The ongoing federal shutdown is causing anxiety and a lack of clarity for both FCC staff and industry attorneys, they told us in interviews. The FCC’s expectations for required filings during the shutdown are unclear, agency staffers are uncertain about when or if they will be paid, and less than two weeks remain before the Oct. 28 open meeting, which has the longest agenda the FCC has seen in years. Industry officials told us the shutdown could lead to some items being taken off the October agenda, but all three commissioners told us they're still taking meetings and calls on the planned items.
A Massachusetts bill about employers’ use of electronic monitoring and automated decisions advanced in the state Senate this week. The Internet Committee approved and sent S-35 to the Ways and Means Committee on Thursday. The panel also cleared a social media accountability bill (see 2510160046).
RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. -- As CBP ramps up trade enforcement, companies must not only strive to have their supporting documents in order, they also must scrutinize CBP's enforcement actions to ensure the agency is interpreting matters correctly, trade attorneys said at last week's Western Cargo Conference (WESCCON).
Whether age-gating measures truly protect children online or just raise other legal concerns is unclear, speakers said during Hogan Lovells' The Data Chronicles podcast Thursday, which focused on age assurance in the U.S. and U.K.
The New Zealand government on Oct. 16 opposed conservation group Maui and Hector's Dolphin Defenders NZ's motion for the Court of International Trade to reconsider its decision not to immediately impose an import ban on seafood and seafood products from set net and trawl fisheries off New Zealand's North Island. Reconsideration motions under CIT Rule 59(e), like the conservation group's, can only be applied to judgments, and the trade court hasn't issued a judgment here, merely a remand, the New Zealand government argued (Maui and Hector's Dolphin Defenders NZ v. National Marine Fisheries Service, CIT # 24-00218).
The Dutch government’s seizure of semiconductor firm Nexperia came amid U.S. pressure for the Netherlands to intervene in the company’s affairs, court records show. The U.S., in conversation with the Netherlands, cited the firm’s Chinese ownership and the fact that it was set to soon be captured by Entity List restrictions, including those under the Bureau of Industry and Security’s new 50% rule.
The following are short summaries of recent CBP NY rulings issued by the agency's National Commodity Specialist Division in New York:
California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed an age-verification bill and other measures aimed at protecting kids online, pleasing consumer advocates while raising the possibility of a NetChoice lawsuit. However, the Democrat also disappointed some advocates and pleased NetChoice over the holiday weekend by vetoing an AI chatbot bill.
A Mississippi law that requires parental consent for those younger than 18 to create accounts with certain digital service providers poses significant privacy concerns and violates the First Amendment, according to a horde of amicus briefs filed Thursday. The briefs asked the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to side with NetChoice and strike down the Walker Montgomery Protecting Children Online Act.
Civil litigation attorney Corey Biazzo filed the second amicus brief against the legality of President Donald Trump's tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, on Oct. 8, arguing that IEEPA categorically doesn't allow for tariffs (Donald J. Trump v. V.O.S. Selections, U.S. 25-250) (Learning Resources v. Donald J. Trump, U.S. 24-1287).