September 6, 2013 (NSA Foils Much Internet Encryption)
BENTON'S COMMUNICATIONS-RELATED HEADLINES for FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2013
A look ahead at next week’s events http://benton.org/calendar/2013-09-08--P1W/
GOVERNMENT & COMMUNICATIONS
NSA Foils Much Internet Encryption
How to remain secure against NSA surveillance - analysis
Surveillance panel seeks public input
President Obama raises possibility of new legislation to curb NSA powers [links to web]
Patriot Act author says NSA’s bulk data collection is “unbounded in its scope”
Industry Backlash Against Surveillance Jeopardizes Cybersecurity
PRIVACY
Anonymity, Privacy, and Security Online - research
Google argues for right to continue scanning Gmail
With privacy battle brewing, Facebook won't update policy right away
INTERNET/BROADBAND
What The Court Will Decide On Network Neutrality -- Officially - analysis
FCC Map Shows Areas Targeted for 2nd Round of Broadband Expansion - press release
Cisco: E-Rate Should Target 1 Gbps In Schools By 2014
More powerful Verizon Wireless could doom FiOS - editorial
Rural Towns Frustrated By Big Telecom Are Just Building Their Own Internet - analysis [links to web]
Comcast Boosts Speeds for Low-Income Service to 5 Mbps - press release [links to web]
WIRELESS/SPECTRUM
AT&T Wins US Assent for $1.9 Billion Airwaves Buy From Verizon
The FCC’s Incentive Auction: Getting Spectrum Policy Right - research
Why Microsoft Had to Buy a Phone Company - analysis
The verdict on the Microsoft-Nokia deal is as clear as mud - analysis
TELECOM
More People Say Goodbye to Their Landlines
LABOR
Apple Investigating Worker-Abuse Charges at “iPhone C” Supplier
TELEVISION
Retransmission Reform Advocates Pin Hopes On Satellite Bill
FCC’s Rosenworcel: Viewers Should Get Refunds For Long Retransmission Blackouts
CBS and Time Warner win; viewers lose in cable dispute - analysis
Broadcasters score win over Aereo copycat FilmOn X [links to web]
JOURNALISM
NSA Media Coverage Skyrockets In The Wake Of Snowden Leaks [links to web]
A Newspaper in Las Vegas, at Risk of Closing, Divides a Family [links to web]
EDUCATION
Cisco: E-Rate Should Target 1 Gbps In Schools By 2014
NJ schools ask students to bring their own technology [links to web]
Broadband Expanding Possibilities for Students in West Virginia and the Nation - analysis [links to web]
ELECTIONS AND MEDIA
Regulators to weigh bitcoin donations in politics [links to web]
AGENDA
FCC September Meeting Agenda - press release
STORIES FROM ABROAD
After Snowden revelations, China worries about cyberdefense, hackers
Brazil tries to elude NSA with new cables, satellite [links to web]
MORE ONLINE
New York Dismisses Criticism of New 911 System [links to web]
GOVERNMENT & COMMUNICATIONS
NSA FOILS MUCH INTERNET ENCRYPTION
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Nicole Perlroth, Jeff Larson, Scott Shane]
The National Security Agency is winning its long-running secret war on encryption, using supercomputers, technical trickery, court orders and behind-the-scenes persuasion to undermine the major tools protecting the privacy of everyday communications in the Internet age, according to newly disclosed documents. The agency has circumvented or cracked much of the encryption, or digital scrambling, that guards global commerce and banking systems, protects sensitive data like trade secrets and medical records, and automatically secures the e-mails, Web searches, Internet chats and phone calls of Americans and others around the world, the documents show. Many users assume — or have been assured by Internet companies — that their data is safe from prying eyes, including those of the government. The NSA treats its recent successes in deciphering protected information as among its most closely guarded secrets, restricted to those cleared for a highly classified program code-named Bullrun, according to the documents provided by Edward J. Snowden, the former NSA contractor. Beginning in 2000, as encryption tools were gradually blanketing the Web, the NSA invested billions of dollars in a clandestine campaign to preserve its ability to eavesdrop. Having lost a public battle in the 1990s to insert its own “back door” in all encryption, it set out to accomplish the same goal by stealth. The agency, according to the documents and interviews with industry officials, deployed custom-built, superfast computers to break codes, and began collaborating with technology companies in the United States and abroad to build entry points into their products.
benton.org/node/158334 | New York Times | Pro Publica
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HOW TO REMAIN SECURE AGAINST NSA SURVEILLANCE
[SOURCE: The Guardian, AUTHOR: Bruce Schneier]
[Commentary] Now that we have enough details about how the National Security Agency eavesdrops on the Internet, we can finally start to figure out how to protect ourselves. I have five pieces of advice:
Hide in the network. Implement hidden services. Use Tor to anonymize yourself.
