There are many legitimate reasons to hide or mask your Caller ID information but there are an increasing number of people who abuse this ability, not just for prank calls or telemarketing, but to phone in bomb threats or make other menacing calls — particularly to schools and religious centers. In an effort to make it easier for law enforcement respond to these threats, the Federal Communications Commission has approved a proposal that will allow phone companies to share certain Caller ID information with the police. [More]
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FCC Chair Confirms He Can’t & Won’t Take Away Broadcast Licenses Because President Doesn’t Like A News Story
By 10.17.17
FCC Chair, and self-proclaimed supporter of the First Amendment, Ajit Pai has been noticeably silent in the wake of President Trump’s recent suggestion that the FCC look into revoking the broadcast licenses of NBC and others that air news stories that are unfavorable to the White House. Pai is finally speaking up, and confirming what we already knew: That the FCC doesn’t have the legal authority to take NBC off the air over a news story. [More]
Can The President Actually Take Away A Network’s Broadcast License For “Fake News”?
By 10.11.17
Irked by an NBC News story he claims is false, President Trump stated this morning that it may be time to “challenge” the network’s broadcast license. But what does that even mean — and would the Trump administration have the authority to yank a TV station’s access to the airwaves over a news story? [More]
Lawmakers Seek Investigation Into Alleged Attack On FCC Commenting System
By 8.18.17
When the FCC’s new leadership officially began the process of dismantling net neutrality rules, it didn’t come as much of a surprise when an overwhelming amount of traffic crashed the Commission’s public commenting system. After all, it happened a few years ago when these rules were being written. What did surprise people was the FCC’s claim — made without providing any additional information — that the system failure was not the result of too many people trying to comment, but a malicious attack. The FCC has never fully explained how it reached that conclusion, and now some lawmakers want to know why. [More]
FCC Extends Net Neutrality Comment Period Until End Of August
By 8.14.17
While Ajit Pai, the new pro-industry chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, has pledged to “take a weed-whacker” to the FCC’s net neutrality rules that restrict internet service providers’ ability to interfere with your web use, he’ll have to wait a bit longer to do that regulatory gardening. The FCC has grudgingly decided to extend the current comment period a little longer. [More]
FCC Not Worried About Lack Of Broadband Because We Really Just Need Our Phones
By 8.10.17
Since it became obvious that internet access was going to be an essential for everyday living, the Federal Communications Commission has wrestled with how to encourage providers to build expensive wired networks to reach rural and remote communities, but not with much luck. Now the FCC is considering a new tactic for solving this problem: Suggesting that maybe there isn’t a problem so long as you can get online with your phone. [More]
Health Insurance Telemarketer Faces $82 Million Fine For Illegal Robocalls
By 8.3.17
A health insurance marketing company that allegedly placed more than 21 million illegal automated phone calls, interrupting the enjoyment of Modern Family reruns for Americans everywhere, now faces fines in excess of $82 million for violations of the Truth In Caller ID Act. [More]
Why It Seems Like The Entire Internet Is Talking About Net Neutrality Today
By 7.12.17
Today, a huge swath of the internet is taking a break from our regularly scheduled cat photos, *.gif memes, and political news to talk about something that affects the entire internet: net neutrality. [More]
FCC Has No Interest In Figuring Out Who Filed Fake Anti-Neutrality Comments In Your Name
By 7.11.17
Usually if your identity is stolen, there’s something you can do about it: Call a business, file a dispute over a charge, or contact law enforcement. But if someone “borrows” your identity to file a fake comment with an open government proceeding — like, say, the one in progress to kill off net neutrality — there may be diddly squat you can do. [More]
Robocall Scammer Faces $120M Fine For Impersonating TripAdvisor, Marriott, Expedia
By 6.22.17 — Updated: 6.23.17
A Florida man accused of blasting out 100 million illegal robocalls where he falsely claimed to represent companies like TripAdvisor, Marriott, Expedia, or Hilton may finally have to pay for annoying the ever-living heck out of people. The Federal Communications Commission has proposed slapping a $120 million penalty on this obnoxious operation. [More]
The Internet Can Help Treat Sick People In Rural America, But Most Lack Adequate Access
By 6.9.17
For many of us who live in cities or suburbs, doctors and hospitals are plentiful and nearby. That’s not true for much of rural America, where medical care can be harder to come by. New broadband technology could help bridge that gap, providing care to people everywhere, but it’s of little use if the folks who need it most aren’t able to get online. [More]
Jacksonville TV Station Owner Fined For Airing Jaguars Ad With Bogus “Emergency Broadcast Transmission”
By 5.30.17
Imagine sitting around your Florida home in August, just as hurricane season is swinging into high gear, when your TV suddenly starts making a familiar alert sound, declaring “This is not a test. This is an emergency broadcast transmission.” Then you look up at the screen and see it’s just an ad for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Not only is this a bad idea for a TV commercial; it’s also against the law. [More]
RNC, Chamber Of Commerce Say A Robocall Isn’t A Robocall If It Goes Straight To Voicemail
By 5.26.17
An automated, prerecorded phone call that goes straight to voicemail may be slightly less annoying than a robocall that causes your phone to ring, but is it any less of a robocall? The Republican National Committee and the lobbyists at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce think these “ringless” robocalls are just fine, and have asked the FCC to allow telemarketers to use them. [More]
Comcast Backs Off On Threat To Sue Operators Of ‘Comcastroturf’
By 5.26.17
Comcast didn’t win over many people when it recently threatened legal action against Comcastroturf.com, a website created by net neutrality advocates to call attention to the trove of fake anti-neutrality comments filed with the FCC. After some reflection, Comcast has decided it won’t sue to take the website down. [More]
How To Tell The FCC Just What You Think Of Its Plan To Break Net Neutrality
By 5.18.17 — Updated: 7.12.17
Do you like being able to access what you want on the internet without Comcast, Charter, AT&T, or some other ISP slowing it down, blocking it, or charging you extra? Well, bad news: The FCC has begun a process that will — unless things change dramatically in the coming months — repeal rules intended to protect internet users from this sort of interference. Here’s the better news: You can tell them what you think about that. [More]
FCC Votes To Move Forward With Process Of Killing Net Neutrality
By 5.18.17
As expected, the Federal Communications Commission voted 2-1 this morning to move forward with Chairman Ajit Pai’s plan to roll back “net neutrality” rules that currently prevent internet service providers from having any say in what you see or do online. [More]
Could FCC Commissioner Choose Nuclear Option And Resign To Protect Net Neutrality?
By 5.16.17
Later this week, the three sitting members of the Federal Communications Commission are expected to vote 2-1 in favor of officially beginning the process of killing net neutrality. The lone neutrality defender on the FCC stands little chance of swaying her colleagues, leading some to speculate that she could slow down the repeal effort by removing herself from the equation altogether. [More]
People Whose Names Were Used In Anti-Net Neutrality Spam Want FCC To Investigate
FCC Chair Ajit Pai recently shrugged off concerns about the hundreds of thousands of bogus, identical anti-net neutrality comments filed with the Commission, saying it was something for his IT folks to look into. But the real human beings whose names were used on those fake filings are not as indifferent, and are calling on Pai to investigate. [More]