When the FCC adopted the Open Internet Order (most people call it “net neutrality”) in 2015, then-Commissioner Ajit Pai railed against the idea. Now that he’s FCC Chairman, Pai is already quietly working to roll back those rules. [More]
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President Trump Signs Resolution Killing Internet Privacy Rules, Allowing ISPs To Keep Selling Your Data
By 4.3.17 — Updated: 5.9.17
FCC: Charter No Longer Required To Provide Competing Service For 1 Million People
By 4.3.17 — Updated: 5.10.17
When the FCC approved the three-way merger of Charter, Time Warner Cable, and Bright House, it did so under the condition that Charter would have to bring broadband competition to 1 million people in markets where consumers only have one choice. Today, the FCC voted to scrap that requirement, instead asking Charter to build its network elsewhere. [More]
Prepare For Deluge Of Fax Spam On Machines You Haven’t Used Since 2004
By 3.31.17
In 2005, just about the time many of us were finally giving up on fax machines, the ever-hip Congress passed the Junk Fax Prevention Act, severely restricting the use of fax machines for advertising purposes. However, a federal appeals court ruled today — when there are college students who don’t even know what a fax is — that the FCC overstepped its authority in writing the actual regulations tied to this law. [More]
FCC Stops Authorizing New Providers Of Low-Cost Broadband
By 3.30.17 — Updated: 5.10.17
New FCC Chair Ajit Pai has made no effort to hide his intention to roll back many of the rules and policies put in place by his predecessor, Tom Wheeler. Now that Congress has effectively undone Wheeler’s internet privacy rules, Pai has set his sights on low-cost internet access. [More]
House Votes To Allow Internet Service Providers To Sell, Share Your Personal Information
By 3.28.17 — Updated: 3.29.17
The new Federal Communications Commission’s rules intended to limit how companies like AT&T, Comcast, Verizon, and Charter can use internet customers’ sensitive personal information are effectively dead in the water, thanks to a House of Representatives vote today to kill the regulations, making sure internet service providers can use and sell user data. [More]
Lawmakers Ask FCC To Seek Fixes For Phone Network Vulnerabilities
By 3.28.17 — Updated: 5.10.17
When you think about phone security, you’re probably thinking about the apps on your phone, who’s listening in on the call you make, or perhaps even the metadata you leave behind. You’re probably not thinking about the national and global network of fibers, cables, and businesses that makes your phone call physically possible. But that network has vulnerabilities, and two lawmakers want the FCC to protect consumers from them. [More]
House Expected To Vote On Rolling Back Internet Privacy Rules Tomorrow
By 3.27.17 — Updated: 5.10.17
If you like having any control over what your internet service provider does with the personal data it has on you, we’ve got some bad news: The House of Representatives is expected to vote tomorrow to reverse the FCC rules that limit what the Comcasts, AT&Ts, Verizons, and Charters of the world can do with the data they have on you. [More]
FCC Plan To Let Phone Companies Block More Annoying Robocalls Moves Forward
By 3.23.17 — Updated: 5.10.17
Many of the FCC’s most visible consumer protection moves — net neutrality, privacy — prove contentious within the Commission. But today, in a rare show of unanimity, all three sitting commissioners agreed with consumers about one big fact: Robocalls really, really suck, and the FCC is in a position to do something about it. [More]
Senate Votes To Roll Back Privacy Protections For Internet Users
By and 3.23.17
The FCC’s efforts to put restrictions on what internet service providers can do with the information they have about their users is all but dead, following a party-line 50-48 vote in the Senate this afternoon to roll back this regulation. [More]
Lawmakers Try Again To Close Loophole Allowing Government To Make Debt-Collection Robocalls
By 3.8.17
Once again, federal lawmakers are trying to close a recently opened loophole that allows the federal government — and, by extension, contractors working for the government — to blast out automated, unwanted, possibly incorrect, debt-collection robocalls. [More]
Senators Officially Introduce Resolution To Reverse ISP Privacy Rule
By 3.8.17 — Updated: 5.10.17
Back in October, the Federal Communications Commission adopted a rule limiting what ISPs can or can’t do with your personal data. As expected, lawmakers are now attempting to overturn this new rule through use of the Congressional Review Act. [More]
FCC Officially Blocks Part Of ISP Privacy Rule From Taking Effect
By 3.1.17 — Updated: 5.10.17
As it was foretold, so it has come to pass: The Federal Communications Commission, under the direction of its new Chairman Ajit Pai, has taken action to block a portion of its own new privacy rule for internet service providers. [More]
FCC Chair Claims Broadband Investment At Historic Low Level Because Of Net Neutrality; That’s Not What The Numbers Say
By 2.28.17
This morning, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai made a claim that net neutrality, which hasn’t even been in place for two years, has driven investment in U.S. broadband to historically low levels. However, the actual numbers given by the nation’s largest cable and telecom companies don’t appear to back this up. [More]
FCC Chair Faces Blowback Over Decision To Undo ISP Privacy Rule
By 2.27.17
Last week, FCC Chair Ajit Pai declared that he would halt the Commission’s new privacy rule before it kicks in on March 2. That last-minute decision is now under fire from within the FCC and beyond. [More]
FCC Chair Ajit Pai Has No Plans To Review AT&T/Time Warner Merger
By 2.27.17
In recent years, the FCC played a key part in blocking the mergers of AT&T and T-Mobile, and Comcast and Time Warner Cable, while also using its regulatory leverage to place pro-consumer conditions on the mergers it did approve — like getting Charter to agree to not use data caps for seven years. However, the FCC will apparently give AT&T its wish and not even chime in on the pending merger of AT&T and Time Warner. [More]
New FCC Chair Plans To Block Internet Privacy Rule Before It Kicks In
By 2.24.17
Last October, the FCC adopted a rule that limits what your internet service provider — home or mobile — can do with your private data. At the time, the rule was contentious, with two FCC commissioners dissenting volubly. One of those two commissioners, Ajit Pai, is now FCC Chairman, and he’s announced his plan to stop the privacy rule from taking effect because he thinks it’s not fair to pick on the Comcasts and Charters of the world. [More]
FCC Eases Transparency Requirements For More ISPs, Hints At Coming Net Neutrality Fight
By 2.23.17
It’s been most of a month now since noted net neutrality foe Ajit Pai took over the chairman’s seat at the FCC. Today the Commission held its regular monthly open meeting — the first of Pai’s tenure — giving us a glimpse into what we’re likely to see from the Commission in coming months. [More]