Encrypt your communications using TLS and IPsec.
Assume that while your computer can be compromised, it would take work and risk on the part of the NSA – so it probably isn't.
Be suspicious of commercial encryption software, especially from large vendors. Most encryption products from large US companies probably have NSA-friendly back doors, and many foreign ones probably do as well.
Try to use public-domain encryption that has to be compatible with other implementations. And the Linux operating system is safer than Windows.
The NSA’s surveillance capabilities may be powerful, but they're limited by the same economic realities as the rest of us, and our best defense is to make surveillance of us as expensive as possible. Encryption is your friend. Use it well, and do your best to ensure that nothing can compromise it. That's how you can remain secure even in the face of the NSA.
benton.org/node/158333 | Guardian, The
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SURVEILLANCE PANEL SEEKS PUBLIC INPUT
[SOURCE: Politico, AUTHOR: Josh Gerstein]
A new board that President Barack Obama set up to investigate the balance between privacy and security in the era of "big data" is asking the public to weigh in with its thoughts on how those goals can better be achieved. The call for public input issued is vague in its scope, just like the mandate for the newly-created "Review Group on Global Signals Intelligence Collection and Communications Technologies." The announcement warns that comments submitted may be released publicly. However, the statement does not commit to do so.
benton.org/node/158311 | Politico
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PATRIOT ACT AUTHOR SAYS NSA’S BULK DATA COLLECTION IS “UNBOUNDED IN ITS SCOPE”
[SOURCE: ars technica, AUTHOR: Cyrus Farivar]
In one of the most prominent legal challenges to government intelligence gathering since the Edward Snowden disclosures, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has filed a lawsuit against four top Obama Administration officials. The case, known as ACLU v. Clapper, asks a federal judge to declare the entire metadata sharing program unlawful, halt it, and purge all related records. Rep. James Sensenbrenner (R-WI), with representation from the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), filed an amicus brief with the court. He noted that the vast data handover is not at all what Congress intended to happen. And Rep Sensenbrenner should know, too, because he authored the Patriot Act in October 2001 and supported its subsequent reauthorizations. In particular, Section 215 of that law, which expanded government surveillance power of business records, is what the government argues gives it the authority to collect metadata in bulk.
benton.org/node/158308 | Ars Technica | The Hill | WashPost
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INDUSTRY BACKLASH AGAINST SURVEILLANCE JEOPARDIZES CYBERSECURITY
[SOURCE: nextgov, AUTHOR: Aliya Sternstein]
The private sector’s distrust of the National Security Agency following domestic spying revelations could undermine efforts to secure systems running utilities and other vital US industries, former federal civilian and military officials say. NSA, maker of arguably the best encryption tools to protect data, now is attracting more attention for decrypting everyone else’s data, after disclosures by ex-NSA contractor Edward Snowden of massive Internet surveillance. Traditionally, private industry has counted on NSA's cybersecurity expertise for incident response, even though a 2003 presidential directive assigned the Homeland Security Department the primary job of securing key US sectors. Cybersecurity legislation, which had been under negotiation for years, now is on indefinite hold because floor debate would hyperfocus on NSA to the detriment of everything else, most cyber observers say. Many of those critical infrastructure firms might shun any government help, former officials said. Going forward, private cyber forensics firms and nonprofit research institutes could see increased demand.
benton.org/node/158312 | nextgov
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PRIVACY
ANONYMITY, PRIVACY, AND SECURITY ONLINE
[SOURCE: Pew Internet and American Life Project, AUTHOR: Lee Rainie, Sara Kiesler, Ruogu Kang, Mary Madden]
Most Internet users would like to be anonymous online at least occasionally, but many think it is not possible to be completely anonymous online. New findings in a national survey show that
86% of Internet users have taken steps online to remove or mask their digital footprints
55% of internet users have taken steps to avoid observation by specific people, organizations, or the government.
