press release

Free Press Action Fund Calls Out Rep Blackburn for Putting Industry Lobbyists Before the Interests of Ordinary Americans

The House Commerce Committee selected Rep Marsha Blackburn (R–TN) to chair the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology. Rep Blackburn, who will take over the subcommittee from incoming full Committee Chairman Rep Greg Walden (R–OR), has long sided with the phone, cable and entertainment industries against ordinary Americans:

In 2011, she supported the ill-fated SOPA bill, which would have allowed the film and recording industries to black out large tracts of internet content without due process.
In 2013, she co-authored a letter to the FCC opposing the agency’s Lifeline Program, which helps low-income households gain access to high-speed internet services. She continued her opposition to the program throughout 2016, criticizing the FCC decision to help subsidize broadband in addition to traditional phone service.
In 2014, she introduced an amendment to appropriations legislation that would have blocked federal efforts to protect world-class municipal-broadband initiatives local residents and governments have launched in towns and communities across the country, including in her home state of Tennessee.
She has repeatedly opposed Net Neutrality protections and in 2015 introduced the “Internet Freedom Act,” which would have stripped the FCC of its clear authority to prohibit online discrimination and protect the open internet.
In 2015, she joined with other House Republicans against the FCC proposal to protect broadband users’ privacy by requiring internet service providers to seek consumers’ permission before exploiting their online data for their own monetary gain.

Sen Thune Selected for Second Term as Senate Commerce Committee Chairman

The US.Senate officially ratified Sen. John Thune (R-SD) as chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee for the 115th Congress. Sen Thune issued the following statement on the selection: “It is a great honor to be selected to serve for a second term as chairman of the Commerce Committee. I look forward to working with Ranking Member Bill Nelson and my colleagues on both sides of the aisle on issues at the forefront of innovation and competitiveness, consumer protection, science, transportation, and economic growth in my role as chairman.”

President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts

President Barack Obama announced his intent to appoint the following individuals to key Administration posts:

Sylvia Orozco, Appointee for Member, National Museum and Library Services Board: Sylvia Orozco is Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Mexic-Arte Museum of Austin (TX), positions she has held since 1984. Orozco served on the Advisory Board of the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center from 2008 to 2012 and the Mayor’s Community Cabinet in Austin from 2009 to 2011.

Annette Evans Smith, Appointee for Member, National Museum and Library Services Board: Annette Evans Smith joined the Alaska Native Heritage Center (ANHC) in 2003, and has served as its President and CEO since 2011.In 2012, Ms. Evans Smith worked on the legislation that established the Alaska Native Language Preservation and Advisory Council.

Deborah Taylor, Appointee for Member, National Museum and Library Service Board: Deborah Taylor is Coordinator of School and Student Services at the Enoch Pratt Free Library, where she has worked since 1974 in various additional roles including as a Branch Librarian and Head of the Office of Children and Youth. Taylor is a member of the Voice of Youth Advocates Editorial Advisory Board and served as President of the Young Adult Library Services Association and Chair of the Coretta Scott King Book Awards. She received the Coretta Scott King-Virginia Hamilton Practitioner Award for Lifetime Achievement from the American Library Association in 2015.

Jonathan L. Zittrain, Appointee for Member, National Museum and Library Service Board: Jonathan L. Zittrain is a Professor of Computer Science at the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and the George Bemis Professor of International Law at Harvard Law School, positions he has held since 2010 and 2008, respectively. Zittrain is also Vice Dean for Library and Information Resources at the Harvard Law School Library and Co-Founder and Faculty Director of the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University, positions he has held since 2012 and 1997, respectively.

FTC Charges D-Link Put Consumers’ Privacy at Risk Due to the Inadequate Security of Its Computer Routers and Cameras

The Federal Trade Commission filed a complaint against Taiwan-based computer networking equipment manufacturer D-Link Corporation and its US subsidiary, alleging that inadequate security measures taken by the company left its wireless routers and Internet cameras vulnerable to hackers and put US consumers’ privacy at risk.

In a complaint filed in the Northern District of California, the FTC charged that D-Link failed to take reasonable steps to secure its routers and Internet Protocol (IP) cameras, potentially compromising sensitive consumer information, including live video and audio feeds from D-Link IP cameras. The complaint filed is part of the FTC’s efforts to protect consumers’ privacy and security in the Internet of Things (IoT), which includes cases the agency has brought against ASUS, a computer hardware manufacturer, and TRENDnet, a marketer of video cameras.

