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June 2016

Public Knowledge Defends Consumer Privacy in Set-top Box Data Complaint to FCC, FTC

Public Knowledge, along with Center for Digital Democracy, Consumer Watchdog, Consumer Action, TURN - The Utility Reform Network, and Consumer Federation of America, filed a complaint with the Federal Communications Commission asking the agency to enforce the privacy laws and take action against Comcast, AT&T, and Cablevision. The groups also filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission alleging that the pervasive use of consumer data without opt-in consent amounts to an unfair and deceptive practice. (These two agencies work closely together on enforcement of consumer protection rules, and have shared jurisdiction over cable companies.)

The complaints outline a few of the common data practices employed by cable operators. Dallas Harris, Policy Fellow at Public Knowledge, said, "The cable industry has tried to play the FTC and the FCC against one another on privacy. As this filing shows, the more privacy cops on the beat, the better protected consumers will be. The FCC should ensure that cable operators get permission from customers before using their private data, and the FTC should ensure cable operators provide their customers with accurate information about how much information cable companies collect, and how they use it.”

FCC Gets Hill Push for Set-Top Plan

In the face of some major pushback on the Federal Communications Commission's set-top proposal, Sens Ed Markey (D-MA) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Rep Anna Eshoo (D-CA), all big backers of the FCC's set-top proposal, gathered for a press conference to call for "unlocking" the set-top market. They were joined by other fans of the proposal, including BET founder Bob Johnson; INCOMPAS CEO Chip Pickering (set-top proposal fan Google is a member); Joe Weber, CTO, service provider business unit, TiVo; DeShuna Spencer, CEO, kweliTV; and Corri Freedman, political director, Writers Guild of America West.

Sens Markey and Blumenthal have long pushed for a competitive set-top market. In fact, Sen Markey was author of the section (629) in the 1996 Telecommunications Act that called on the FCC to insure a competitive set-top marketplace. Rep Eshoo was the lead signatory on a letter from Democratic lawmakers backing the proposal. RepEshoo said they were there to "set the record straight." But they seemed there mostly to reiterate their support and push the FCC to take action ASAP and not be swayed to wait until some Congressionally-mandated studies on the impact of the proposal or any other calls to hit "pause." "I want to make sure this [set-top proposal] gets on the books," said Sen Markey. Sen Blumenthal suggested the FCC needed to muster the courage of their convictions and act sooner rather than later. "Time is passing, consumers are paying, the FCC must act now," he said.

A Rethink is Needed on the FCC’s Proposed Broadband Privacy Rules

When Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler proposed new rules for broadband privacy, he promised to “listen and learn from the public and [Internet service providers] before we adopt final, enforceable, rules of the road.” Well, the public’s verdict on Chairman Wheeler’s plan to abandon the Federal Trade Commission’s well-tested and effective approach to online privacy and replace it with heightened and inconsistent rules for broadband providers alone is now in – and the result is clear. An overwhelming majority of the expert comments filed to date have urged the FCC to change course.

The record makes clear that the best course is for the FCC to abandon its flawed approach and harmonize privacy regulation for broadband providers with the well-established and effective approach implemented and consistently endorsed by the FTC and the Obama Administration for many years and that has both protected consumers’ privacy and fostered unprecedented innovation, investment, and broadband adoption. This is the core of the Consensus Privacy Framework first submitted by a wide range of industry participants to Chairman Wheeler in March, which is a more efficient, pro-consumer and pro-innovation alternative. Chairman Wheeler promised to review the record and listen to the public. If he is to keep that promise, the FCC must change course.

Technology Counts 2016

explores the complexity of creating meaningful technological change in American classrooms, drawing on the results of an exclusive survey of K-12 educators on their use of technology. The survey found that teachers are eager to adopt new technologies but often face systemic obstacles in using digital tools to transform their instruction.

The stories featured in delve into this dynamic, examining both the challenges of effectively implementing classroom technology and creative personal initiatives and partnerships aimed at surmounting them. At the heart of the report are educators' own experiences and stories. The report features Education Week's first-ever Tech Confidence Index, which captures teachers' attitudes about the promise technology holds for K-12 schools, now and in the future.

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