Notable numbers of Internet users say they have experienced problems because others stole their personal information or otherwise took advantage of their visibility online. Still, the majority of Internet users do not believe it is possible to be completely anonymous online. Some 68% of Internet users believe current laws are not good enough in protecting people’s privacy online and 24% believe current laws provide reasonable protections. Most Internet users know that key pieces of personal information about them are available online. And growing numbers of Internet users (50%) say they are worried about the amount of personal information about them that is online—a figure that has jumped from 33% who expressed such worry in 2009. People would like control over their information, saying in many cases it is very important to them that only they or the people they authorize should be given access to such things as the content of their emails, the people to whom they are sending emails, the place where they are when they are online, and the content of the files they download.
benton.org/node/158304 | Pew Internet and American Life Project
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GOOGLE ARGUES FOR RIGHT TO CONTINUE SCANNING GMAIL
[SOURCE: Associated Press, AUTHOR: ]
Google's attorneys say their long-running practice of electronically scanning the contents of people's Gmail accounts to help sell ads is legal, and are asking a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit that seeks to stop the practice. In court records filed in advance of a federal hearing, Google argues that "all users of email must necessarily expect that their emails will be subject to automated processing." The class action lawsuit, filed in May, says Google "unlawfully opens up, reads, and acquires the content of people's private email messages" in violation of California's privacy laws and federal wiretapping statutes. The lawsuit notes that the company even scans messages sent to any of the 425 million active Gmail users from non-Gmail users who never agreed to the company's terms. Google argues that no human ever scans the emails and that the content of e-mails is only scanned for keywords for advertising purposes.
benton.org/node/158331 | Associated Press | Los Angeles Times
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FACEBOOK DELAYS POLICY UPDATE
[SOURCE: Los Angeles Times, AUTHOR: Jessica Guynn]
Facebook will not roll out controversial changes to its policies until next week, the giant social network said. "We are taking the time to ensure that user comments are reviewed and taken into consideration to determine whether further updates are necessary and we expect to finalize the process in the coming week," Facebook said. Facebook has insisted that it is not changing its policies, just clarifying the language in them. Facebook denied it delayed the policy update. But Jeffrey Chester, executive director of the Center for Digital Democracy, said Facebook had to delay the update. "Facebook is being forced to justify its latest grab of user data to DC regulators," Chester said.
benton.org/node/158340 | Los Angeles Times
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INTERNET/BROADBAND
WHAT THE COURT WILL DECIDE ON NETWORK NEUTRALITY -- OFFICIALLY
[SOURCE: Public Knowledge, AUTHOR: Harold Feld]
[Commentary] In theory, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit will focus on two things when it hears Verizon’s challenge of the Federal Communications Commission’s Open Internet Order: 1) Did the FCC have the authority to make the network neutrality rules? 2) Even if the FCC does have the authority, does something else prohibit the FCC from exercising that authority here? I say “in theory” because judges have their own opinions and the DC Circuit is particularly famous for its high level of judicial activism. But judges can’t come out and say “well, even though the FCC has authority to do this, we think it’s a bad rule so too damn bad!” That wins you a quick trip to the Supreme Court, which just last term reminded lower courts that they are supposed to respect the FCC’s authority and defer to its expert judgment. So while policy arguments may lurk in the background, here’s what everyone will actually be talking about in the courtroom: Why the FCC has the authority to make network neutrality rules and other arguments and statutes that stop the FCC from having network neutrality rules. If there is any evidence to support the FCC’s decision, and if the rule even vaguely addresses the problem the FCC wants to solve, the court is supposed to uphold the FCC.
benton.org/node/158306 | Public Knowledge
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FCC MAP IDENTIFIES COMMUNITIES TARGETED FOR BROADBAND EXPANSION
[SOURCE: Federal Communications Commission, AUTHOR: Press release]
The locations of the up to 600,000 homes and businesses nationwide targeted to get broadband access for the first time through the Federal Communications Commission’s Connect America Fund are now available on an interactive map. Broadband expansion in these locations is the result of a second round of funding from Phase I of the Connect America Fund. The map complements other maps created by the FCC’s geospatial team showing nationwide broadband availability, the first round of Connect America Phase I, mobile broadband expansions through the FCC’s $300 million Mobility Fund auction, areas eligible for the Tribal Mobility Fund, and more.
benton.org/node/158317 | Federal Communications Commission | see the map
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CISCO: E-RATE SHOULD TARGET 1 GBPS IN SCHOOLS BY 2014
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
Network infrastructure company Cisco is recommending that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) put more emphasis on network infrastructure when it reforms the E-rate program. "E-rate is the cornerstone of providing digital connection to students," said Renee Patton, director of public sector education for Cisco, but it is at a "crossroads." Cisco suggests the FCC should take the road that leads to greater investment in infrastructure and speed. "In too many schools the promise of connected classrooms is not a reality," she said. Cisco recommended that the FCC should: 1) put more money into the program for the necessary services and equipment, 2) mandate baseline speeds, 3) support investment in "comprehensive, business-grade broadband and network solutions," and 4) eliminate the current priority on funding access service over investing in the network infrastructure used to provide that service. "Schools need more flexibility in shaping their funding requests," said Patton.