Secretary of Commerce Pritzker Highlights Key Departmental Accomplishments During Obama Administration

Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker submitted her exit memorandum to President Barack Obama highlighting the Department of Commerce’s major accomplishments that helped grow the US economy during the past eight years. Sec Pritzker’s “Open for Business” agenda focused the efforts of the Department’s 12 bureaus and 46,000 employees on five pillars – trade and investment; innovation; data; environment; and operational excellence – in order to achieve its single mission of helping to create the conditions for economic growth, job creation, and opportunity across the United States. Two specific areas of achievement denoted in the memorandum were strengthening the digital economy and trade enforcement.

Cybersecurity: In an economy increasingly vulnerable to cybersecurity threats, the Department plays a central role in the federal government’s policymaking focused on securing America’s data networks and systems. In 2014, the Department released the Framework for Improving Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity. Created through unprecedented collaboration between private industry and government, the voluntary Framework consists of standards, guidelines, and practices that promote the protection of critical infrastructure networks. The Framework has become the gold standard for cyber-risk management and has gained widespread acceptance.

FTC Announces Internet of Things Challenge to Combat Security Vulnerabilities in Home Devices

The Federal Trade Commission announced that it is challenging the public to create an innovative tool that will help protect consumers from security vulnerabilities in the software of home devices connected to the Internet of Things. The agency is offering a cash prize of up to $25,000 for the best technical solution, with up to $3,000 available for up to three honorable mention winner(s). The FTC is asking IoT Home Inspector Challenge contestants to develop a tool that would address security vulnerabilities caused by out-of-date software in IoT devices. An ideal tool might be a physical device that the consumer can add to his or her home network that would check and install updates for other IoT devices on that home network, or it might be an app or cloud-based service, or a dashboard or other user interface. Contestants also have the option of adding features such as those that would address hard-coded, factory default or easy-to-guess passwords. Submissions will be accepted as early as March 1, 2017 and are due May 22, 2017 at 12:00 p.m. EDT. Winners will be announced on or about July 27, 2017.

FCC Adopts Globalstar Report and Order

Dec 22, the Federal Communications Commission adopted the following item: Terrestrial Use of the 2473-2495 MHz Band for Low-Power Mobile Broadband Networks; Amendments to Rules for the Ancillary Terrestrial Component of Mobile Satellite Service Systems, IB Docket No. 13-213, Report and Order.

Total Call Mobile Pays $30 Million and Receives Permanent Lifeline Ban

The Federal Communications Commission announced that Total Call Mobile will pay $30 million to resolve fraud investigations by the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York into allegations that the company enrolled tens of thousands of duplicate and ineligible consumers into the Lifeline program.

As a condition of the settlement, Total Call admits to engaging in “fraudulent practices” and will permanently lose its authorizations to participate in the Lifeline program anywhere in the country. The $30 million settlement includes a repayment to the Universal Service Fund and a penalty paid to the US Treasury. In addition to the monetary payment, Total Call admits that it violated the Commission’s Lifeline program rules, and agrees to relinquish its FCC and state authorizations to participate in the Lifeline program

Telemarketing Defendants Charged by FTC in Tech Support Scheme Will Pay $10 Million for Consumer Redress

The defendants who operated a Florida-based tech support scheme that the Federal Trade Commission and State of Florida charged deceived thousands of consumers, will pay $10 million for consumer redress to settle the action. According to the complaint, defendant Inbound Call Experts, doing business as Advanced Tech Support along with other defendants, used high-pressure sales pitches to telemarket tech support products and services falsely claiming to find viruses and malware on consumers’ computers. The stipulated final court order prohibits the defendants from misrepresenting that they have identified performance or security issues on consumers’ computers and from making any other misrepresentations while selling a product or service.

NIST's Innovation Accelerator Program Announces $30 million Grant Program to ‘Pull the Future Forward’ for Public Safety

The National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST) Public Safety Communications Research Division (PSCR) has announced a $30 million grant funding opportunity to accelerate research, development, production, and testing of key broadband technologies and capabilities for first responders.

According to the funding opportunity announcement, eligible applicants include institutions of higher education, non-profit organizations, for-profit organizations, state and local governments, Indian tribes, hospitals, foreign public entities, and foreign governments. Applications must be submitted to Grant.gov by February 28, 2017.

