What's on the agenda for policymakers.
Agenda
Gigi Sohn says Dems will use oversight on net neutrality
Benton Senior Fellow and Public Advocate Gigi Sohn said that the new Democratic-majority House will probe the handling of net neutrality by the Trump administration. She noted that Democrats are “angry” with the Federal Communications Commission repealing the rules that protected consumers from slowing or blocking internet content.
Trump Inaugural Fund and Super PAC Said to Be Scrutinized for Illegal Foreign Donations
Federal prosecutors are examining whether foreigners illegally funneled donations to President Trump’s inaugural committee and a pro-Trump super PAC in hopes of buying influence over American policy. The inquiry focuses on whether people from Middle Eastern nations — including Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates — used straw donors to disguise their donations to the two funds. Federal prosecutors in Manhattan are investigating whether President Trump’s 2017 inaugural committee misspent some of the record $107 million it raised from donations. The criminal probe by the Manhattan
Rural Wireless Association: T-Mobile lied to the FCC about its 4G coverage
The Rural Wireless Association (RWA) claims T-Mobile lied to the Federal Communications Commission about the extent of its 4G LTE coverage. T-Mobile claimed—under penalty of perjury—to have coverage in areas where it hadn't yet installed 4G equipment. As part of the FCC's Mobility Fund challenge process, RWA members have conducted millions of speed tests at their own expense to determine whether the major carriers' coverage claims are correct. Those speed tests previously found that Verizon didn't cover the entire Oklahoma Panhandle as the carrier claimed.
Google CEO Sundar Pichai Faces Privacy and Bias Questions in Congress
Google’s chief executive, in perhaps the most public display of lawmakers’ unease with his company’s influence, was grilled about everything from search result bias and the data Google collects about its users to plans for a censored service in China. Sundar Pichai, an engineer who rose through Google’s ranks to become its leader three years ago, faced more than three hours of questions from the House Judiciary Committee. Republicans expressed concerns about unfair treatment of conservatives, and lawmakers in both parties zeroed in on privacy issues.
Join the Cato Institute—and an array of top experts, technologists, and policymakers—for a probing examination of these issues and many more as we seek to navigate the wilderness.
For nearly half a century, leaders of the technology industry have been seen as visionary, passionate, and committed to building a better, smarter world. But public perceptions today are shifting—at least, elite opinion is—and the tech industry is suddenly on the defensive when it comes to issues ranging from data privacy to income equity, workplace diversity, antitrust enforcement, cultural biases, regulation, and more. To what extent are these criticisms fair or overblown? Is this just a passing phase, or a sign of a more fundamental shift?
FirstNet will post a detailed agenda for the Combined Board Committees and Board Meeting on its website, http:// www.firstnet.gov, prior to the meetings. The agenda topics are subject to change. Please note that the subjects that will be discussed by the Committees and the Board may involve commercial or financial information that is privileged or confidential or other legal matters affecting FirstNet.
Tech giants gear up for California fight over privacy rules that curtail data use in 2020
California sent shockwaves through corporate America with a sweeping data privacy law earlier in 2018, but the business community is preparing to push back as CA’s expanded Democratic majority descends on Sacramento. Consumer advocates welcomed a new class of California legislators recently with a warning: The landmark privacy law is already in peril. "Instead of recognizing the need to further protect Americans and their data, some in industry seem intent on pushing California backward.
Net Neutrality Potentially Gains Powerful Foe in Top Justice Candidate
William P. Barr, nominated to become the nation’s top law enforcement official in the Trump administration, is a former chief lawyer for Verizon Communications who has opposed net neutrality rules for more than a decade. Barr, who served as attorney general under former President George H.W. Bush from 1991-93, warned in 2006 that “network neutrality regulations would discourage construction of high-speed internet lines that telephone and cable giants are spending tens of billions of dollars to deploy.”