benton.org/node/158324 | Broadcasting&Cable | read the Cisco paper
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MORE POWERFUL VERIZON WIRELESS COULD DOOM FIOS
[SOURCE: Fierce, AUTHOR: Jim Barthold]
[Commentary] To my realistic eyes, when Verizon acquired Vodafone's stake in Verizon Wireless, it marked the beginning of the end for FiOS as a competitive wireline tool. Verizon and AT&T are tunnel-focused on wireless and have been for some time. Even as AT&T rolls out its much-vaunted Project VIP, nearly every press release discusses the benefits the investment brings to wireless subscribers and pushes wireline U-verse subs to the back of the broadband bus. Despite the ongoing love affair with all things wireless, wireline has much to recommend it when it comes to video delivery, as anyone who has struggled with a home Wi-Fi network can attest. That's why cable continues to dominate the video entertainment space and why so many rejoiced at the thought that Verizon would bring FiOS to their neighborhoods to compete with cable operators. But the cheers turned to raspberries when Verizon said it would collaborate with cable operators in non-FiOS markets with Verizon Wireless marketing cable and cable operators marketing Verizon Wireless. Still, most consumers have at least one cord stuck to the residence just to get high-speed data. Perhaps a more powerful Verizon Wireless will offer up a 4G wireless "cord" that delivers a competitive high-speed data service. More likely, though, if FiOS goes away, so does any relevant broadband competition.
benton.org/node/158316 | Fierce
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WIRELESS/SPECTRUM
AT&T WINS US ASSENT FOR $1.9 BILLION AIRWAVES BUY FROM VERIZON
[SOURCE: Bloomberg, AUTHOR: Todd Shields]
AT&T won US permission to buy airwaves from Verizon Wireless for $1.9 billion, helping bolster its high-speed data network in areas covering 42 million people. The Federal Communications Commission approved the deal, which brings the second-largest US carrier more airwaves in 18 states, including California, Texas, New York and Florida. As part of the deal Verizon gets airwaves in cities including Los Angeles and Phoenix AT&T.
benton.org/node/158313 | Bloomberg | AT&T release
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THE FCC’S INCENTIVE AUCTION
[SOURCE: Progressive Policy Institute, AUTHOR: David Balto, Hal Singer]
As the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) considers how to allocate the broadcasters’ spectrum in the upcoming “incentive auction,” it should be guided by economic principles designed to maximize social benefits. To date, the spectrum policy debate largely has been driven by considerations of the private benefits of carriers. Assuming generously that promoting wireless competition is the proper objective—as opposed to promoting broadband competition in general—the FCC should determine whether smaller carriers would be impaired in their ability to compete effectively against the likes of AT&T and Verizon in the absence of “low-frequency spectrum” (defined as frequencies generally below 1 GHz). Clearly, smaller carriers would benefit from obtaining low-frequency spectrum at discounted prices, but that private benefit is not a sufficient basis for regulatory intervention. It would be a mistake to permit the narrow, self-interests of smaller carriers to dictate spectrum policy that has nationwide implications in broader product markets. For these reasons, we conclude that the FCC should not prevent current owners of low-frequency spectrum from competing in the upcoming incentive auction.
benton.org/node/158327 | Progressive Policy Institute
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WHY MICROSOFT HAD TO BUY A PHONE COMPANY
[SOURCE: New Yorker, AUTHOR: Matt Buchanan]
[Commentary] Microsoft wants to sell you a phone, a tablet, and a TV box that are not only running Microsoft software and connected to Microsoft services but that are designed and manufactured by Microsoft as well. This is because, perhaps, it has no choice. Microsoft has seen, again and again and again, what happens when it doesn’t build its own hardware for consumers, or know exactly what it’s doing when it does. While buying Nokia’s phone business, and truly becoming a different kind of company than it has been for most of its nearly forty-year history, could be a mistake that ultimately proves fatal to Microsoft as we know it, continuing to rely on other companies to determine its fate in a post-PC world seems like it would be the most fatal mistake of all.
