Agenda

What's on the agenda for policymakers.

Industry Thoughts for FTC

The News Media Alliance, which represents the newspaper industry, laid out a potential antitrust case against its foes, Google and Facebook, in comments filed with the Federal Trade Commission. The organization outlined legal considerations — including non-price harm to consumers, such as the newspaper industry’s ability to sustain journalism — and explained “how they connect to a potential antitrust case against one or more platforms.” 

Judge Brett Kavanaugh Chose Corporations Over the Public in a Major Net Neutrality Fight

An exacting look at Judge Brett Kavanaugh's judicial record is crucial to understand where he stands on issues of critical importance to the American people. In one such case, United States Telecom Association. v. FCC, the DC Circuit Court of Appeals was called upon to review the constitutionality of the Federal Communications Commission’s net neutrality regulations from 2015.

Google's location tracking could bring scrutiny from Congress, regulators

Google is drawing fire from the privacy community for quietly tracking the location of smartphone users -- even when they took specific steps to prevent the tech giant from doing so. Google services on Android devices and iPhones stored users’ location data even if they turned off the setting known as “Location History.”  The move could bring the company new attention from lawmakers. Sen Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) has already spoken out, saying on Twitter, "Google’s relentless obsession with following our every movement is encroaching  & creepy.

Sponsor: 

Technology Policy Institute

Date: 
Mon, 08/20/2018 - 13:30 to Tue, 08/21/2018 - 17:00

TPI's Aspen Forum brings together leaders from business, government, and academia to discuss and debate key public policy issues affecting innovation, technology, and communications.



Sponsor: 

Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

Date: 
Tue, 08/21/2018 - 15:00

The purpose of the hearing is to consider the energy efficiency of blockchain and similar technologies and the cybersecurity possibilities of such technologies for energy industry applications. In particular, should we expect electricity prices to increase from rising electricity demand in blockchain applications? In addition, how can we evaluate whether blockchain and similar approaches will soon improve the cybersecurity of computing systems used to supply our energy?   

Witness Panel 1

  • Mr. Paul Skare

    Chief Cyber Security and Technical Group Manager



Sponsor: 

Senate Committee on the Judiciary

Date: 
Tue, 08/21/2018 - 19:30

Panel I

  1. The Honorable James Lankford

    United States Senator

    State of Oklahoma

  2. The Honorable Richard Blumementhal

    United States Senator

    State of Connecticut

Panel II

  1. Mr. Sujit Raman

    Associate Deputy Attorney General

    United States Department of Justice

    Washington , DC

  2. Mr. Michael J. Moss

    Deputy Director

    Cyber Threat Intelligence Integration Center (CTIIC)
    Office of the Director of National Intelligence

    Ellicott City, MD



Sponsor: 

Center for Democracy and Technology, Delegation of the European Union to the United States, the R Street Institute

Date: 
Thu, 08/23/2018 - 23:00 to Fri, 08/24/2018 - 01:00

CDT, in conjunction with the Delegation of the European Union to the United States and the R Street Institute, are hosting a series of tech and internet policy happy hours.



Sponsor: 

Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

Date: 
Thu, 08/23/2018 - 15:15

A hearing to consider three presidential nominees. 

Witnesses:

  • Dr. Kelvin Droegemeier, of Oklahoma, to be the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy
  • Mr. James “Jim” Morhard, of Virginia, to be Deputy Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
  • Mr. Joel Szabat, of Maryland, to be Assistant Secretary for Aviation and International Affairs at the Department of Transportation


FCC Won't Extend Broadband Competition Comment Deadline

The Federal Communications Commission has provided a five-business-day extension for comments and reply comments on its Fourteenth Broadband Deployment report, but denied requests for a longer extension and for any extension on its request for comment on the state of fixed broadband competition.

Net Neutrality in the Courts: Two Cases, Two Courts; The One You Have Been Following, And The One You May Have Forgotten About

After months of relative inactivity, there will soon be some important movement in litigation over the Federal Communications Commission’s network neutrality rules. The fact that there are two different cases in two different courts litigating over two different decisions is likely to cause considerable confusion in the coming weeks. On Monday, August 20, challengers will be filing their initial briefs in their appeal of the Trump Administration FCC’s oxymoronic “Restoring Internet Freedom” order.