The Secretary General of the World Customs Organization has announced that the theme for International Customs Day on January 26, 2010, and for the year 2010, will be "Customs and business: improving performance through partnerships". The Secretary General called on all stakeholders to make a commitment to work more closely together, redouble their efforts to secure international co-operation, and take bold initiatives aimed at simplification, speed, flexibility, predictability, effectiveness and fairness of procedures. (Announcement, dated 01/19/10, available at http://www.wcoomd.org/speeches/default.aspx?lid=1&id=196)

Microsoft asked the FCC to ensure that users have choices allowing them “to balance the goals of reducing costs, increasing efficiency, mitigating environmental impacts, protecting privacy and securing sensitive data.” The recommendation came in response to a request by the commission for comments about data portability, cloud computing and broadband. Cloud computing can have many benefits, but “there also are privacy implications raised by the cloud infrastructure,” the company said in an ex parte filing: “While elements of a strong privacy and security framework for cloud computing already exist, many elements of this framework were designed for earlier technologies and leave important gaps in protection.” Microsoft said service providers should be more open in showing how they are maintaining secure services. The government’s role should include publishing data in formats that are “commonly-accepted, machine-readable and interoperable” and updating the Electronic Communications Privacy Act by changing the classifications of services covered and extending privacy protections to e-mails stored more than 180 days, it said.

Microsoft asked the FCC to ensure that users have choices allowing them “to balance the goals of reducing costs, increasing efficiency, mitigating environmental impacts, protecting privacy and securing sensitive data.” The recommendation came in response to a request by the commission for comments about data portability, cloud computing and broadband. Cloud computing can have many benefits, but “there also are privacy implications raised by the cloud infrastructure,” the company said in an ex parte filing: “While elements of a strong privacy and security framework for cloud computing already exist, many elements of this framework were designed for earlier technologies and leave important gaps in protection.” Microsoft said service providers should be more open in showing how they are maintaining secure services. The government’s role should include publishing data in formats that are “commonly- accepted, machine-readable and interoperable” and updating the Electronic Communications Privacy Act by changing the classifications of services covered and extending privacy protections to e-mails stored more than 180 days, it said.

Real-world examples show the need for the FCC to expand net neutrality rules to cover mobile broadband, Skyfire CEO Jeffrey Glueck told a commission forum on net neutrality. The talks at the MIT Media Lab in Cambridge, Mass., stretched into the evening Wednesday, as experts delved into a complex set of issues.

Real-world examples show the need for the FCC to expand net neutrality rules to cover mobile broadband, Skyfire CEO Jeffrey Glueck told a commission forum on net neutrality. The talks at the MIT Media Lab in Cambridge, Mass., stretched into the evening Wednesday, as experts delved into a complex set of issues.

With a deadline next week on the latest inquiry on special access prices, a Sprint Nextel executive said Tuesday the FCC appears ready to address the company’s long standing complaints. Sprint is also asking the FCC to act quickly to reallocate spectrum bands totaling 100 MHz, which the company believes could be addressed well ahead of eventual decisions about broadcast spectrum or spectrum in federal government hands.

On January 11, 2010, Consumer Product Safety Commission announced that CPSC staff has opened a formal investigation into the children's metal jewelry identified in a recent news story as being made with cadmium instead of lead.

The World Trade Organization frequently posts communications to WTO members on issues that involve the U.S. The following are short summaries of such issues for December 2009:

Increasing use of text messaging has raised policy concerns that may come up in Congress this year, said a recent Congressional Research Service report. One is whether the CAN-SPAM Act could apply to unwanted text messages. Text messaging was an infant technology when the law was written, CRS said, so it isn’t clear whether the law could apply. What is outlawed is spam sent to a mobile phone via e-mail. There are two bills pending that would ban mobile spam: HR-1391, proposed by Rep. Phil Gingrey, R-Ga., and S-788, by Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine. Wireless customers have expressed frustration to Congress over their inability to disable text messaging, the report said, another issue that may get some attention. Carriers are starting to offer blocking options, the report said, but “Congress may wish to investigate whether customers are being offered the best possible options to assure that they are not receiving unwanted text messages.” Privacy issues with texting could be another focus, given increased calls for public release of text messages used in conducting government business. “One of the arguments against disclosure of text messages emerging from public officials is that certain delivery platforms should … be private because the official owns them,” the report said, noting an upcoming Supreme Court case, Quon v. Arch Wireless, that deals with an employer’s ability to review its employees’ text messages on company-provided devices.

Cablevision won an FCC waiver to become the first cable operator allowed to encrypt basic cable channels. The company and supporters have said the action will reduce pollution by allowing the company to turn service on and off without sending technicians to homes (CED Oct 26 p6). The CEA and Public Knowledge had some qualms about the ruling, made by the Media Bureau and released Friday. The order requires Cablevision to make good on its promise to give CableCARDs or set-top boxes without charge to subscribers who don’t have either.