Secretary of Homeland Security nominee Jeh Johnson told the Senate Homeland Security Committee Wednesday that he will “vigorously pursue” the Department of Homeland Security’s missions, which include a significant role in cybersecurity. “We need to move the ball forward on cybersecurity,” he said. Johnson, the Department of Defense’s former general counsel, was a main participant in legal discussions regarding the department’s cybersecurity policies (CD Oct 21 p8). Committee Chairman Tom Carper, D-Del., said cybersecurity is a “very important issue” for DHS, but the committee largely ignored it during Thursday’s hearing, with most senators focusing on how Johnson would fix management issues plaguing the department. Ranking member Tom Coburn, R-Okla., and Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., said during the hearing they expect Johnson will be confirmed, though McCain said he doesn’t currently support Johnson. Committee Democrats at the hearing uniformly supported Johnson’s confirmation.

Secretary of Homeland Security nominee Jeh Johnson told the Senate Homeland Security Committee Wednesday that he will “vigorously pursue” the Department of Homeland Security’s missions, which include a significant role in cybersecurity. “We need to move the ball forward on cybersecurity,” he said. Johnson, the Department of Defense’s former general counsel, was a main participant in legal discussions regarding the department’s cybersecurity policies (WID Oct 21 p4). Committee Chairman Tom Carper, D-Del., said cybersecurity is a “very important issue” for DHS, but the committee largely ignored it during Thursday’s hearing, with most senators focusing on how Johnson would fix management issues plaguing the department. Ranking member Tom Coburn, R-Okla., and Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., said during the hearing they expect Johnson will be confirmed, though McCain said he doesn’t currently support Johnson. Committee Democrats at the hearing uniformly supported Johnson’s confirmation.

A new Senate video bill may change how online video distributors do business if it gains traction. Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., introduced the Consumer Choice in Online Video Act Tuesday (http://1.usa.gov/1aCRfxs). The bill targets the status of online video distributors and seeks to create parity with incumbent video providers. Initial industry reaction was mixed but largely receptive to the idea that rules would have to change to accommodate online video.

A new Senate video bill may change how online video distributors do business if it gains traction. Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., introduced the Consumer Choice in Online Video Act Tuesday (http://1.usa.gov/1aCRfxs). The bill targets the status of online video distributors and seeks to create parity with incumbent video providers. Initial industry reaction was mixed but largely receptive to the idea that rules would have to change to accommodate online video.

A new Senate video bill may change how online video distributors do business if it gains traction. Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., introduced the Consumer Choice in Online Video Act Tuesday (http://1.usa.gov/1aCRfxs). The bill targets the status of online video distributors and seeks to create parity with incumbent video providers. Initial industry reaction was mixed but largely receptive to the idea that rules would have to change to accommodate online video.

A bill currently before Congress that would impose new registration requirements on foreign exporters of consumer products could run afoul of World Trade Organization rules, said the Congressional Research Service in a Nov. 5 report. The Foreign Manufacturers Legal Accountability Act of 2013 (H.R. 1910), introduced in May, would require foreign exporters of consumer goods to the U.S. to establish a registered U.S. agent with the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Like U.S. agents for imported food required by the Food and Drug Administration, that agent would be liable for any product safety violations, CRS said. The registration requirement could violate national treatment rules, because it would impose a burden on foreign manufacturers that the U.S. doesn’t require of domestic companies, said the report.

VANCOUVER -- Reactions to the revelations of former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden were a key feature of the Internet Engineering Task Force in Vancouver Wednesday. “We need to figure out a new Internet governance model; it has been run by the U.S. under the perception that the U.S. was acting in the best interest of all,” said encryption expert Bruce Schneier, author and fellow at the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard Law School: “That’s over. And it needs to be something good or it will be the ITU.”

VANCOUVER -- Reactions to the revelations of former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden were a key feature of the Internet Engineering Task Force Wednesday. “We need to figure out a new Internet governance model; it has been run by the U.S. under the perception that the U.S. was acting in the best interest of all,” said encryption expert Bruce Schneier, author and fellow at the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard Law School: “That’s over. And it needs to be something good or it will be the ITU.”

