Senate Consumer Protection Subcommittee Chairman Jerry Moran, R-Kan., and other members revisited possible data hack legislation Tuesday during a hearing on the Uber breach affecting 57 million accounts and vulnerability identification purposes. Uber disclosed its incident in 2017 after concealing it for a year (see 1711270047). Democrats, including ranking member Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., chastised Uber, with Blumenthal saying the company effectively engaged in “almost a form of obstruction of justice.”
FCC Commissioner Mike O'Rielly said USF contributions won't target broadband while he's chairman of a federal-state joint board that advises the agency. Although open to other approaches to shoring up the eroding USF industry contribution base, O'Rielly said he's focused on bringing fiscal discipline to USF programs. The FCC "should set a topline budget and then ensure that spending increases are paired with offsets elsewhere," he said at a Hudson Institute event Tuesday. He also explained his libertarian-tinged conservativism, backed serious cost-benefit analysis in the new Office of Economics and Analytics, and voiced optimism Congress will remove a legal hurdle to new spectrum auctions.
Some residents along the East Coast received a false tsunami warning Tuesday morning, in the hours leading up to a hearing by the House Homeland Security Communications Subcommittee on last month’s false missile alert in Hawaii (see 1801160054). Effective and reliable alerts are vital to the public and wireless emergency alerts need to be improved, said Chairman Dan Donovan, R-N.Y. False alerts undermine confidence in them, he said.
Movement toward a Senate Commerce Committee hearing on FTC nominees appears to depend largely on when President Donald Trump names a nominee to a second vacant Democratic seat on the commission, lawmakers told us Tuesday. Trump last month said he is nominating Paul Weiss antitrust lawyer Joseph Simons, whom the administration has said it will designate chairman; former Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Assistant Director Rohit Chopra; Noah Phillips, aide to Senate Minority Whip John Cornyn, R-Texas; and Delta Air Lines Senior Vice President-Legal, Regulatory and International Christine Wilson (see 1801250055 and 1801250066). If confirmed, they would leave the FTC with a 3-1 Republican majority, with Chopra the Democrat. Simons would replace current Democratic Commissioner Terrell McSweeny, whose term expired but who can stay under current legislative-appointment rules.
The FCC Media Bureau circulated an NPRM Monday seeking comment on creating a new C4 class of FM stations, said Chairman Ajit Pai in his address to a Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council event Tuesday. “This reform could allow hundreds of Class A FM stations to broadcast with increased power.” There was "a lot of talk during previous administrations about trying to take action to promote ownership diversity -- but there was little to nothing done,” Pai said. “I am determined that the FCC on my watch will take concrete steps to create a more diverse communications industry.”
Privacy issues are getting much attention, but it's unclear if Congress will pass a bill this session, panelists suggested at a Public Knowledge event Monday. Megan Stifel, PK cybersecurity policy director, said though there's over a 60 percent chance a bill will be enacted, she was even more optimistic last fall. Most others didn't handicap the prospects. Yael Weinman, Verizon privacy associate general counsel, said her company and others are "interested" in privacy legislation. Abigail Slater, Internet Association general counsel, said "constructive conversations" are occurring.
A Tuesday House Homeland Security Communications Subcommittee hearing is likely to mirror a recent Senate Commerce Committee one in focus on the Jan. 13 false missile alert in Hawaii, but some witnesses are likely to contrast that incident with industry and other states’ best practices, communications sector officials and lobbyists said in interviews. The false warning already drew congressional scrutiny, particularly from Senate Communications Subcommittee ranking member Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, and other members of the state’s delegation (see 1801160054, 1801170050, 1801240046 and 1801250061). A planned Feb. 16 House Communications Subcommittee hearing on the FCC budget is expected to partially focus on the Hawaii incident and other public safety communications issues (see 1802050025).
Top U.S. radio station owner iHeartRadio’s apparent upcoming restructuring is a long-anticipated necessary evil, and doesn’t reflect the industry's health, said broadcasters, brokers and analysts in interviews.
Verizon appeared to send a clear message to AT&T Sunday during a Super Bowl ad -- it's going to fight hard to hold onto its first responder base in the face of AT&T/FirstNet’s new public safety network. The 60-second ad featured shots of first responders in action as those who were rescued voiced their thanks. It was Verizon’s first Super Bowl ad since 2011. Some analysts said Monday Verizon’s focus was much larger than just its bid to hold on to its first responder customers.
With the clock ticking toward May 25 implementation of EU general data protection regulation, work toward compliance is becoming an increased challenge that many businesses won't meet, said speakers Thursday evening at an FCBA CLE. Verizon's Anjali Hansen said an area of heavy lifting in GDPR compliance is ensuring suppliers are compliant, with the company having a 30- to 40-person team doing just updates to supplier contracts. "You take a lot of Advil ... and go through them one by one," she said.