Federal IT systems were at higher risk of cyber breach during the longest federal government shutdown in U.S. history, House lawmakers told us. Senate Democrats prodded federal agencies for answers Tuesday on what might have been compromised. Experts told us agencies such as the FCC and the FTC likely fell behind on security patch schedules. Risk of security breaches such as phishing scams also likely was heightened for the short-staffed agencies, they said.
Net neutrality advocates voiced confidence in their case against the FCC's order reversing broadband common-carrier regulation, with some optimistic it will be overturned. They said Wednesday the net neutrality rollback under a reclassified Communications Act Title I broadband regime was unjustified legally and bad policy that would unleash ISP "gatekeepers" to throttle and discriminate, harming consumers and competition. Petitioners and intervenors challenging the order held two media calls ahead of Friday's oral argument before a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit in Mozilla v. FCC (see 1901230060). It's case 18-1051.
Some on the FCC eighth floor remained active during the partial federal shutdown, according to commissioners and judging by ex parte filings and social media. Some worry about what any resumption of the partial federal shutdown next month could mean for progress on issues before the agency. The commissioners had a handful of ex parte conversations during the shutdown, and most were active on Twitter throughout.
The Twittersphere’s response to news of an Apple FaceTime glitch that went viral Tuesday ranged from outrage to grins as iPhone users processed the possibilities that could have ensued before Apple turned off the feature that experienced the bug. Fingertip Solutions tweeted: “A major privacy flaw in #Apple’s FaceTime lets others listen in on you before you answer the call," broadening the message to say the bug “allows someone to dial one of their contacts and listen in to the recipient’s microphone before they actually answer the call.”
Verizon is 18 months to two years ahead of schedule on deploying 5G, CEO Hans Vestberg said Tuesday amid Q4 results that disappointed some. The carrier added more wireless subscribers than expected, with profit down and continuing losses of Fios video subscribers.
Internal consolidation doesn’t trigger antitrust concerns, DOJ Antitrust Division Chief Makan Delrahim said Tuesday at the State of the Net conference. He was asked about Facebook’s plan to integrate messaging services for Messenger, WhatsApp and Instagram (see 1901250046). However, if the consolidation allows anticompetitive behavior, that’s worth attention, he said. The division is “working as fast” as it can on reviewing T-Mobile's proposed buy of Sprint, Delrahim also said (see 1901290040).
AM broadcasters and engineers differ on specifics of how the FCC should change interference protections for AM stations but want fast action, in comments in docket 13-249. Comments originally were due Jan. 22. Now, the agency moved the deadline to Feb. 8 (see 1901290043), said a public notice Tuesday.
The DOJ Antitrust Division is “working as fast as we can” on reviewing T-Mobile's proposed buy of Sprint, which will “end when it ends,” division head Makan Delrahim said Tuesday during the State of the Net conference. Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, D-N.J., Free Press and other groups opposed to T-Mobile/Sprint, meanwhile, briefed congressional aides. The House Communications Subcommittee and House Judiciary Antitrust Subcommittee set a Feb. 13 hearing (see 1901280051).
Prison officials are backing away from demands the FCC allow jamming of cell signals to curb contraband cellphones in prisons, said Kevin Kempf, executive director of the Association of State Correctional Administrators. Carriers and corrections officials have been meeting regularly for about a year and are close to finalizing a task force report, which will be filed at the FCC, Tuesday's FCBA event heard.
House Communications Subcommittee leaders diverged on approaches to net neutrality legislation, during the State of the Net conference Tuesday. Chairman Mike Doyle, D-Pa., staked out a partisan agenda on that and other telecom policy issues. Ranking member Bob Latta, R-Ohio, emphasized the need for continued bipartisanship on the House Commerce Committee as the GOP settles into its new role as the minority party. Their comments came ahead of House hearings on net neutrality and T-Mobile's proposed purchase of Sprint, which also got attention Tuesday (see 1901290040).