By John Eggerton, Multichannel News, 6-16-21 Senate Commerce Committee members Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) have re-introduced a bill that would standardize the definition of high-speed fixed broadband in government subsidy programs. The Broadband Parity Act, which the pair introduced in the last Congress, would tell the FCC to get together [...]
By John Eggerton, Multichannel News, 6-15-21 The National Association of Broadcasters and the network affiliate broadcaster associations are giving the FCC a lot to think about when it comes to whether to extend emergency alert requirements to over-the-top video services. In comments filed last month, NAB said for a number of reasons streamers weren't [...]
By John Eggerton, Multichannel News, 6-14-21 Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), and Mark Warner (D-Va.), have reintroduced a bill that would require more transparency about edge providers' use of secret algorithms to frame users’ online experiences. The Filter Bubble Transparency Act, which was [...]
By John Eggerton, Multichannel News, 6-11-21 The Democrat-controlled House Judiciary Committee has reportedly introduced a package of bills meant to rein in Big Tech by, among other things, requiring interoperability and nondiscrimination against rivals. Both Democrats and Republicans have called for tighter antitrust oversight of the biggest of Big Tech – Amazon, Apple, Facebook, [...]
By John Eggerton, Multichannel News, 6-11-21 The Consumer Technology Association, which represents the major tech suppliers, has joined the Computer and Communications Industry Association and NetChoice in asking a court to strike down Florida's Big Tech-targeted law, the Transparency in Technology Act. CCIA and NetChoice, which together represent all the big players – Amazon, [...]
By John Eggerton, Multichannel News, 6-10-21 Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), ranking member of the House Communications Subcommittee, has introduced the Promoting Rights and Online Speech Protections to Ensure Every Consumer is Heard (PRO-SPEECH) Act. He said it will provide "baseline protections to prohibit Big Tech from engaging in unfair, deceptive, or anti-competitive practices that [...]
By John Eggerton, Multichannel News, 6-9-21 President Joe Biden has rescinded executive orders of former President Donald Trump that prohibit transactions with TikTok, WeChat and eight others software apps, pointing out that two of those orders are the subject of lawsuits, for one thing. In its place President Biden, via his own executive order, [...]
By John Eggerton, Multichannel News, 6-8-21 ISPs have spent most of two decades fighting the urge from Democrats and some in Silicon Valley to define Internet access as a common carrier service and impose some version of utility style regulation on ISPs, but now edge provider giants are getting a taste of their own [...]
By John Eggerton, Multichannel News, 6-8-21 The Senate has passed the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act (USICA) (formerly the Endless Frontier Act), which, among many other things, attempts to diversify and better secure the 5G supply chain by backing alternatives to Chinese tech suppliers Huawei and ZTE. It now heads to the House. Among [...]
By John Eggerton, Multichannel News, 6-8-21 The FCC has officially restored the deregulatory media ownership order adopted by the Republican majority under former chairman Ajit Pai, a decision reversed by an appeals court before that reversal was reversed by the Supreme Court. But the FCC is also seeking comment to “update the public record” [...]