Lawmakers may still try to take a stab at legislation reauthorizing the FCC next year, in addition to a bill involving broadcast exclusivity rules and the compulsive copyright regime, said Senate Commerce Committee GOP telecom policy director David Quinalty Thursday at a Practising Law Institute event. He and other Commerce Committee counsels are committed to advancing the wireless broadband legislation already under consideration, and some weighed possible net neutrality compromise legislation.

Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas, and Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., wrote VTech Wednesday, asking the supplier of children's learning toys to provide information about its data protection, collection, use and sharing practices after last week's announcement that hackers stole potentially more than 11 million customer and children's records worldwide, including those of 5 million Americans (see 1512010041). "This breach raises a number of concerns about how VTech complies with COPPA [the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act],” they said in the letter to VTech Chairman and Group CEO Allan Wong Chi Yun. Barton and Markey asked how VTech protects customer data, such as whether it uses encryption, what steps it's taking to prevent future breaches, and what type of theft monitoring services it's offering to those affected by the breach. The lawmakers gave VTech until Jan. 8 to respond. The company did not comment. In a news release about the letter, Markey and Barton, both co-founders of the Congressional Privacy Caucus, also said they, along with Sen. Mark Kirk, R-Ill., and Rep. Bobby Rush, D-Ill., introduced the Do Not Track Kids Act (HR-2734, S-1563) in June that would update COPPA "by expanding and enhancing rules for the collection, use and disclosure of children's personal information."

Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas, and Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., wrote VTech Wednesday, asking the supplier of children's learning toys to provide information about its data protection, collection, use and sharing practices after last week's announcement that hackers stole potentially more than 11 million customer and children's records worldwide, including those of 5 million Americans (see 1512010041). "This breach raises a number of concerns about how VTech complies with COPPA [the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act],” they said in the letter to VTech Chairman and Group CEO Allan Wong Chi Yun. Barton and Markey asked how VTech protects customer data, such as whether it uses encryption, what steps it's taking to prevent future breaches, and what type of theft monitoring services it's offering to those affected by the breach. The lawmakers gave VTech until Jan. 8 to respond. The company did not comment. In a news release about the letter, Markey and Barton, both co-founders of the Congressional Privacy Caucus, also said they, along with Sen. Mark Kirk, R-Ill., and Rep. Bobby Rush, D-Ill., introduced the Do Not Track Kids Act (HR-2734, S-1563) in June that would update COPPA "by expanding and enhancing rules for the collection, use and disclosure of children's personal information."

Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas, and Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., wrote VTech Wednesday, asking the supplier of children's learning toys to provide information about its data protection, collection, use and sharing practices after last week's announcement that hackers stole potentially more than 11 million customer and children's records worldwide, including those of 5 million Americans (see 1512010041). "This breach raises a number of concerns about how VTech complies with COPPA [the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act],” they said in the letter to VTech Chairman and Group CEO Allan Wong Chi Yun. Barton and Markey asked how VTech protects customer data, such as whether it uses encryption, what steps it's taking to prevent future breaches, and what type of theft monitoring services it's offering to those affected by the breach. The lawmakers gave VTech until Jan. 8 to respond. The company did not comment. In a news release about the letter, Markey and Barton, both co-founders of the Congressional Privacy Caucus, also said they, along with Sen. Mark Kirk, R-Ill., and Rep. Bobby Rush, D-Ill., introduced the Do Not Track Kids Act (HR-2734, S-1563) in June that would update COPPA "by expanding and enhancing rules for the collection, use and disclosure of children's personal information."

Labeling prospective programming bundling as a bad-faith negotiation tactic and eliminating the list of presumptively good-faith tactics altogether, were among suggestions multichannel video programming distributors and MVPD allies had for the FCC on reforming retransmission consent negotiation rules. Some went beyond the list of practices the agency said it's considering as potential violations of good-faith negotiating. Meanwhile, broadcasters and their allies again said the retrans market doesn't require fixing.

Labeling prospective programming bundling as a bad-faith negotiation tactic and eliminating the list of presumptively good-faith tactics altogether, were among suggestions multichannel video programming distributors and MVPD allies had for the FCC on reforming retransmission consent negotiation rules. Some went beyond the list of practices the agency said it's considering as potential violations of good-faith negotiating. Meanwhile, broadcasters and their allies again said the retrans market doesn't require fixing.

The House Administration Committee’s Wednesday hearing on IT issues at the Copyright Office and Library of Congress is likely also to continue to raise questions about whether the CO should be granted additional autonomy from the LOC, copyright interests told us. House Administration said in a statement that the hearing will include “an update on the current state of management over the entire Library of Congress information technology systems, as well as how both the Copyright Office and the Library of Congress are working together to meet the demands of today’s digital age.”

The House Administration Committee’s Wednesday hearing on IT issues at the Copyright Office and Library of Congress is likely also to continue to raise questions about whether the CO should be granted additional autonomy from the LOC, copyright interests told us. House Administration said in a statement that the hearing will include “an update on the current state of management over the entire Library of Congress information technology systems, as well as how both the Copyright Office and the Library of Congress are working together to meet the demands of today’s digital age.”

Zero-rating Internet services could end up being one of the next big areas of inquiry for the FCC, Internet law experts told us. Comcast's Stream TV service has been getting criticism (see 1511100034) for supposedly violating the intent, if not the terms, of the net neutrality order. Public Knowledge in a blog said it's "a straightforward example of the anticompetitive problems zero-rating can raise, and provides little consumer benefit." The group has said consumers are complaining to the commission about the practice, and Communications Daily has filed a Freedom of Information Act request to the agency seeking information on such complaints.

Zero-rating Internet services could end up being one of the next big areas of inquiry for the FCC, Internet law experts told us. Comcast's Stream TV service has been getting criticism (see 1511100034) for supposedly violating the intent, if not the terms, of the net neutrality order. Public Knowledge in a blog said it's "a straightforward example of the anticompetitive problems zero-rating can raise, and provides little consumer benefit." The group has said consumers are complaining to the commission about the practice, and Communications Daily has filed a Freedom of Information Act request to the agency seeking information on such complaints.