May 2020

Twitter, Facebook Win Appeal in Anticonservative-Bias Suit

The US Court of Appeals in Washington rejected claims that social media giants conspired to suppress conservative views online. The court affirmed the dismissal of a lawsuit by the nonprofit group Freedom Watch and the right-wing YouTube personality Laura Loomer, who accused the companies of violating antitrust laws and the First Amendment. The organization didn’t provide enough evidence of an antitrust violation, and the companies aren’t state entities that can violate free speech rights, a three-judge panel held in a decision only four pages long.

Big Tech thought the pandemic wouldn’t be political. Think again. (Vox)

Submitted by benton on Wed, 05/27/2020 - 14:47

Senator Markey is on the Right Track to Connect Everyone

Senator Ed Markey (D-MA) introduced a bill with real potential to mitigate the digital divide. Most proposals simply call for more money for existing programs or for new programs without evidence they will help. Real-world experience, however, has demonstrated how little we truly understand about why many low-income people do not subscribe. The Markey bill tackles this underlying issue.

Senator Hawley Demands Google Explain Continued Censorship of Criticism of Chinese Communist Party (US Senate)

Submitted by Robbie McBeath on Wed, 05/27/2020 - 14:43

Analysis: The Trump administration may be turning a corner in its war with Huawei (Washington Post)

Submitted by Robbie McBeath on Wed, 05/27/2020 - 14:42

Alaska telecom finishes state’s first overland fiber-optic link to the Lower 48

A subsidiary of Matanuska Telephone Association has finished construction of the first overland fiber-optic cable connecting Alaska to not-Alaska. Having the cable means Alaska is no longer solely dependent upon a series of subsea cables for high-speed Internet and telephone service. Alaska’s subsea cables are vulnerable to earthquakes, and an overland connection offers a “geographically divers