Incoming House Commerce Committee Chairman Walden Continues Staff Announcements for Committee

Rep Greg Walden (R-OR), incoming Chairman of the House Commerce Committee, continued staff announcements for the 115th Congress. Chairman Walden announced earlier in Dec that Mike Bloomquist, Karen Christian, Peter Kielty, and Paul Edattel will continue to serve the committee.
Today’s staff announcements include:

Jen Barblan, Chief Counsel, Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations: Barblan will serve as Chief Counsel for the Subcommittee on Oversight & Investigations. She has served as a counsel to the subcommittee since October 2015. Barblan previously spent time as a Senior Counsel at the Committee on Oversight & Government Reform and in private practice.

Paul Edattel, Chief Counsel, Subcommittee on Health: As previously announced, Edattel will continue to serve as Chief Counsel to the Subcommittee on Health. Edattel started with the committee in 2011 and has served as Chief Health Counsel since 2016, after serving Speaker John Boehner as his Health Policy Advisor. Edattel also served as a Legislative Director in the House of Representatives before joining the committee.

David Redl, Chief Counsel, Subcommittee on Communications and Technology: Redl will continue serving as Chief Counsel for the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology. He has served in that role since 2013, previously serving the committee as Counsel from 2011 to 2013. Prior to joining the committee, Redl held several positions in the private sector.

Digital Advertising Company Settles FTC Charges It Deceptively Tracked Consumers Both Online and Through Their Mobile Devices

Turn Inc, a Redwood City (CA) company that enables sellers to target digital advertisements to consumers, has agreed to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that it deceived consumers by tracking them online and through their mobile applications, even after consumers took steps to opt out of such tracking. “Turn tracked millions of consumers online and through mobile apps even if they had taken steps to block or limit tracking,” said Jessica Rich, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “The FTC’s order will ensure the company honors consumers’ privacy choices.”

According to the FTC’s administrative complaint, Turn’s privacy policy represented that consumers could block targeted advertising by using their web browser’s settings to block or limit cookies. In fact, the complaint alleges that Turn used unique identifiers to track millions of Verizon Wireless customers, even after they blocked or deleted cookies from websites. In addition, the agency charged that Turn’s opt-out mechanism only applied to mobile browsers, and did not block tailored ads on mobile applications as the company claimed.

AMC Required to Divest Movie Theatres, Reduce NCM Ownership and Complete Screen Transfers in Order to Complete Acquisition of Carmike Cinemas

The Department of Justice announced that it will require AMC Entertainment Holdings to divest theatres in 15 local markets, sell off most of its holdings and relinquish all of its governance rights in National Cinemedia LLC (NCM), and transfer 24 theatres with a total of 384 screens to the network of Screenvision LLC in order to complete its $1.2 billion acquisition of Carmike Cinemas Inc. The Justice Department’s Antitrust Division filed a civil antitrust lawsuit in the US District Court for the District of Columbia to block the proposed acquisition. At the same time, the department filed a proposed settlement that, if approved by the court, would resolve the competitive harm alleged in the lawsuit. The department said that without the required divestitures and other relief, the merger would result in higher prices and lower quality theatre amenities for moviegoers and weakened competition in the markets for preshow services and theatre advertising, where Screenvision is NCM’s only meaningful rival.

AT&T Unveils AT&T Call Protect to Help Customers Manage Unwanted Calls

Dec 20, AT&T launches AT&T Call Protect. The free network-based service gives eligible AT&T wireless customers with HD Voice more control over unwanted calls on their smartphones. This innovative solution harnesses the power of the AT&T network to give customers automatic fraud blocking and suspected spam call warnings. You can extend this innovative network-based service and get more optional features, including temporary call blocking, by downloading the complementary AT&T Call Protect mobile companion app. Simply add the feature through your myAT&T account or the AT&T Call Protect app and get these benefits:

Automatic fraud blocking which helps reduce the chances that a customer will become the victim of a phone fraud or scam by stopping these types of calls in the network before they even reach the phone.
Suspected spam warnings on the incoming call screen which let customers choose whether or not to answer calls that originate from a suspected spam source. (Must be in HD Voice coverage area).

FTC Announces Agenda for PrivacyCon 2017

The Federal Trade Commission announced the agenda for its second PrivacyCon, a public forum that will continue and expand collaboration among leaders from academia, research, consumer advocacy, and industry on the privacy and security implications of emerging technologies.

