July 2019

Facebook vs the feds: The tech giant will have to pay a record fine for violating users’ privacy. But the FTC wanted more.

The package of penalties for Facebook’s past privacy scandals includes a record-breaking $5 billion fine and unprecedented government oversight of its business practices. But a review of the 16-month investigation — described by 10 people familiar with the matter — shows that the Federal Trade Commission stopped short of some even tougher punishments it initially had in mind. Those included fining Facebook not just $5 billion, but tens of billions of dollars, and imposing more direct liability for the company’s chief executive, Mark Zuckerberg.

Mayor Pete Buttigieg sat for an interview with a popular country radio host. But now it won’t air.

South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg sat down to talk with a popular country music radio host in an attempt to reach voters outside the “traditional political media bubble,” according to his campaign — so why did his interview never air? Cumulus Media, parent company for the “Blair Garner Show,” cited the Federal Communications Commission “equal time rule” as rationale for the decision to withhold the interview.

Sponsor 

Schools Health & Libraries Broadband Coalition

Date 
Wed, 07/31/2019 - 18:00

We've all heard this popular refrain by now: the FCC's broadband mapping data is horribly inaccurate. How can we end the digital divide without knowing where it actually exists? The FCC promises to address its mapping issues with an Order in August, and Congress is considering various proposals on its own. Yet many experts aren't waiting for the perfect legislation, and are tackling the discrepancies head-on with their own mapping projects. These efforts are the focus of SHLB's next webinar, which will explore the latest and greatest developments in broadband mapping.