Jessica Rosenworcel's tenure as FCC acting chairwoman has featured bipartisan unanimity. Former commissioners and others don't see her running out of noncontroversial agenda items soon. They told us to expect issues that could be contentious, such as revisiting net neutrality and new orbital debris rules, to be back-burnered until a third Democratic commissioner is appointed, breaking the current 2-2 balance. Current commissioners credit Rosenworcel including them in decision-making and communicating with them.
The Court of International Trade remanded the Commerce Department's use of adverse facts available in an antidumping case, finding that the agency did not allow for proper notice and response from South Korean steel exporter Hyundai Steel Co. In an April 27 opinion made public on May 6, Judge Richard Eaton ruled that Commerce also violated its statutory authority by assigning the all-others rate to one of Hyundai's affiliated freight companies -- dubbed “Company A” in the opinion. On remand, Commerce was instructed to identify the precise data that it judged insufficient and give Hyundai an opportunity to fix the deficiency.
Chairman Jerry Nadler of New York and other House Judiciary Committee members drilled down Wednesday on how to structure potential legislation to revamp Digital Millennium Copyright Act Section 512 (see 2009300068). They cited the need to bring back balance to how DMCA prioritizes interests of content creators, consumers and major tech platforms. Senate Intellectual Property Subcommittee ranking member Thom Tillis, R-N.C., hopes to introduce DMCA revamp legislation soon that places a heavy emphasis on addressing Section 512 (see 2103080053).
Chairman Jerry Nadler of New York and other House Judiciary Committee members drilled down Wednesday on how to structure potential legislation to revamp Digital Millennium Copyright Act Section 512 (see 2009300068). They cited the need to bring back balance to how DMCA prioritizes interests of content creators, consumers and major tech platforms. Senate Intellectual Property Subcommittee ranking member Thom Tillis, R-N.C., hopes to introduce DMCA revamp legislation soon that places a heavy emphasis on addressing Section 512 (see 2103080053).
Connecticut and Massachusetts are among states weighing digital ad taxes, after Maryland enacted one and despite industry lawsuits against that state. A proposed 5% Massachusetts tax on businesses making at least $25 million annually in digital ad revenue there is meant to remedy a “market failure right now with large data companies making billions of dollars off of people’s personal data” without appropriate compensation, Rep. Dylan Fernandes (D). He like others spoke in recent interviews. Tech and advertising industry groups say such state taxes are illegal and bad policy.
Connecticut and Massachusetts are among states weighing digital ad taxes, after Maryland enacted one and despite industry lawsuits against that state. A proposed 5% Massachusetts tax on businesses making at least $25 million annually in digital ad revenue there is meant to remedy a “market failure right now with large data companies making billions of dollars off of people’s personal data” without appropriate compensation, Rep. Dylan Fernandes (D). He like others spoke in recent interviews. Tech and advertising industry groups say such state taxes are illegal and bad policy.
Connecticut and Massachusetts are among states weighing digital ad taxes, after Maryland enacted one and despite industry lawsuits against that state. A proposed 5% Massachusetts tax on businesses making at least $25 million annually in digital ad revenue there is meant to remedy a “market failure right now with large data companies making billions of dollars off of people’s personal data” without appropriate compensation, Rep. Dylan Fernandes (D). He like others spoke in recent interviews. Tech and advertising industry groups say such state taxes are illegal and bad policy.
CBP's Automotive and Aerospace Center of Excellence and Expertise “continues to issue an inordinate number of informed compliance letters compared to the other Centers and in a manner inconsistent with CBP laws, regulations and policy,” the National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association of America said in an April 27 letter to the agency. The NCBFAA previously mentioned the issue to the director of the Center, “but feel[s] it is necessary to seek additional improvement at the Headquarters level,” it said.
Some Congressional Black Caucus leaders urged President Joe Biden to nominate DLA Piper’s Smitty Smith as FCC chairman, amid lawmakers' amplified calls for the administration to name people of color as commissioners. Lawmakers and others told us there’s uncertainty about Biden’s timeline for selecting a nominee to cement a Democratic FCC majority, seen as necessary to make changes to net neutrality rules and other potentially controversial matters, given the current 2-2 split (see 2101060055).
Representatives from Facebook, Twitter and YouTube denied their business models are based on maximizing user engagement, during a hearing Tuesday in which members of both parties raised concerns. The power of social media companies over people’s lives is “of great concern” to a wide number of legislators, Senate Privacy Subcommittee Chairman Chris Coons, D-Del., told us. “Exactly what statutory, regulatory or voluntary measures can best address it, I think it would be premature after the first hour of our first hearing to say I have an endgame in mind.”