PrivacyCon 2017 will take place in Washington (DC) on Jan. 12, 2017 and include opening remarks from FTC Chairwoman Edith Ramirez. The conference will feature 18 presentations of original research on important consumer privacy and security issues and a closing panel moderated by Jessica Rich, Director of the Bureau of Consumer Protection. The event will cover five major topic areas: the Internet of Things (IoT) and big data; mobile privacy; consumer privacy expectations; online behavioral advertising; and information security. During each session, panelists will present their privacy research and then participate in a discussion addressing the broader issues raised by the research.

Digital Economy Board Issues Recommendations to Encourage Economic Growth and Opportunity

US Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker received a series of recommendations from members of the Digital Economy Board of Advisors that identify key actions the US Department of Commerce can take to support the digital economy, encourage growth and increase opportunity. The recommendations, with accompanying reports, were issued by three working groups of the Board of Advisors that focused on areas where the digital economy has fundamentally transformed the economy. The working groups were established by the Board last spring, and their reports cap six months of intense work to offer actionable recommendations to the Department along with areas worthy of further study.

FCC Clears Path For Transition From TTY Technology To Real-Time Text

The Federal Communications Commission amended its rules to allow phone companies to replace support for an outdated form of text telephone communications, known as TTY, with support for real-time text, to provide reliable telephone communications for Americans who are deaf, hard of hearing, deaf-blind, or who have a speech disability.

As the nation’s communications networks migrate to IP-based environments, real-time text technology will allow Americans with disabilities to use the same wireless communications devices as their friends, relatives and colleagues, and more seamlessly integrate into tomorrow’s communications networks. Under FCC rules, phone companies and manufacturers are required to support accessible text communications services, which for years have taken the form of TTY services. Under the new rules, carriers and manufacturers will be allowed to use the more advanced and interoperable real-time text technology to meet this obligation.

USDA Issues Report on Investments to Grow the Rural Economy

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack released the final year-end report of the Obama administration's results creating jobs and investing in rural communities nationwide. The report includes success stories from every state illustrating the many ways USDA helps create jobs, make infrastructure improvements and boost economic development. Some of USDA's accomplishments since 2009 include providing high-speed broadband access to 6 million rural Americans.

FirstNet Outlines Operational Readiness, First 100-Days for Nationwide Public Safety Broadband Network

The First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) outlined its readiness for a public-private partnership to deploy the Nationwide Public Safety Broadband Network (Network), including a plan to ensure progress on key Network components in the first 100 days of the partnership. Meeting Dec 14 in Sacramento (CA), the FirstNet Board and executive team discussed major steps in the evolution of FirstNet as an operational entity. The Board also addressed how FirstNet will meet the objectives for initial deployment of the Network. Specifically, FirstNet leadership focused on the critical work to be completed during the first 100 days on core design and technology roadmaps, the state plans portal, and other network components.

"We are now in implementation mode and stand ready to move forward on this Network for public safety,” said FirstNet Chair Sue Swenson. “The first 100 days will be critical to setting the foundation for success; we are prepared from both an operational and planning standpoint to deliver public safety the network they deserve."

MMTC Welcomes Dr Rikin Thakker as VP of Telecommunications and Spectrum Policy

The Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council (MMTC) is pleased to announce that Dr Rikin Thakker has joined MMTC as Vice President of Telecommunications and Spectrum Policy. Dr Thakker brings to the MMTC team a rich background from work in academia, the private sector, and as an industry leader. In his new role with MMTC, Dr Thakker will use his extensive technical knowledge and expertise to inform MMTC’s policy positions and the impact of telecom policy on minorities and women, and specifically the impact on diverse entrepreneurs and the underserved who are currently facing the digital divide. In addition, Dr. Thakker will serve as the lead content developer for MMTC’s joint Department of Labor contract with the National Urban League (NUL) and the Wireless Infrastructure Association (WIA). Under the contract, the NUL/MMTC/WIA consortium will connect unemployed and underemployed minorities, primarily African Americans, with Registered Apprenticeships in telecommunications infrastructure within seven US regions.

In addition to his work at MMTC, Dr. Thakker is co-founder and senior advisor at RF Academics, where he has designed, managed, and developed content on several telecommunications areas. He is also a faculty member for the Master’s Program in Telecommunication at the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department of University of Maryland, and is an adjunct professor for Engineering Management and Systems Engineering department of George Washington University.

