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October 2015

Chairman Wheeler Backs Off On Exclusivity Rules

Bowing to the will of federal lawmakers, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler has put a controversial proposal to eliminate the network non-duplication and syndicated exclusivity rules on indefinite hold, apparently. At deadline, Chairman Wheeler had no comment on the turnabout. But the FCC source said the move responded to congressional requests to work together with the agency on the issue.

Chairman Wheeler’s proposal to eliminate the regulations, which he originally circulated for a private vote at the agency in August, now appeared to be in danger of completely derailing. The net nonduplication and syndicated exclusivity rules make it easier for broadcast TV networks and stations to protect the exclusivity of programming in local TV markets. The regulations have the staunch support of the National Association of Broadcasters, but are opposed by many cable operators.

Pentagon Creates Cybersecurity Exchange Program With Industry

The Defense Department is sending career personnel on tours with private cybersecurity companies and bringing in specialists from those companies to gain the skills necessary to defend military networks from hackers, the Pentagon’s chief information officer said. "There’s not a time when I’m not being attacked somewhere in the world," Terry Halvorsen said. "We’re looking to industry to help us solve some specific areas." The department, for example, brought in a specialist in computer server routing technology from Cisco, Halvorsen said.

Title II kills investment? Comcast and other ISPs are now spending more

[Commentary] Network neutrality rules and Title II common carrier regulation were supposed to derail investment in the broadband industry. The Federal Communications Commission's new rules took effect in June despite the protest of Internet service providers and Republicans in Congress, who are still fighting the new regime in courts of law and public opinion. But in the quarter ending September 30, a three-month period that occurred entirely after the FCC's rules took effect, Comcast's latest earnings report says that its "capital expenditures increased 11.0 percent to $2.2 billion" over the same period in 2014.

Comcast said its "capital expenditures increased 12.8 percent to $5.9 billion compared to the prior year." The Q3 increases are primarily due to "increased spending on customer premise equipment related to the deployment of the X1 platform and wireless gateways and our ongoing investment to expand business services," Comcast said. Comcast is also dramatically upgrading Internet speeds with a new 2Gbps fiber service and gigabit cable service.

Facebook to Bring the Next Billion People Online (And Help Marketers Reach Them, Too)

In August, Facebook announced that for the first time, a billion people had used the service in one day. It was a landmark moment. But in a way, it was also a sign that the company was reaching the end of the phase of its history that was mostly about signing up people in developed economies and getting them to spend time on the service. If Facebook is going to continue growing, it needs to cater to the next billion consumers -- the ones in emerging nations where you can't assume that people have PCs, high-end smartphones, or speedy Internet connections.

At an event on Oct 29 at its headquarters in Menlo Park (CA), the company provided an update on its efforts to make Facebook inviting to people in new markets, as well as to help marketers reach those users. The event covered the company's efforts to let advertisers reach consumers in emerging markets, something that it says these new Facebook users are eager to have happen. "There's this really fascinating connection that people want to have with businesses and brands," said Kelly MacLean, who's responsible for this effort as Facebook's product marketing lead for emerging markets.

This has not been a proud week for the political media

[Commentary] There have been, shall we say, some complaints about the media. Even before Sen Ted Cruz's (R-TX) debate-stage takedown of what he regarded as the sorry state of interrogatory affairs at Oct 28's CNBC debate, there was some evidence of trouble. And it was not limited to CNBC and its team of debate moderators. What The Fix can say, with all the respect in the world for the hard work of journalism, is that this week simply did not offer a lot of shining examples of political journalism as a form of public service, helping to strengthen democracy.

Introducing NTIA Data Central

November 2014 marked the 20th anniversary of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s Computer and Internet Use Supplement to the Current Population Survey (CPS). This important data collection has documented profound technological transformations in American life, from the explosion of Internet use to the proliferation of mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets.

NTIA has revamped everything from the questions we ask to the ways in which we report results so that the CPS Supplement continues to be a relevant and valuable resource. This revamp includes our new NTIA Data Central, an easy-to-use source for locating statistics and charting trends. The CPS Supplement has been a vital resource for policymakers since its inception. We want to make those data even more valuable to researchers and policy makers through NTIA Data Central.We are evolving NTIA’s Digital Nation series into a blog format to more quickly and nimbly provide data and expert analysis on the state of computer and Internet use in America.

Court says it’s legal for NSA to spy on you because Congress says it’s OK

In May, a federal appeals court declared the National Security Agency's bulk telephone metadata collection program illegal because it wasn't authorized under the Patriot Act, as the Obama Administration and its predecessor administration had maintained. Then, in June, Congress semi-dismantled the program with the passage of the USA Freedom Act, which President Obama signed on June 2. As part of the new act, Congress authorized a spying transition period of sorts where the old tactics could continue until new laws were in place. But on Oct 29, the same federal appeals court that originally declared it "illegal" now said the original NSA program could continue, beating back a challenge from the American Civil Liberties Union that questioned both the transition period and the constitutionality of NSA surveillance overall.

So how could something so seemingly unconstitutional continue? Congress said it could, that's how. With the passage of the USA Freedom Act, Congress extended the program that former NSA contractor Edward Snowden exposed for another six months to allow for an orderly transition to the new snooping program. And now the courts essentially maintain that the original surveillance is legal because Congress says it's legal.

Privacy advocates push feds on spying data

Dozens of privacy and civil liberties organizations pressed the Obama Administration on the scope of its surveillance powers on Oct 29, refocusing their efforts ahead of a new protracted legislative battle. The underlying law -- Section 702 of the 2008 update to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act -- isn’t scheduled to come up for renewal until the end of 2017. But civil libertarians are already laying the groundwork for reform now, following a mixed record in 2015.

“It may seem early but it’s not,” said Elizabeth Goitein, a co-director of the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law and organizer of a letter sent Oct 28. “The government has perpetuated a myth that Section 702 is narrowly targeted at foreign threats,” she added. “And we know that’s not the case, but we need the data in order to effectively rebut the myth.” “USA Freedom was two years in the making, and we are now two years out from the 702 reauthorization,” Goitein said.

How CNBC actually messed up Oct 28’s GOP debate

[Commentary] Oct 28’s Republican presidential debate became as much about the journalists who moderated it as it was about candidates who answered -- or batted away -- their questions. The moderators, their questions and their lack of control over a fractious field of candidates jostling for air time became a central part of the debate’s narrative. And the shower of criticism that followed illustrated how powerfully anti-media rhetoric can resonate with the Republican base.

The debate’s host, cable network CNBC, gave them plenty of material. Moderators John Harwood, Becky Quick and Carl Quintanilla were under fire starting Oct 28 and stretching well into the next day for their stewardship of the two-hour debate. They repeatedly clashed with the candidates while asking questions. On several occasions they seemed to lack the confidence to challenge false assertions. They asked some small-bore questions. And they regularly interrupted the candidates or talked over them in a way that seemed to rob them of control and contributed to a free-for-all atmosphere.

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