Daily Digest 11/7/2019 (Ray Jenkins)

Benton Institute for Broadband & Society
Table of Contents

Broadband/Internet

Internet freedom declines in US for third consecutive year  |  Read below  |  Marie Baca  |  Washington Post, Freedom House
The Broadband Imperative III: Driving Connectivity, Access and Student Success  |  Read below  |  Christine Fox, Rachel Jones  |  Analysis  |  State Educational Technology Directors Association
Overbuilding Broadband Networks With Public Funds Harms Consumers  |  Read below  |  Randolph May  |  Analysis  |  Free State Foundation
Envisioning the Future with Jon Sallet from the Benton Institute for Broadband and Society - Community Broadband Bits Podcast 38  |  Institute for Local Self-Reliance
USDA Invests $23.7 Million in Rural Broadband for North Carolina Families  |  Read below  |  Press Release  |  US Department of Agriculture
USDA Invests $4.2 Million in Rural Broadband for Oklahoma Families  |  Read below  |  Press Release  |  US Department of Agriculture
Episode 4, "From Crops to Co-ops" Animated Video Series, When the Lobbyist Came to Town  |  Institute for Local Self-Reliance
Altice USA Says Fiber-to-the-Home Network Now Reaching 500K Homes  |  Multichannel News

Platforms

Facebook leveraged user data to fight rivals and help friends  |  Read below  |  Olivia Solon, Cyrus Farivar  |  NBC
Facebook reveals new privacy mishap involving apps for groups  |  Read below  |  Tony Romm  |  Washington Post
California AG reveals Facebook probe, says company has been dragging its feet  |  Read below  |  Annie Palmer  |  CNBC
False attacks and misinformation on Facebook could bring 'a Titanic-sized disaster' in 2020  |  Politico
Facebook's Zuckerberg holds line on political ads, but microtargeting could change  |  NBC
Former Twitter Employees Charged With Spying for Saudi Arabia  |  New York Times
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says Twitter's ban on political ads will 'degrade democracy'  |  Hill, The
Google Weighs Changes to Political Ad Policy  |  Wall Street Journal
Sandra Bullock and Ellen DeGeneres Sue Pop-Up Websites Over Misleading Ads  |  New York Times

Ownership

Facebook Feared WhatsApp Threat Ahead of 2014 Purchase, Documents Show  |  Wall Street Journal
Analysis: Combatting Consolidation With Antitrust Enforcement, Not More Consolidation  |  Public Knowledge

Privacy

I Got Access to My Secret Consumer Score. Now You Can Get Yours, Too.  |  New York Times
David Lazarus: Shadowy data brokers make the most of their invisibility cloak  |  Los Angeles Times

Security

In a letter to Chairman Pai, Sen Wyden urges mandatory cybersecurity requirements for 5G networks of all wireless carriers  |  Read below  |  Sen Ron Wyden (D-OR)  |  Press Release  |  US Senate
Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Big Tech, Data, and China: Sen Hawley Rakes TikTok, Apple Over Cybersecurity Coals  |  Multichannel News
Senate Judiciary Committee members press NSA official over shuttered phone surveillance program  |  Hill, The

Elections

Stone Trial Links President Trump More Closely to 2016 Effort to Obtain Stolen Emails  |  New York Times
Analysis: Officials just had their last chance to road test elections before 2020  |  Washington Post
In 2020, Some Americans Will Vote On Their Phones. Is That The Future?  |  National Public Radio

Television

Senator Wicker Introduces STELAR Renewal  |  Read below  |  John Eggerton  |  Multichannel News
AT&T Statement on Senator Wicker Bill to Renew STELAR  |  AT&T

Labor

How the Google walkout transformed tech workers into activists  |  Los Angeles Times

Census

The Sum of All 2020 Census Fears  |  Read below  |  Kriston Capps  |  CityLab

Government & Communications

Federal Lawmakers Push '.Gov' Web Addresses For Local Governments  |  Route Fifty

Telecom

Despite Federal Efforts, 5.5 Billion Robocalls Targeted Americans in October  |  nextgov
AT&T makes customers work to get refunds they should get automatically  |  Ars Technica

Climate

Verizon pitches 5G as climate champion  |  Mobile World Live

Emergency Communications

FirstNet adopted by more than 9,800 agencies, supporting almost 900,000 connections, AT&T says  |  Urgent Communications

Policymakers

FCC Commissioner Starks Announces Austin Bonner as New Legal Advisor  |  Federal Communications Commission

Stories From Abroad

Virgin Media to ditch BT mobile network for Vodafone  |  Financial Times
Facebook urges Australians to report fake ads as it launches tool to target scammers  |  Guardian, The
Today's Top Stories

Broadband/Internet

Internet freedom declines in US for third consecutive year

Marie Baca  |  Washington Post, Freedom House

For the third straight year, American Internet users are less free, according to a study that points to the dangers of social media. That’s in part because of increased US government surveillance, as well as disinformation tied to major political events from both foreign and domestic entities, according to research by the pro-democracy think tank Freedom House. The organization uses the term “Internet freedom” in its annual country-by-country analysis to refer to multiple issues including Internet access, freedom of expression and privacy. In 2019, the United States scored 77 out of 100 possible points. In 2018, the score was one point higher.

