Makena Kelly

Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) introduced a data privacy bill that would explicitly bar platforms like Facebook and Google from serving targeted ads that discriminate against protected groups, particularly by race, sexual orientation or gender. The DATA Privacy Act would empower the Federal Trade Commission to put in place specific definitions for what is considered discriminatory behavior in targeted ad and data practices. It would also extend the FTC’s civil penalty authority for violations of those rules, alongside broader protections on user data.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and eight of his colleagues sent letters to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai and Department of Justice Antitrust Chief Makan Delrahim asking that they strike down a proposed merger deal between T-Mobile and Sprint. “Our enforcement officials are the last line of defense preventing reconsolidation of our telecommunications markets at the expense of American consumers,” the senators wrote.

A lack of network neutrality rules can have real-world consequences on wireless data prices, according to a new study by Epicenter.works. The new data from dozens of countries in the European Union suggest that when a country allows zero-rating programs, it ends up seeing an increase in wireless prices over time. The study looks into 30 member countries of the EU which diversify in the way that they enforce net neutrality rules. The countries that prohibited zero-rating programs saw around a 10 percent drop in the price of wireless data after a year.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is planning to integrate the underlying infrastructure of Facebook Messenger, Instagram, and WhatsApp, allowing users to message each other between apps, but some lawmakers, regulators, and security experts are already beginning to question whether the benefits outweigh the consequences. “Good for encryption but bad for competition and privacy,” tweeted Seante Communciations Subcommittee Ranking Member Brian Schatz (D-HI). Sen Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) said, “Facebook and Google’s dominance over data has already harmed consumers and the economy.

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai and Commissioner Brendan Carr are canceling their appearances at the 2019 Consumer Electronics Show as a consequence of the ongoing partial government shutdown.

A Q&A with Rep Ro Khanna (D-CA), who represents the CA district that houses the Apple and Google campuses and who has put forth a set of principles called the "Internet Bill of Rights".

An Oct 23 interview with Sen Mark Warner (D-VA).

Facebook’s ads have been a source of frustration for lawmakers for years, especially in the aftermath of the 2016 elections when it was discovered that Russian influence agents were able to place political ads involving US politics on the platform. Bills have been introduced to hold these platforms accountable, such as the Honest Ads Act, and federal agencies have launched investigations, but everything so far has fallen flat.

Facebook is going to begin banning false information involving voting ahead of the US’s Nov 2018 midterm elections. Before the 2016 elections, Facebook banned posts that provided misinformation as to where people could go to vote and at what time polls opened or closed.

The Department of Justice and the Federal Communications Commission requested that the Supreme Court vacate a 2016 appeals court decision upholding net neutrality rules adopted by the FCC in 2015. If the court decides to grant the motion, the previous decision to support the rules would be removed, clearing the path for re-litigation in the future when it comes to classifying broadband. If the DOJ and FCC’s request is approved by the court, the previous rules, spearheaded by then-FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler, would be voided from the judicial record.