Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross has reappointed Edward Horowitz to the FirstNet Board and named him Chair of the Board for a two-year term. There are six seats to fill on the FirstNet Board. To ensure continuity and a quorum for the Board, three members whose terms expired last month – Neil E. Cox, Kevin McGinnis and Annise D. Parker – have agreed to extend their terms. Additional announcements on the Board’s open seats will be forthcoming.
The FCC's Intergovernmental Advisory Committee is composed of state, local and Tribal officials. The IAC provides guidance, expertise, and recommendations to specific requests from the FCC on a range of issues affecting local, state, and Tribal governments that are within the jurisdiction of the FCC.
Washington does not treat 911 operators with the respect they deserve. The Office of Management and Budget is responsible for a program known as the Standard Occupational Classification, which is an occupational data set that is widely used by state and federal authorities. It classifies 911 operators as “clerical workers.” This is outdated—and it needs to be fixed. 911 operators are first responders. When the unthinkable occurs, they are our first contact with public safety.
For years tech companies have been getting free content moderation from journalists who have often been the ones unearthing illegal or problematic behaviour on huge platforms, with social networks only dealing with issues once they know that there’s an impending news article coming. At a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing, Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey noted the role that journalists play in counteracting disinformation that spreads and is incentivized on his platform.
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