The FTC’s recently named Consumer Protection Bureau Director Andrew Smith told us Thursday his new job shouldn’t differ much from the compliance work he did for Equifax and Facebook, though he understands concern from the two Democratic commissioners who voted against his appointment.
Facebook has developed a platform that encourages misuse of user data, and Cambridge Analytica likely improperly supplied data to Russian groups and the Trump campaign (see 1803190056), former Cambridge Analytica Research Director Christopher Wylie told the Senate Judiciary Committee Wednesday during a hearing on data privacy. Cambridge University scholar Aleksandr Kogan, the lead researcher Cambridge Analytica allegedly used to harvest the data, collaborated on physiological profiling campaigns for pro-Russian groups in St. Petersburg and likely allowed access to Facebook data, Wylie said. Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, requested Cambridge Analytica appear at the hearing, but the company declined, citing bankruptcy proceedings (see 1805020042).
Lawmakers of both parties fretted over White House reversal on ZTE and discussed balancing supply chain security with avoiding protectionism, at a Wednesday House Communications Subcommittee hearing. Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Calif., said the committee should send a formal letter to the White House detailing its concerns about ZTE. Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., hopes President Donald Trump’s comments on loosening sanctions against the Chinese smartphone maker were misinterpreted or that the stance changes. “We can’t play footsie with these companies,” Eshoo said.
An auction of priority access licenses (PAL) in the 3.5 GHz citizens broadband radio service band may not happen until late next year, Mark Gibson, senior director-business development at CommScope, told the National Spectrum Managers Association Wednesday at its annual meeting. Fletcher Heald attorney Mitchell Lazarus warned the FCC is making more decisions based on politics rather than engineering.
BALTIMORE -- Transportation Department test results on adjacent-band compatibility to GPS reinforces the belief of a threat that Ligado's plans for a broadband terrestrial low-power service (TPLS) pose to high-precision GPS receivers, Bradford Parkinson, vice-chairman of the Space-Based Positioning, Navigation and Timing (PNT) National Advisory Board, told us Wednesday during the board's meeting. "I want [Ligado] to succeed, but not at the expense of PNT." He said concerns remain that the FCC could move on approval of the company's applications. The FCC didn't comment.
The FCC will tackle the next stage of making high-band spectrum available for 5G, at its June 7 meeting, Chairman Ajit Pai blogged Wednesday on the next commissioners’ "summer blockbuster" meeting. Pai also plans to look to undo leased access rules adopted in 2008 but never implemented, ease legacy telecom service discontinuances, give rural telcos broadband USF contribution relief and OK Audacy and O3b satellite plans, two intercarrier compensation items, a toll-free texting item, an IP captioned telephone service (IP CTS) order, proposals targeting telephone slamming and cramming practices and an enforcement action he couldn't discuss.
There's no consensus view on the future of the Congressional Review Act resolution aimed at reversing the FCC order to rescind the 2015 net neutrality rules, despite Senate 52-47 passage Wednesday of its Joint Resolution-52. All 49 Senate Democrats and three Republicans were in support: Sens. Susan Collins of Maine; John Kennedy of Louisiana; and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska (see 1805160043). Backers must secure House passage of companion House Joint Resolution-129 and convince President Donald Trump not to veto. Lawmakers, lobbyists and industry officials shared a range of views on whether that scenario is viable.
The U.S. is moving toward creation of a national spectrum strategy that would predict spectrum trends and allow companies to do a better job of planning, said DOD spectrum chief Fred Moorefield at the National Spectrum Management Association annual conference Tuesday. “I think you'll see that coming out of the White House soon." He noted the Pentagon will update its own spectrum road map and action plan.
Members of the Senate Judiciary Committee said the broken music royalty system needs to be fixed, during a hearing Tuesday on the Music Modernization Act (MMA) (S-2823), proposed by Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah. Lawmakers across the board expressed willingness to resolve any remaining issues and move forward with the bill, so artists can be properly compensated.
ST. PAUL -- Federal judges mostly let attorneys make their arguments for and against FCC decisions easing regulation of the business data service rates of major incumbent telcos. The three-judge panel of the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals asked only a handful of questions in oral argument that stuck close to its scheduled 40 minutes in Citizens Telecommunications v. FCC, No. 17-2296. About half the questions were related to whether the FCC gave parties adequate notice. Hotly contested FCC cases often draw scores of judicial questions and comments at oral argument. The commission's 2017 order largely removed price caps from incumbent BDS offerings to business customers and competitors (see 1704200020 and 1705010019).