benton.org/node/158338 | New Yorker
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CLEAR AS MUD
[SOURCE: InfoWorld, AUTHOR: Caroline Craig]
Commentary] Industry pundits have panned Microsoft’s purchase of Nokia. The general feeling is that Microsoft had to do something to gain traction in the mobile market. Nokia was either going to switch to Android or was on the verge of going bankrupt and, had Nokia abandoned Windows Phone, then Windows Phone would be dead. Therein lies the tragedy, many pundits believe. The fundamental flaw in Microsoft's mobile strategy, they say, is Microsoft's operating system. Rather than trying to keep Windows Phone on life support, Microsoft should instead abandon its mobile OS. "Microsoft's strategy pays no respects to a very stark reality: Very few people currently love Windows Phone, and doubling down on the platform via a Nokia acquisition may be throwing good money after bad," PC World writes.
benton.org/node/158337 | InfoWorld
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TELECOM
NEW CENSUS NUMBERS
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Jeffrey Sparshott]
More than a quarter of U.S. households have ditched landline phones, a trend driven by younger Americans relying on their cellphones, according to Census Bureau data. Just 71% of households had landlines in 2011, down from a little more than 96% 15 years ago. Cellphone ownership reached 89%, up from about 36% in 1998, the first year the survey asked about the devices. The youngest households are abandoning landlines in droves. About two-thirds of households led by people ages 15 to 29 relied only on cellphones in 2011, compared with 28% for the broader population. Stéphane Téral, principal analyst with consulting firm Infonetics Research, said the decline in landline usage accelerated with the economic downturn, which squeezed budgets, and the advent of the iPhone, which lured many consumers into the mobile market. The youngest US homeowners and renters are more likely to own a computer than a clothes washer. About 73% of households led by people ages 15 to 29 had a washing machine in their homes, well below the national average of 85%. But 81% of the same young demographic owned a computer, a bit more than the national average of 78%. In 1992, computer ownership for all households stood at 21%.
benton.org/node/158341 | Wall Street Journal
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LABOR
APPLE INVESTIGATING WORKER-ABUSE CHARGES AT “IPHONE C” SUPPLIER
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: John Paczkowski]
Apple hasn’t even launched the less-expensive iPhone it’s rumored to have in the pipeline, but already a company involved in its manufacture stands accused of labor violations. China Labor Watch decried Apple supplier Jabil Circuit for a broad range of ethical and legal labor violations at its factory in Wuxi, China: Hiring discrimination, overcrowding, poor training, mandatory overtime — three times in excess of legal limits — and the withholding of overtime pay. Together, they constitute what the watchdog organization describes as a systemic pattern of violation, one that “runs counter to Apple’s Code of Conduct and their self-reporting of conditions at these facilities.” Apple has dispatched a team to the Jabil facility to investigate the group’s claims.
benton.org/node/158326 | Wall Street Journal
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TELEVISION
RETRANSMISSION REFORM ADVOCATES PIN HOPES ON SATELLITE BILL
[SOURCE: AdWeek, AUTHOR: Katy Bachman]
Retransmission reform advocates think they've got an opening to convince Congress it's time to change the law that leads to blackouts like the one between CBS and Time Warner Cable that left more than 3 million Time Warner Cable subscribers outside the CBS dome. Their big hope? Getting retransmission consent reform language attached to the reauthorization of the Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act (STELA). A 25-year-old law, STELA allows satellite TV companies like Dish and DirecTV to retransmit in a local market a network TV signal from outside the subscribers' market if a local signal isn't available. Because it deals with carriage of local signals, retransmission reform advocates see the STELA debate as a perfect bill to attach retransmission reform. Without STELA, it could be a lot harder to build support in Congress. Retransmission reform advocates will get a good shot at making their case stronger during two House subcommittee hearings called to address the issues around STELA. But despite the opportunity to testify, it could be an uphill battle for retransmission reform advocates, banking on the few supporters like Sens John McCain (R-AZ) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), who have co-sponsored an á la carte bill which is going nowhere, and on the House side, Rep Steve Scalise (R-LA), who has yet to find a co-sponsor to re-introduce a bill that would eliminate all media ownership rules.
