1. Monthly archive
  2. November 2019

November 2019

Senate Democratic privacy principles: Endgame or game over for a bipartisan bill?

The week of Nov 18, Senate Democratic leaders released a set of privacy principles that help to frame the debate on federal privacy legislation. The substance of the principles is at high-level of generality but stakes some notable ground in the privacy debate:

  • An emphasis on addressing how companies collect, use, and share personal data
  • A shoutout for civil rights
  • Strong enforcement at several levels
  • A private right of action without federal preemption

The Not So Good, Very Bad and Really Weird Merger of T-Mobile and Sprint

For those of you unfamiliar with the merger, 17 months ago, in April 2018, T-Mobile and Sprint announced that they would merge in a deal valued at around $26 billion dollars and sought permission from the Justice Department to do so.

How a Facebook Employee Helped Trump Win—But Switched Sides for 2020

After the 2016 presidential election, Republican Party officials credited Facebook with helping Donald Trump win the White House. One senior official singled out a then-28-year-old Facebook employee embedded with the Trump campaign, calling him an “MVP.” Now that key player is working for the other side—as national debate intensifies over Facebook’s role in politics.

5G is going to save journalism! Maybe! (Don’t hold your breath)

On Nov 20, AT&T announced a partnership with the Washington Post to weave 5G technology into the paper’s reporting operations. "Teams at both companies will experiment with new formats and see what immersive journalism can do better as the world is increasingly connected to 5G," AT&T said.  “The Post plans to experiment with reporters using millimeter wave 5G+ technology to transmit their stories, photos and videos faster and more reliably," the newspaper said.

© 1994-2026 Benton Institute for Broadband & Society. All Rights Reserved.