Agenda

What's on the agenda for policymakers.

FCC Chairman Pai Sketches Out Timeline for Fighting Fake Comments

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai provided details to Congress on the commission’s effort to overhaul its much-maligned online commenting system. “The Commission is moving forward with the procurement steps for this project,” Chairman Pai wrote in an Aug. 31 letter responding to lawmaker questions.

Sponsor: 

Federal Trade Commission

Date: 
Fri, 09/21/2018 - 14:00 to 21:15

Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz will deliver an opening address on the state of competition in the United States; former FTC Chairman William Kovacic will deliver remarks on the evolution of U.S. antitrust law. The morning session will feature two moderated panel discussions on the state of U.S. antitrust law. The afternoon session will feature a moderated panel discussion on monopsony power. Commissioner Maureen Ohlhausen will offer closing remarks.

Specific topics to be discussed at the sessions include (but are not limited to):



FTC Announces Second Session of Hearings on Competition and Consumer Protection in the 21st Century Sept 21

The Federal Trade Commission will hold the second session of its 21st Century Hearings initiative with a full-day event on Sept 21 at the FTC’s Constitution Center facilities in Washington (DC). The event will be webcast live. FTC Commissioner Rebecca Slaughter will make opening remarks. Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz will deliver an opening address on the state of competition in the United States, and former FTC Chairman William E. Kovacic will deliver remarks on the evolution of US antitrust law.

Sponsor: 

Brookings

Date: 
Fri, 09/14/2018 - 19:00 to 20:00

The world is experiencing extraordinary advances in artificial intelligence. There are new applications in finance, defense, health care, criminal justice, and education, among other areas. Algorithms are improving spell-checkers, voice recognition systems, ad targeting, and fraud detection. Yet at the same time, there is concern regarding the ethical values embedded within AI and the extent to which algorithms respect basic human values. Ethicists worry about a lack of transparency, poor accountability, unfairness, and bias in automated tools.



Sponsor: 

American Consumer Institute

Date: 
Wed, 09/12/2018 - 17:00 to 18:30

The current state of data security and online privacy. Panelists will discuss privacy approaches throughout the internet ecosystem, online hidden vulnerabilities, new approaches to mitigating data breaches, new challenges at the international and state level, and opportunities for Congress and the industry to shape the debate. Additionally, ACI will release and discuss a new study quantifying and exploring how secure your information is online. 

Speakers include

  • Krisztina Pusok, American Consumer Institute (moderator)



Sponsor: 

Federal Communications Bar Association

Date: 
Tue, 09/11/2018 - 17:15 to 18:30

In July, the FCC released an NPRM seeking comment on proposals for the reallocation of the C-band for terrestrial mobile use.  C-band spectrum is currently allocated to satellite services and used by broadcasters for content delivery.  Join us for a brown bag lunch to hear perspectives on the NPRM from the satellite and broadcast industries, as well as a discussion of the preparation of the earth station registration form.

Speakers

  • Gerry Oberst (SES)
  • Christy Burrow (Cooley)
  • Michael Beach (NPR).


The 5G Race: China and US Battle to Control World’s Fastest Wireless Internet

The early waves of mobile communications were largely driven by American and European companies. As the next era of 5G approaches, promising to again transform the way people use the internet, a battle is on to determine whether the US or China will dominate.

Google Case Asks: Can Europe Export Privacy Rules World-Wide?

Google will appeal an order to extend the European Union’s “right to be forgotten” to its search engines across the globe, arguing before the EU’s top court that the order encourages countries to assert sovereignty beyond their borders. National laws used to stop at the border. In cyberspace, they increasingly stretch around the world, as regulators in Europe, the US and Canada have started asserting legal authority over the internet across country lines.

Top states say they haven’t been invited to the Justice Department's meeting about tech companies

Democratic attorneys general from key states said they have not yet been invited by the Justice Department to its upcoming review of tech companies, prompting criticism that the Trump administration's inquiry is a politically-charged attack on the tech industry. 

FTC Prepares to Wade in to Digital-Age Competition

The week of Sept 10, the Federal Trade Commission launches a months-long series of hearings on antitrust and competition policy that could change how the government treats some tech companies in the digital age. It will be the latest spotlight on the hot-button issue of the disparate regulatory treatment of social media sites and Internet service providers.