benton.org/node/158325 | AdWeek
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ROSENWORCEL: VIEWERS SHOULD GET REFUNDS FOR LONG RETRANSMISSION BLACKOUTS
[SOURCE: Multichannel News, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
Federal Communications Commission member Jessica Rosenworcel suggests that viewers who lose channels due to extended retransmission blackouts should get refunds, and that the FCC should use its authority to require good faith negotiations to do something about those extended blackouts. Referencing the recent CBS blackout on Time Warner Cable systems Commissioner Rosenworcel said, “That's not a good thing by any measure. We shouldn't want that to happen for extended periods of time. I think the consumers, honestly, are deserved a refund if that happens for a long period of time, and I think that if it happens for an extended period of time, the FCC should look at its good faith authority under the Communications Act and help do something about it." She did not specify what that might be. The FCC has authority to mandate good faith bargaining, but according to FCC lawyers' reading of that authority, it requires one of the parties to file a formal complaint alleging breach of good faith. Neither CBS nor TWC filed such a complaint, for example. Commissioner Rosenworcel suggested that rather than happening more frequently, the impasses were getting more attention because they were getting more heated and complicated in part because of the introduction of online rights to the equation. CBS chief Les Moonves has said those online rights were a key issue -- and sticking point -- in the negotiations.
benton.org/node/158323 | Multichannel News
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VIEWERS LOSE IN RETRANSMISSION DISPUTE
[SOURCE: Los Angeles Times, AUTHOR: David Lazarus]
[Commentary] So here's the final score: Time Warner Cable got some but not all of what it wanted. CBS got pretty much everything that it wanted. And after a month of being denied access to CBS, Showtime and other popular channels, Time Warner subscribers got the certainty of even costlier monthly bills and the assurance that money-grubbing squabbles among multibillion-dollar media giants will continue. Why aren't our elected officials hopping mad about these ongoing industry food fights and racing to pass legislation aimed at finally giving consumers a break from the endless cycle of rising pay-TV bills? "We need regulators who are willing to stop powerful special interests, whether broadcasters or cable firms, that use consumers as pawns in their spats," said Ed Mierzwinski, consumer program director for the U.S. Public Interest Research Group. "In the long run, we need better rules, including a la carte pricing, to help change the video marketplace," he said. Critics of a la carte say it would cause the average cost of channels to skyrocket and would curtail programming diversity because smaller niche channels would no longer survive. I don't buy those arguments. If the monthly cost of ESPN were to soar to $30, as some have predicted, subscribers would fall away in droves until either the channel came up with a more realistic business model or someone else managed to offer sports at a more reasonable price. That would no doubt involve sports teams and universities no longer soaking fans with ridiculously expensive licensing agreements.
benton.org/node/158339 | Los Angeles Times
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AGENDA
FCC SEPTEMBER MEETING AGENDA
[SOURCE: Federal Communications Commission, AUTHOR: press release]
Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Clyburn announced that the following items will be on the tentative agenda for the next open meeting scheduled for Thursday, September 26, 2013:
Amendment of the Commission's Rules on Antenna Structure Registration and Environmental Processing: The Commission will consider a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to accelerate deployment of wireless infrastructure while at the same time appropriately protecting the Nation's environmental resources.
Amendment of the Commission's National Television Multiple Ownership Rule: The Commission will consider a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking regarding the UHF discount to its national television multiple ownership rule.
Bloomberg L.P. v. Comcast Cable Communications, LLC: The Commission will consider a Memorandum Opinion and Order to resolve a complaint by Bloomberg L.P. that Comcast Cable Communications, LLC violated the news neighborhooding condition of the Comcast/NBCU transaction.
Status of the Low Power FM Open Filing Window: The Media Bureau will present the latest update on progress towards the upcoming October 15 - October 29, 2013 open filing window for applicants seeking to operate new Low Power FM radio stations.
benton.org/node/158342 | Federal Communications Commission
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STORIES FROM ABROAD
AFTER SNOWDEN REVELATIONS, CHINA WORRIES ABOUT CYBERDEFENSE, HACKERS
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: William Wan]
When it comes to cyberattacks, China is often seen in the West as a fierce aggressor — the ultimate hacking threat to American government and businesses. In China, however, Internet users are increasingly preoccupied with their own vulnerability. Cybersecurity, in many ways, is a more widespread problem here than in the United States, industry experts say. Holes in China’s systems are more numerous and its public less protected. Worry about those vulnerabilities has surged in the wake of disclosures by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden about US operations to hack into Chinese Internet traffic hubs and cellphone companies. The latest revelations showed that China was among the top targets of cyber operations carried out by US intelligence services in 2011. But the threat to Chinese computers comes not simply from foreign agents, technology experts say. Increasingly, officials and business leaders are also worrying about the widespread damage caused by China’s own hackers.
benton.org/node/158309 | Washington Post
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