US DOT Advances Deployment Of Connected Vehicle Technology To Prevent Hundreds Of Thousands Of Crashes

Citing an enormous potential to reduce crashes on US roadways, the US Department of Transportation issued a proposed rule that would advance the deployment of connected vehicle technologies throughout the US light vehicle fleet. The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking would enable vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication technology on all new light-duty vehicles, enabling a multitude of new crash-avoidance applications that, once fully deployed, could prevent hundreds of thousands of crashes every year by helping vehicles “talk” to each other. Separately, the Department’s Federal Highway Administration plans to soon issue guidance for Vehicle-to-Infrastructure (V2I) communications, which will help transportation planners integrate the technologies to allow vehicles to “talk” to roadway infrastructure such as traffic lights, stop signs and work zones to improve mobility, reduce congestion and improve safety.

V2V devices would use the dedicated short range communications (DSRC) to transmit data, such as location, direction and speed, to nearby vehicles. That data would be updated and broadcast up to 10 times per second to nearby vehicles, and using that information, V2V-equipped vehicles can identify risks and provide warnings to drivers to avoid imminent crashes. Vehicles that contain automated driving functions—such as automatic emergency braking and adaptive cruise control—could also benefit from the use of V2V data to better avoid or reduce the consequences of crashes.

Effort Underway to Improve Digital Inclusion and Literacy for Tribal and Rural Residents

The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and the PAST Foundation’s National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA-PAST), announced a pilot project that aims to increase digital inclusion in the United States through local digital literacy trainers, called the Digital Inclusion Corps. The pilot project will work with three state library agencies and two museum organizations to deploy Corps members in five tribal and rural communities. The five Corps members will work with local communities to discover their community digital inclusion-related needs. They will then create a digital equity plan to address such issues as affordable home Internet access, public access, low-cost devices and digital literacy training and technology support.

With support from a the project manager, the Corps members will implement the plans, share their experiences online and gather and annotate a collection of digital literacy materials for a publicly available repository at the US Impact Research Group at the University of Washington. Evaluation data will be collected throughout the project period. The pilot is part of a broader effort between IMLS and NDIA-PAST to create more equitable access to online information as well literacy support and training for all residents and communities, particularly those most disadvantaged.

Chairman-elect Walden Names Senior Staff for House Commerce Committee

House Commerce Committee Chairman-elect Greg Walden (R-OR) announced that Mike Bloomquist, Karen Christian, Peter Kielty, and Paul Edattel will continue to serve the committee. All are longtime veterans of Capitol Hill.

Bloomquist will serve as Deputy Staff Director for the Committee. He has served in this position since August 2015. In addition, he previously served as the Committee General Counsel, Deputy General Counsel, as well as General Counsel to the 2011 Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction. Further, Mike has spent time in private practice, at the Committee on Science, and in the Office of the US Department of the Interior. Christian will continue as Committee General Counsel, a position she has held since October 2014. Previously, she served as Chief Counsel for the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee from 2012-2014, and was a member of the O&I staff since 2006. Karen spearheaded the Committee’s oversight of the Healthcare.gov failure and the federal loan guarantee to Solyndra. Her previous experience includes serving as counsel to the Committee on House Administration, a clerkship with a US District judge and time spent in private practice. Kielty will serve as Deputy General Counsel of the Committee. Kielty is a 15-year veteran of the Committee, and has served as Deputy General Counsel since 2012. Peter has advised on the parliamentary and jurisdictional matters before the Committee. Edattel will continue to serve as Chief Counsel to the Subcommittee on Health. Paul started with the Committee in 2011 and has served as Chief Health Counsel since 2016, after serving Speaker John Boehner as his health policy advisor. Paul also served as a Legislative Director in the House of Representatives before joining the Committee.

FTC Issues FY 2016 National Do Not Call Registry Data Book

The Federal Trade Commission issued the National Do Not Call Registry Data Book for Fiscal Year 2016. Consumers can use the National Do Not Call Registry to choose not to receive telemarketing calls. Now in its eighth year of publication, the Data Book contains a wealth of information about the Registry for FY 2016 (from October 1, 2015 to September 30, 2016), including:
The number of active registrations and consumer complaints since the Registry began in 2003
FY 2016 complaint figures by month and type
FY 2016 registration and complaint figures for all 50 states and the District of Columbia, by population
Rankings of the number of Do Not Call registrations, by state population
The number of entities accessing the Registry by fiscal year
An appendix with registration and complaint figures organized by consumer state and area code.
According to the Data Book, at the end of FY 2016, the Do Not Call Registry contained just over 226 million actively registered phone numbers, up from the 223 million at the end of FY 2015. In addition, the number of consumer complaints about unwanted telemarketing calls received increased from just under 3.6 million during FY 2015 to just over 5.3 million during FY 2016.