Artificial intelligence is among top tech priorities for the new European Commission and EU presidency. One key policy area for new EC President Ursula von der Leyen, a "Europe fit for the digital age," calls for legislation within her first 100 days in office on a coordinated European approach to "the human and ethical implications" of AI. The Croatian presidency, which took office Jan.1, is focused on 5G and looking toward AI and other emerging technologies. The EC approach backs a more collaborative, cross-topic approach to policymaking, those we spoke with said.
FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr and some executives urged the Senate Commerce Committee Wednesday to advance the Telecom Opportunities for Workers Engaging in Real (Tower) Infrastructure Deployment Act (S-2363) and other measures to address perceived shortcomings in industry’s ability to recruit and retain workers to deploy 5G infrastructure. The committee's Wednesday hearing focused on workforce issues, with some talk about how to address regulatory barriers to 5G deployment. The Senate Commerce hearing drew light committee member attendance, amid the second day of the chamber’s impeachment trial of President Donald Trump.
An expected FCC appeal to the Supreme Court of the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Prometheus IV would likely have to be approved by the Office of the Solicitor General and could face an uphill battle to obtaining certiorari, said attorneys and legal professors in interviews. “The Court gets about 8000 petitions a year last I checked, and grants about 80,” emailed University of Virginia law professor Douglas Laycock. “But the FCC has the great advantage that it is part of the federal government.”
Julius Knapp's recent retirement as Office of Engineering and Technology chief could add a new wrinkle to a complicated spectrum landscape at the FCC, officials said. Knapp had led OET since 2006, under four chairmen. He was widely respected within and outside the agency. Officials told us the FCC has faced wide pushback from other federal agencies on recent spectrum initiatives, but Knapp added stability that’s now missing. Another FCC veteran, Deputy Chief Ron Repasi, replaced him on an acting basis (see 1912120045).
TRENTON -- New Jersey justices waded into a growing national debate whether the Fifth Amendment stops law enforcement from forcing someone to enter a password to unlock an encrypted smartphone. The Supreme Court heard argument Tuesday in State v. Andrews; other state courts have split in similar cases where states argue limiting law enforcement could create a zone of lawlessness. “We’ll reach a tipping point where the U.S. Supreme Court has to step in pretty soon,” Electronic Frontier Foundation senior staff attorney Andrew Crocker told us outside the courtroom.
Facebook’s unwillingness to ban or fact-check political commercials (see 2001090029) is grossly irresponsible and undermines democracy, said Sens. Mark Warner, D-Va., and Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, in interviews earlier this month. Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., argued the company is right. He trusts Americas to “do their own fact-checking.”
Federal restrictions against radio payola are “asymmetric” and affect the radio industry’s financial well-being and stability, FCC Commissioner Mike O’Rielly wrote compliance officers at Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group. He sought information on how the music labels prevent payola. The letter said O’Rielly’s interest involves broadcasters being treated differently than digital media.
The 5G Spectrum Act, even if it doesn't become law, could benchmark how satellite communications incumbents get compensated for clearing part of the C band, FCC Commissioner Mike O'Rielly told reporters Tuesday in a wide-ranging interview. S-2881 "does have weight," especially as there seemingly has been a general shift from Capitol Hill resistance to any incentives, said. If satcom incumbents receive a percentage of the $40 billion in auction proceeds, as the legislation says (see 2001090021), debate will likely center on between 30 and 50 percent, though compensation could be a hard number for incumbents, or a combination of percentage and hard number, he said.
Amazon, Apple and Google took bipartisan heat Friday in a Boulder, Colorado, field hearing on online platforms and market power, by the House Judiciary Antitrust Subcommittee. The hearing followed a discussion at CES about whether the government should break up dominant platforms (see 2001100007). The hearing was streamed from the University of Colorado Law School.
Washington state's Senate overstated House support for its privacy bill, said Democratic and Republican heads of the committee overseeing the issue in the House. The chambers are edging toward agreement, said House Innovation and Technology and Economic Development Committee Chairman Zack Hudgins. Hudgins, a Democrat, and the panel's ranking Republican Norma Smith told us they remain concerned about enforcement and other parts of SB-6281. Compromise is possible, said Future of Privacy Forum Senior Policy Counsel Stacey Gray.