Project 2025 recommends combining CBP's Office of Trade and Office of Trade Relations with the Office of Field Operations in order to “achieve streamlined operations and increase OT’s capacity and capability by leveraging OFO’s expansive resources,” according to the Project 2025 chapter on its recommendations for DHS.
Multiple Connecticut privacy and AI bills appeared to have enough votes to advance to the Senate floor at the joint General Laws Committee’s livestreamed meeting Friday. The committee approved an age-verification measure (SB-1295) as part of a consent agenda vote, but final roll calls weren't clear at our deadline on a comprehensive privacy update and two AI bills.
The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals judges didn’t appear to greatly favor either side in arguments Wednesday on the FCC’s 2018 quadrennial review order, but broadcast industry officials and attorneys said they saw it as a positive sign that the panel apparently embraced the idea that broadcasting is under threat. Aren’t FCC rules intended to promote viewpoint diversity “short-sighted” if they lead to broadcasters going out of business and no longer offering news? asked Judge Duane Benton of FCC attorney James Carr. “Isn’t AM radio dying?” Benton asked at another point. “I hear they’re not even going to put it in new cars.”
Nearly 750 organizations and businesses gave input to the administration on trade barriers or subsidies that prevent them from reaching their sales potential.
Lawyers for the Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband Coalition and the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society were cautiously optimistic Wednesday that their side would prevail at the U.S. Supreme Court in support of the FCC and the USF contribution factor in FCC v. Consumers’ Research. But they also expect a divided decision. SCOTUS is to consider the case March 26.
Most California Assembly Privacy Committee members supported legislation meant to stop so-called “surveillance pricing” during a livestreamed hearing Tuesday. However, some lawmakers said they believe market forces could deal with stores that try to set higher prices for individual consumers based on their personal information.
The FCC will likely take an "all or nothing" approach toward its proposed $4.5 million fine against Telnyx, rather than settle with the firm somewhere in between, Telephone Consumer Protection Act lawyers told us. The notice of apparent liability issued last month (see 2503050026) faces strong pushback from Telnyx and parts of the voice service provider industry (see 2503110023). The NAL also netted Free State Foundation criticism (see 2503120071). Many said the Telnyx fine fight shows the need for FCC clarity about the "know your customer" (KYC) process.
Multiple state attorneys general signaled that they will flex their privacy enforcement muscles in the wake of President Donald Trump's Tuesday firing of Democratic FTC Commissioners Alvaro Bedoya and Rebecca Slaughter. Privacy experts said the development raises new concerns about the fate of trans-Atlantic personal data transfers and the legitimacy of potential FTC rulemaking decisions.
Associations' views diverged widely on the wisdom of codifying a modified Type 86 process and tweaking the clear-from-the-manifest process for de minimis entries. Groups also disagreed on CBP's proposals for what new data should be submitted. The agency received 95 comments on its proposal, though dozens were from individuals and didn't make substantive suggestions. Some associations and companies addressed both this proposed rule and the one that would carve out sections 301 and 232 goods from de minimis. The comment period for that rule closes March 24.
The government defended the FCC in a reply brief in FCC v. Consumers’ Research, the USF case before the U.S. Supreme Court, arguing that Consumers' Research (CR) creates a “straw man” to attack. Public interest groups, led by the Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband Coalition, also defended the legality of how the USF contribution factor is calculated. SCOTUS is set to hear oral argument March 26.