After confirmation Thursday of five FTC commissioners, several issues are worth watching early in their tenures concerning privacy, competition and personnel (see 1804260041), stakeholders said the next day. Topping issues, according to industry attorneys and former officials: a determination of potential 2011 consent decree violations by Facebook (see 1804050058), handling continued antitrust complaints against Google, and retention of acting Competition Bureau Director Bruce Hoffman and acting General Counsel Alden Abbott. “It’s an important and interesting time for the FTC because they’ve been shorthanded so long, so it’s really good to see a full complement of commissioners,” said Bloom Strategic Counsel founder Seth Bloom. “These next few months are going to be important to see what they’re up to and what they take up as their priorities.”
TV programming blackouts often elicit statements from mayors or other elected officials urging the sides to come to an agreement. But the role El Centro, California, and other communities are playing in a carriage dustup between Charter Communications and Northwest Broadcasting is largely unprecedented, experts told us.
Democrats used a Friday House Digital Commerce Subcommittee hearing on addressing abusive robocalls to promote the newly refiled House version of the Help Americans Never Get Unwanted Phone Calls (Hangup) Act and two other draft bills. House Commerce Committee Chairman Greg Walden, R-Ore., and other subcommittee Republicans emphasized the importance of encouraging private sector-led technical solutions to halt abusive robocalls. Three industry witnesses urged lawmakers to let the private sector continue to take the lead in addressing the issue, while Consumers Union Policy Analyst Maureen Mahoney sought a legislative fix.
Broadcasters generally welcome FCC-proposed reforms to the way it handles interference between FM translators and full-power FM stations amid disagreements over how the agency will handle complaints and how far from a station’s contour interference can occur, broadcasters and their lawyers told us. The issue (see 1804180068) has been exacerbated by the growing number of licensed FM translators, which has swelled from around 1,850 in 1990 to nearly 7,600 in 2017, said the NPRM. “There are more than 700 new translator construction permits authorized and 1100 applications for new translator construction permits pending.”
CTIA and the Competitive Carriers Association will meet Monday as planned with technology providers and federal and state corrections officials to open the next round of discussions on contraband cellphones in prisons, industry and government officials told us. The closed-door meeting in Washington is expected to be the first of several and follows one at the FCC in February led by Chairman Ajit Pai. He wants more action on devices smuggled into prisons and in 2016 held a field hearing in South Carolina with then-Gov. Nikki Haley (R) (see 1604060058).
Facebook shares rebounded 9 percent Thursday to $175.20 after its Q1 earnings report showed revenue soared 49 percent year over year to $11.9 billion. The company’s $12 billion revenue was “well ahead of expectations driven by broad-based growth across products and regions,” Wedbush Securities analyst Michael Pachter emailed investors Tuesday. Facebook’s 2.19 billion total monthly average users was higher than Wedbush estimates of 2.18 billion, and the company’s daily average user count of 1.49 billion beat estimates of 1.44 billion, said Pachter.
The European Commission ramped up pressure on online platforms Thursday, telling them to be more open in dealings with other businesses and take more responsibility for fighting fake news. The platform transparency rules, aimed at creating a fairer business environment for smaller companies, include requirements that platforms make terms and conditions for professional users clearer and resolve disputes more efficiently. The disinformation proposal calls for an EU-wide code of practice and the possibility of regulation if significant changes aren't apparent by October. It won praise from the tech sector and others, while the transparency regulation prompted a mix of reactions.
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., chastised Facebook, Google and Twitter for refusing to testify at a Thursday hearing on social media filtering (see 1804250072). Democratic members accused Republicans of considering social media issues only when it suits their interests. The committee debated perceived platform censorship against conservatives and Christians.
Congress should update the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States national security mandate to review foreign investments in U.S.-located companies, lawmakers and witnesses said at a House Digital Commerce Subcommittee hearing Thursday. There were differences over details of the administration-backed Foreign Investment Risk Review Modernization Act's (FIRRMA, HR-4311/S-2098) proposed CFIUS expansion to probe more investments, including in "critical" technology or infrastructure companies. Some said CFIUS should also examine key economic issues. CFIUS is chaired by the Department of Treasury and includes eight other executive branch departments and offices (five others have observer status and participate as appropriate).
The new 5G Automotive Association unveiled its vision for a connected future, in a Thursday event. The 5GAA demoed cars equipped with the technology at Washington's RFK Stadium. Coalition officials said they are testing the technology around the world, including in Michigan, the center for the U.S. auto industry. The alliance and its cellular vehicle-to-everything technology (C-V2X) has been quietly gaining ground as an alternative to dedicated short-range communications (DSRC) in the 5.9 GHz band (see 1803140055). Qualcomm demonstrated C-V2X at CES in January.