Public Knowledge

The paper argues that the current first-to-market approach to connected technologies -- including Internet of Things devices -- has undermined public trust in these technologies and the internet, jeopardizing both our economy and democracy. To combat this, the paper proposes the creation of a “Security Shield” label to inform purchasers that a product has followed recognized best cybersecurity practices and should be more secure than similar products without such a label.

Public Knowledge, joined by the Benton Foundation and 14 consumer, rural, and public interest groups, filed a Petition for Reconsideration opposing the Federal Communications Commission’s recent Declaratory Ruling classifying text messaging as a Title I information service under the Communications Act. The groups believe this action undermines the public’s right to use text messaging without undue interference from wireless companies.

Jan 15, reports surfaced that Voipo, a California voice-over-internet-protocol (VOIP) provider, exposed millions of consumer call logs and text messages stored on an “improperly secured” ElasticSearch database for several months before security researcher Justin Paine located them. Public Knowledge demands that Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai enforce existing Customer Proprietary Network Information (CPNI) rules that protect the privacy of information related to telephone calls.

The promotion of diverse viewpoints has been the cornerstone of United States media policy over the last 100 years. In Nov 2018, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg published an article that delineated the algorithm that Facebook will use to disincentivize hate speech. Although Zuckerberg’s proposal is a laudable step for content moderation, it may be neglecting the value of exposing people to diverse views and competing sources of news.