What's on the agenda for policymakers.
Agenda
FCC Meeting Agenda for April 2019 Open Meeting
The Federal Communications Commission will hold an Open Meeting on the subjects listed below on Friday, April 12, 2019:
Privacy experts: Focus on controlling damage caused by data collection
A group of privacy experts from organizations including the Electronic Frontier Foundation and the American Civil Liberties Union is advocating for better laws and technologies that keep data collection from hurting you. One of these tools could be regulation that gives consumers more rights over their data, like the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation.
The statistics are staggering. Since 2004, more than 1,800 city and small town newspapers in the U.S. have folded and the number of reporters covering local news has decreased by fifty-percent. “News deserts” -- areas where zero or little local coverage exists -- are cropping up all around the country. Simultaneously, public trust in media continues to erode--fueled by divisive political culture, the rise in opinion journalism and the pernicious effect of misinformation and fake news in the internet age.
Agenda
9:15 a.m.: Welcome
9:30–10 a.m.: Opening Remarks
Hon. Ed Markey, U.S. senator of Massachusetts
10–10:45 a.m.: Staying Connected: Tech and Social Relationships
Dr. Vivek Murthy, 19th surgeon general of the United States
in conversation with James P. Steyer, CEO and founder, Common Sense
10:45–11 a.m.: Break
11–11:15 a.m.: Enforcing COPPA: Are We Protecting Kids' Privacy?
The hearing will examine the current state of the nation’s broadband maps, and evaluate the ongoing efforts within the federal government and private sector to collect more accurate broadband coverage data. The hearing also will examine ways to increase coordination among federal agencies that administer broadband deployment programs to ensure resources are targeted to unserved areas.
Witnesses:
Trump administration at war with itself over 5G airwaves
The Trump administration is feuding internally over the fate of airwaves critical to 5G networks, threatening to undermine the country's push to speed development of the super-fast wireless service and set the global standards around the technology.
Facebook's FTC worries go beyond a massive fine
Facebook may be facing a multi-billion dollar fine from the Federal Trade Commission over its privacy practices, but it’s the possibility of mandated changes to its data-driven business model that could be much more threatening to the company and its bottom line. The agency could seek changes in company behavior as part of a negotiated settlement, including limiting the way it collects and handles user data — the lifeblood of Facebook's advertising-driven business.
The Energy and Commerce Committee will hold a full-Committee markup on H.R. 1644, the "Save the Internet Act," legislation to restore critical net neutrality protections.
An executive session to consider the following telecommunications legislative measures:
The Mounting Federal Investigations Into Facebook
Facebook now faces investigations into its business practices from a variety of federal agencies. Officials have opened inquiries into possible civil and criminal violations of laws related to privacy, corporate governance and discrimination. Facebook has largely denied wrongdoing in each of the investigations and said it was cooperating with regulators and law enforcement. Here are the agencies looking into Facebook, and some of the issues involved.