Uncategorized
USF Announces Another Rate Hike for Q4 2024
By Lawson Faulkner On Thursday, the FCC announced yet another rate hike for its Universal Service Fund (USF), a controversial program responsible for subsidizing phone service. For service providers and consumers alike, the growth of this quarterly burden appears to be unending, signaling a need for substantive USF…
FCC’s Robotext Rule Could Result in Voter Suppression
By James Erwin A little-noticed item from the FCC last month could have major implications for future elections. The Commission’s proposed rulemaking on unwanted robotexts, unless amended, could potentially suppress voter turnout. The FCC issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking seeking comment on how to best protect consumers from…
DOJ Says it will Dial Back Online Content Coercion
By Lawson Faulkner On Tuesday, the U.S. Justice Department announced a department policy for communicating with social media platforms about content moderation decisions. According to the revised standards, federal officials are now barred from pressuring platforms to remove content, signaling a retreat from past examples of coercion that have…
New U.S.-Canada Privacy Pact Raises Censorship Concerns
By Lawson Faulkner Last Wednesday, FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Canada’s Privacy Commissioner Philippe Dufresne, signaling an intent to “strengthen information sharing and enforcement cooperation between the two regulators.” However, the vague nature of the agreement has raised questions about the implications of…
Meta Reveals White House Content Moderation Pressure
By Lawson Faulkner In a recent letter to the House Judiciary Committee, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg acknowledged that pressure from the Biden administration was responsible for its move to censor user posts during the Covid-19 pandemic. Addressing Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), Zuckerberg expressed regret for not resisting the…
New Survey Shows Steady Decline in FCC Employee Morale
By Lawson Faulkner An alarming picture is emerging from the FCC of eroding morale. The Office of Personnel Management has released its 2023 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS) for the FCC, and the results show statistically significant declines in key metrics. Throughout FCC Chair Rebecca Rosenworcel’s tenure, employee enthusiasm,…
Sixth Circuit: Plaintiffs “Likely to Succeed” in Net Neutrality Challenge
By James Erwin The Biden Administration’s restoration of net neutrality has always been an attempt to seize control of the communications industry with little evidence that that it would lower prices or improve speeds. Now the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals has issued a stay for the net neutrality…
Bipartisan Bill Aims to Streamline Broadband Permit Review Process
By Lawson Faulkner On Monday, a bipartisan coalition of senators introduced legislation to streamline the federal permit review process for broadband projects. The Accelerating Broadband Permits Act, cosponsored by Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), aims to overhaul tracking systems for broadband project…
FTC’s Rule on “Junk Fees” is a Load of Junk
By James Erwin In the latest sign of the Democratic Party’s evolution from the party of the working class to the party of affluent professionals fighting for niche consumer interests, the Biden-Harris Administration is waging a war on “junk fees.” It is now the FTC’s turn to get in…
FCC Pushes Hasty AI Regulation Before Election Season
By Lawson Faulkner In a move that promises turmoil mere months before the presidential election, the FCC has advanced a proposal requiring broadcasters to disclose artificial intelligence content (AI) used for political advertising. The decision, which passed 3-2 along ideological lines, has already sparked controversy, with many critics…