The victories that countries won at the World Trade Organization over American steel and aluminum tariffs (see 2212090060) will only complicate the discussion on how to bring back binding dispute settlement, panelists said at a Washington International Trade Association event.
Senators unveiled legislation this week that would give the administration new authority to block transactions with TikTok and other foreign technology products that threaten U.S. national security. The bill, which has bipartisan support and was endorsed by the White House, would require the Commerce Department to establish new procedures to prohibit or mitigate transactions involving information and communications technology products “in which any foreign adversary has any interest and poses undue or unacceptable risk to national security.”
The victories that countries won at the World Trade Organization over American steel and aluminum tariffs (see 2212090060) will only complicate the discussion on how to bring back binding dispute settlement, panelists said at a Washington International Trade Association event.
Senators unveiled legislation this week that would give the administration new authority to block transactions with TikTok and other foreign technology products that threaten U.S. national security. The bill, which has bipartisan support and was endorsed by the White House, would require the Commerce Department to establish new procedures to prohibit or mitigate transactions involving information and communications technology products “in which any foreign adversary has any interest and poses undue or unacceptable risk to national security.”
The House Communications Subcommittee plans a Wednesday markup of the newly refiled Satellite and Telecommunications Streamlining Act (HR-1338), Secure Space Act (HR-675) and 11 other satellite, spectrum and communications security measures, the Commerce Committee said Monday. House Communications had been expected to mark up HR-1338 this month (see 2302080073) after lawmakers spoke favorably about the measure during a February hearing. HR-1338 would require the FCC to issue “specific performance requirements” for satellite licensees to meet on space safety and orbital debris. It would also require the commission to set a 180-day shot clock to limit the timeline for reaching decisions on license applications. HR-675 would bar the FCC from granting satellite licenses to any entity it identifies as a national security risk under the 2020 Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act. Also on the Wednesday docket: the Leveraging American Understanding of Next-Generation Challenges Exploring Space Act (HR-682), Open Radio Access Networks Outreach Act (HR-1340), Spectrum Coordination Act (HR-1341), Institute for Telecommunication Sciences Codification Act (HR-1343), NTIA Policy and Cybersecurity Coordination Act (HR-1345), Advanced, Local Emergency Response Telecommunications Parity Act (HR-1353), Information and Communication Technology Strategy Act (HR-1354), American Cybersecurity Literacy Act (HR-1360), Communications Security Act (HR-1370) and Promoting U.S. Wireless Leadership Act (HR-1377). The markup session will begin at 10 a.m. in 2123 Rayburn. HR-682 would require the FCC to streamline the authorization process for commercial launches’ access to spectrum. HR-1339 would require the FCC to review and potentially institute changes to satellite rules to promote precision agriculture. HR-1340 would direct NTIA to provide outreach and technical assistance to small communications network providers on how to use ORAN technologies. HR-1341 would require the FCC and NTIA to update their memorandum of understanding for handling spectrum allocations at least once every four years. HR-1343 would provide statutory authority for ITS’ role in managing NTIA’s telecom and spectrum technology programs. HR-1345 would create an Office of Policy Development and Cybersecurity within NTIA. HR-1353 would require the FCC to allow satellite direct-to-cell service providers and others to apply to access spectrum to fill in wireless coverage gaps in unserved areas specifically to provide connectivity for emergency services. HR-1354 would require the Commerce Department to develop a strategy to evaluate the economic competitiveness of companies within the communications technology supply chain. HR-1360 would require that NTIA to establish a cybersecurity literacy campaign to increase public knowledge and awareness of cybersecurity risks, including best practices for preventing cyberattacks. HR-1370 would codify the existing Communications Security, Reliability, and Interoperability Council. HR-1377 would direct NTIA to encourage U.S. companies and others to participate in international standards-setting bodies.
The Bureau of Industry and Security is preparing a mandatory survey for hundreds of U.S. space companies, suppliers and researchers to collect data on supply chains used by the U.S. space industrial base, the agency said this week. The effort -- which is a partnership among BIS, NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration -- will help the agencies “identify the structure and interdependencies” of the space industrial base, especially those that work with NASA or NOAA.
Social Security disability law firm Heard & Smith, through telemarketer Digital Media Services, made four unsolicited prerecorded calls to a Florida woman in February, despite her listing on the national do not call registry, alleged a class action Wednesday (docket 3:23-cv-00237) in U.S. District Court for Middle Florida in Jacksonville. Plaintiff Margaret Martinez instructed her attorney to send a letter to the law firm after receiving three prerecorded calls Feb. 2 marketing the disability services of Heard & Smith; the law firm responded that DMS made the robocalls, the complaint said. A fourth call, with the same prerecorded message, was placed to Martinez four days after the first, with a robot caller also identifying itself as a disability specialist for Heard & Smith, the complaint said. Heard & Smith should have known DMS was violating the Telephone Consumer Privacy Act (TCPA) by placing prerecorded voice calls to cellular phones without the recipient’s prior consent, the plaintiff said. DMS has been named as a defendant in at least five TCPA lawsuits since 2020, the complaint said. In addition to the TCPA, the complaint alleges Smith & Heard and DMS violated the Florida Telephone Solicitation Act. Martinez seeks an injunction against the defendants from calling phone numbers advertising their goods or services, “except for emergency purposes,” using a prerecorded message, plus statutory damages of $500 for each violation of the TCPA or FTSA and $1,500 for each willful violation.
President Joe Biden this week extended national emergencies that authorize certain sanctions related to Venezuela, Zimbabwe and Russian actions in Ukraine. Each was renewed for one year.
Alondra Nelson, a former top tech adviser to President Joe Biden, said Thursday she expects continuing administration focus on tech regulation, though she warned that focusing on keeping up with the pace of change is a mistake. Other speakers at an event by the Center for American Progress (CAP) and Public Knowledge said the time is ripe to start looking at a new agency to oversee privacy and other technology issues. Former FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler warned that the U.S. in danger of defaulting on leadership in favor of other countries.
The continued inclusion of AM radios in electric cars “deserves urgent attention,” from DOT and the FCC, said FCC Commissioner Nathan Simington in a release endorsing a letter sent by several former Federal Emergency Management Agency leaders to the Department of Transportation. “I underscore and affirm their concerns in the strongest possible terms,” he said. “The success of the National Public Warning System hinges on the use of AM radio,” and it will no longer function if EV makers stop including such radios in new vehicles due to interference concerns, said the letter from multiple former FEMA heads, including Craig Fugate, Michael Brown and Pete Gaynor. The interference is “resolvable” and DOT Secretary Pete Buttigieg should secure assurances from automakers that they will “put public safety before profits,” the letter said. “The public safety community and the American public rely on AM radio,” said Simington. “Auto manufacturers now, and increasingly in the future, will rely on spectrum.” The FCC should strike a balance between “the velocity of innovations” and “the stability of institutions,” he said.