Since 2010, the Benton Foundation and the New America Foundation have partnered to highlight telecommunications debates from countries outside the U.S.
Stories from Abroad
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UK regulator rules against Murdoch takeover of Sky
The UK's Competition and Markets Authority decided that Rupert Murdoch’s £11.7 billion bid to take full control of Sky would concentrate too much power in the media mogul’s hands, giving the Murdoch family “too much control over news providers across all media platforms, and therefore too much influence over public opinion and the political agenda”. Walt Disney will have to decide whether to take full control of Sky when it completes its proposed $66 billion takeover of the entertainment assets owned by Murdoch’s 21st Century Fox group.
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Google and Twitter face more questions in Washington over Russian interference
Twitter is planning to notify users who may have been exposed to Russian propaganda during the 2016 presidential election, the company's head of public policy said during the Senate Commerce Committee hearing, "Terrorism and Social Media: #IsBigTechDoingEnough?". While the hearing was ostensibly about how social media companies can better combat terrorism, it veered onto other topics, primarily Russia.
US Net Neutrality Move May Lead to Trade War with Chinese Internet Firms
A recent decision by the Federal Communications Commission to repeal net neutrality, which are rules designed to prevent the selective blocking or slowing of websites, has wide-ranging implications for China, which never believed in net neutrality and banned hundreds of foreign websites. The decision could result in a major trade war involving Chinese telecom and Internet companies, which are interested in accessing the US market. The move will allow American telecom service providers to charge differential prices for various services and even examine the data of their customers.
Apparently, U.S. lawmakers urge AT&T to cut commercial ties with Huawei
Apparently, US lawmakers are urging AT&T to cut commercial ties to Chinese phone maker Huawei Technologies Co Ltd and oppose plans by telecom operator China Mobile Ltd to enter the US market because of national security concerns. The warning comes after the administration of President Donald Trump took a harder line on policies initiated by his predecessor Barack Obama on issues ranging from Beijing’s role in restraining North Korea to Chinese efforts to acquire U.S. strategic industries.
Freedom in the World 2018: Democracy in Crisis
Freedom House's report, "Freedom in the World 2018: Democracy in Crisis" key findings:
Cybersecurity firm: US Senate in Russian hackers’ crosshairs
The same Russian government-aligned hackers who penetrated the Democratic Party have spent the past few months laying the groundwork for an espionage campaign against the U.S. Senate, a cybersecurity firm said. The revelation suggests the group often nicknamed Fancy Bear, whose hacking campaign scrambled the 2016 U.S. electoral contest, is still busy trying to gather the emails of America’s political elite.
President Trump Vows to Protect Speech, Access to Media in Iran
The White House took steps to protect access to the media and speech in Iran. Those were part of a series of moves meant to signal that, while the President was again waiving nuclear-related sanctions--the U.S. still had lots of issues with that country, including that it is the leading state sponsor of terrorism and oppresses, tortures and silences its people.
Never before has a president ignored such a clear national security threat
[Commentary] For the better part of 20 years, Russian President Vladimir Putin has engaged in a relentless assault against democratic institutions abroad, universal values and the rule of law.
China exploits U.S. investment to conquer media
Chinese internet giants like Tencent, Baidu and Alibaba are ramping up investments in US tech and media companies. They're also building data servers and acquiring ad tech businesses in the US that can help them monetize media engagement from citizens living in America, like students or tourists. There's a misconception that the Chinese push into the Western media tech market is to target new American users or to compete directly with US tech companies.
How Washington Helps Tehran Control the Internet
When thousands of Iranians streamed onto the country’s streets the week of Dec 25 to protest government corruption and the dilapidated economy, authorities in Tehran reverted to a well-known playbook. On Dec 31, the government shut down Telegram, a messaging platform used by more than 40 million Iranians. Instagram and other social media soon followed. The mullahs’ intentions were clear: to block access to digital platforms used by protesters to spread information about the uprising. But the government’s crackdown found support from a surprising source — the American sanctions regime.