CEA and Telecommunications for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (TDI) differ at the FCC on whether device manufacturers should be required to make products that synchronize closed captions with video delivered over the Internet and DVD and Blu-ray players that render captions, according to comments filed in docket 11-154 (http://bit.ly/1bWbMzp). A manufacturer requirement is the last step to making sure every link in the supply chain of closed captions is held responsible for making them work, said TDI. Video programming distributors are already required to maintain timing data, and the commission has an open proceeding on quality standards for TV closed captions. “The Commission should complete the chain of accountability for synchronization problems by requiring apparatuses to render captions according to the timing data included with video,” said TDI. “If every step of the delivery chain is covered by a synchronization requirement, consumers will finally be able to seek remedies when problems occur.” CEA said such rules would improperly assign the blame for caption sync problems to manufacturers. “A synchronization requirement for apparatus would implicitly assume that consumer devices somehow introduce synchronization issues into caption decoding, but CEA is unaware of any such behavior,” said CEA. If the commission does pass a rule, it should require devices to render captions according to the timing data included with the video programming, said CEA. “This ‘do no harm’ standard would mean that if a device receives properly captioned content, then it would have to appropriately decode and display, or pass through, the content and captions.” Improperly timed captions wouldn’t function on such devices, CEA said. “Viewing media with unsynchronized captions is as disruptive for a viewer who is deaf or hard of hearing as watching media with an unsynchronized audio track is for a hearing viewer,” said TDI. The consumer group said caption rules for removable media players are necessary because such devices are increasingly reliant on HDMI connections. “Because the current HDMI standard does not support the pass-through of caption data, captions cannot be viewed using an HDMI-only player if the player does not render the captions,” said TDI. However, CEA said DVD and Blu-ray already support subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing, and therefore already comply with the 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act. “Because streamed media is increasingly prominent in the consumer marketplace, additional regulations on removable media players will simply raise costs for consumers and hasten the decline of removable media technology,” said CEA. The association and copy protection company Advanced Access Content System Licensing Administrator both also argued against a proposal in the FNPRM that would require removable media players to include an analog connection to properly display captions.

CEA and Telecommunications for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (TDI) differ at the FCC on whether device manufacturers should be required to make products that synchronize closed captions with video delivered over the Internet and DVD and Blu-ray players that render captions, according to comments filed in docket 11-154 (http://bit.ly/1bWbMzp). A manufacturer requirement is the last step to making sure every link in the supply chain of closed captions is held responsible for making them work, said TDI. Video programming distributors are already required to maintain timing data, and the commission has an open proceeding on quality standards for TV closed captions. “The Commission should complete the chain of accountability for synchronization problems by requiring apparatuses to render captions according to the timing data included with video,” said TDI. “If every step of the delivery chain is covered by a synchronization requirement, consumers will finally be able to seek remedies when problems occur.” CEA said such rules would improperly assign the blame for caption sync problems to manufacturers. “A synchronization requirement for apparatus would implicitly assume that consumer devices somehow introduce synchronization issues into caption decoding, but CEA is unaware of any such behavior,” said CEA. If the commission does pass a rule, it should require devices to render captions according to the timing data included with the video programming, said CEA. “This ‘do no harm’ standard would mean that if a device receives properly captioned content, then it would have to appropriately decode and display, or pass through, the content and captions.” Improperly timed captions wouldn’t function on such devices, CEA said. “Viewing media with unsynchronized captions is as disruptive for a viewer who is deaf or hard of hearing as watching media with an unsynchronized audio track is for a hearing viewer,” said TDI. The consumer group said caption rules for removable media players are necessary because such devices are increasingly reliant on HDMI connections. “Because the current HDMI standard does not support the pass-through of caption data, captions cannot be viewed using an HDMI-only player if the player does not render the captions,” said TDI. However, CEA said DVD and Blu-ray already support subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing, and therefore already comply with the 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act. “Because streamed media is increasingly prominent in the consumer marketplace, additional regulations on removable media players will simply raise costs for consumers and hasten the decline of removable media technology,” said CEA. The association and copy protection company Advanced Access Content System Licensing Administrator both also argued against a proposal in the FNPRM that would require removable media players to include an analog connection to properly display captions.