August 2016

Should your online privacy depend on whether you've paid your Internet provider a little extra this month? That's one of the key policy questions concerning the future of the Web. And the nation's top telecom and broadband regulator, Tom Wheeler, signaled that he's not a fan of the idea.

Talking to reporters, the head of the Federal Communications Commission implied that the Internet risks becoming divided into privacy haves and have-nots, if companies such as AT&T and Comcast can dangle discounts in front of consumers in exchange for slurping up their search and browsing histories for advertising purposes. "I would hope that privacy doesn't become a luxury item," Chairman Wheeler said. The FCC is waist-deep in crafting a set of privacy regulations for Internet service providers (ISPs). Some, such as Comcast, have met with the FCC to ask that it not restrict the ability of ISPs to tinker with a discount-for-data business model. "Low-income consumers have less disposable income with which to pay for privacy-protective plans, and therefore are much more likely to give up their privacy in exchange for access to the Internet," wrote Eric Null, a policy lawyer at the New America Foundation's Open Technology Institute. "Low-income consumers should not have to decide between internet access and privacy, but pay-for-privacy forces that decision upon them."

Election 2016 isn't all about the White House so Politico is rolling out a series on congressional contests in which prominent techies are facing stiff competition. First up is Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA).

An entrepreneur by trade who chairs the House subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property and the Internet, Rep Issa is getting an unexpectedly strong challenge from Doug Applegate (D-CA), an attorney and former US Marine who took 45 percent of the vote in a top-two-advance primary on June 7, while Rep Issa captured 51 percent. The incumbent has held the seat, covering parts of San Diego and Orange counties, since 2001, and proven to be a stalwart Republican presence in a state where Democrats dominate. During his time in Congress, Rep Issa has become known for his tech-savvy background and support for innovation, notably defending internet platforms during the SOPA fight in 2012 and backing Apple in its clash over backdoor encryption. Rep Issa has also proposed legislation to update H1-B visa policies, promote open data in government, and protect intellectual property. Because of his tech-friendly efforts, he's been lauded by industry groups like the Internet Association and CTA (Issa was once Chairman of the Board, back when the organization was still called CEA).

Rep Issa also has made a name for himself -- not always in a positive way -- for his aggressive, partisan chairmanship of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, where he garnered national headlines for going after the Obama Administration over issues ranging from the Benghazi attack to the "Fast and Furious" botched gun operation. But he never won a slam-dunk victory in any of his partisan crusades and eventually drew criticism even from within his own party. His successor at the helm of House Oversight, Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah), needled Rep Issa for a look-at-me leadership style that emphasized "big press releases" over hard-hitting reports. "Darrell Issa didn't do many reports," Chairman Chaffetz said in Dec 2014 , noting that his style would be different: "It's not the 'Jason Chaffetz Show.'"

Donald Trump's long shadow may not be a safe place for a Republican to reside in a blue state this fall. Rep Issa has previously called the candidate an "obvious choice" for President.