the industry could bring a bigger crackdown if the 2020 election puts the party back in control of the White House. Look no further than the Federal Trade Commission — and its two Democrats — to see those dynamics at play. In a series of unusually blunt dissents in recent cases involving Facebook and Google, FTC Commissioners Rohit Chopra and Rebecca Kelly Slaughter argued for much tougher financial penalties for companies that break their promises and abuse their users’ privacy.
House Appropriations Committee rebukes President Trump, upholds sanctions on Chinese tech megafirm
The House Appropriations Committee quietly rejected the Trump administration’s efforts to help restore the US operations of the controversial Chinese tech megafirm, ZTE. Lawmakers from both parties unanimously agreed to include in an appropriations bill a provision that would uphold sanctions against the Chinese phone-maker, just days after President Donald Trump revealed in a tweet that he has directed his administration to help put the company “back in business.” The language was added to a relatively uncontroversial House spending bill, which funds the Commerce Department, among other ag