US Government Accountability Office

The United States does not have a comprehensive Internet privacy law governing the collection, use, and sale or other disclosure of consumers' personal information. The US Govermment Accountability Office was asked to review federal oversight of Internet privacy. This report addresses, among other objectives: (1) how Federal Trade Commission and Federal Communications Commission have overseen consumers' Internet privacy and (2) selected stakeholders' views on the strengths and limitations of how Internet privacy currently is overseen and how, if it all, this approach could be enhanced.

The stakeholders the US Government Accountability Office spoke with identified two primary spectrum-related challenges for the internet of things (IoT)—the availability of spectrum and managing interference. Although not considered an immediate concern, Federal Communications Commission (FCC) staff and some stakeholders noted that rapid increases in IoT devices that use large amounts of spectrum—called high-bandwidth devices—could quickly overwhelm networks, as happened with smart phones.

The Department of Health and Human Services wants all Americans to be able to access their health records electronically. Health care providers that participated in HHS's Medicare Electronic Health Record Incentive Program offered nearly 9 out of 10 patients the ability to access their health information online. We found that relatively few of these patients accessed their records online, and patients typically did so in response to a medical visit. We also found that HHS doesn't know how effective its efforts to increase online access have been. We recommended HHS develop performance measures to assess the effectiveness of these efforts.

The US Government Accountability Office was asked to review the possible effects of the auction on low power television (LPTV) and translator stations and their viewers. This report examines: (1) LPTV and translator stations and how the Federal Communications Commission's incentive auction might affect their viewers, (2) selected stakeholders' views on actions FCC has proposed to mitigate the possible effects of the auction on such stations, and (3) selected stakeholders' views on the expected outcomes of preserving a vacant television channel for unlicensed use. GAO reviewed relevant FCC proceedings and comments associated with those proceedings; surveyed a non-generalizable sample of 330 LPTV and translator station representatives with available e-mail addresses; and interviewed officials from FCC and industry stakeholders selected to represent various types of organizations, such as broadcast industry associations and technology companies. GAO provided FCC with a draft of this report. FCC's technical comments have been incorporated.

The Federal Communications Commission has implemented four industry- wide reforms and the initial phases of two carrier-specific reforms for the Universal Service Fund’s (USF) high-cost program.

However, the FCC has encountered delays implementing the subsequent phases and more complex carrier-specific funding reforms that require extensive cost modeling and stakeholder input.

This report examines 1) the extent to which the FCC implemented funding reforms, 2) the extent to which the FCC is collecting data to determine the effectiveness of the reforms, and 3) what changes, if any, states have made in USF funding. The Government Accountability Office recommends that the FCC demonstrate how high-cost funds were used to improve broadband availability, service quality, and capacity.