Globally, the report found that about 89 percent of all Internet users are subject to advanced social media monitoring systems implemented by their own governments, the equivalent of roughly 3 billion people. That number includes U.S citizens and residents.

The Broadband Imperative III: Driving Connectivity, Access and Student Success

Christine Fox, Rachel Jones  |  Analysis  |  State Educational Technology Directors Association

The State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA), the principal membership association representing the US state and territorial educational technology leaders, announced the release of the Broadband Imperative III: Driving Connectivity, Access and Student Success. This report advocates for equitable, reliable, robust broadband access both on and off campus to prepare all students for life and work. This report builds upon SETDA’s earlier work, including the groundbreaking Broadband Imperative series of reports and State Broadband K12 Leadership reports. This publication discusses innovative technologies and pedagogical approaches to personalize learning for all students. Further, the report emphasizes the importance of comprehensive broadband planning to meet the needs of teachers and students to avoid a technology disruption. Exemplars highlight states and districts where robust bandwidth has already positively impacted teaching and learning.SETDA offers the following recommendations for policy makers and school leaders:

  • Leverage Technology for Innovative Pedagogical Approaches
  • Ensure Digital Access and Equity
  • Plan Infrastructure for the Future
  • Build Networks for the Future
  • Influence Federal & State Policies and Funding

Overbuilding Broadband Networks With Public Funds Harms Consumers

Randolph May  |  Analysis  |  Free State Foundation

Jonathan Sallet, now a Senior Fellow of the Benton Institute for Broadband and Society and FCC General Counsel during Tom Wheeler's chairmanship of the Obama-era Federal Communications Commission, has published a new paper titled, "Broadband for America's Future: A Vision for the 2020s." Because I disagreed with much (but not all) of the Obama FCC's broadband policy – especially including its imposition of public utility-like regulation on Internet service providers – I am not surprised that I disagree with much (but not all) in Mr. Sallet's new Benton paper.

Sallet advocates that government funding for broadband networks should be directed not only to areas that lack broadband, but also to areas where Internet access is "inadequate." By inadequate, Sallet means either (or both) that broadband already is available, but not at speeds that he considers adequate, or that there are not enough providers to satisfy him. He doesn't say how much government funding should be made available, or how it should be paid for. Sallet advocates that the definition of what constitutes "broadband" for purposes of receipt of government funding be increased substantially. While there is nothing per se untoward with high aspirations, it is not helpful when the boundaries of such aspirations are left vague or set unrealistically high, and when the means for the government funding such aspirations are not specified. Sallet wants the government to subsidize "competition" in areas in which service is already available, without any regard for the adverse impact such subsidization is likely to have on suppressing private sector investment and innovation.

[Randolph J. May is President of the Free State Foundation, an independent, nonpartisan free market-oriented think tank located in Rockville (MD)]

USDA Invests $23.7 Million in Rural Broadband for North Carolina Families

Press Release  |  US Department of Agriculture

US Department of Agriculture Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Development Donald “DJ” LaVoy announced USDA has invested $23.7 million in high-speed broadband infrastructure that will create or improve rural e-Connectivity for nearly 8,750 rural households in North Carolina. This is one of many funding announcements in the first round of USDA’s ReConnect Pilot Program investments. Star Telephone Membership Corporation of Clinton (NC) will use ReConnect Program grant funding to deploy a fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) broadband network capable of simultaneous transmission rates of 100 megabits per second (Mbps) or greater. The funded service area includes 8,749 households, 19 businesses, 10 educational facilities, and three critical community facilities. The project will facilitate more access to services and information for local residents, and it will improve the overall quality of life for people in the community.

USDA Invests $4.2 Million in Rural Broadband for Oklahoma Families

Press Release  |  US Department of Agriculture

US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation Bill Northey announced USDA has invested over $4.2 million in high-speed broadband infrastructure that will create or improve rural e-Connectivity for rural households and farms in Oklahoma. This is one of many funding announcements in the first round of USDA’s ReConnect Pilot Program investments. Oklahoma Western Telephone Company will use ReConnect Program loan funding to deploy a fiber to the home (FTTH) broadband network capable of simultaneous transmission rates of 100 megabits per second (Mbps) or greater. The funded service areas include 312 households and 20 farms. The project will facilitate more access to services and information for local residents, and it will improve the overall quality of life for people in the community.

Platforms

Facebook leveraged user data to fight rivals and help friends

Olivia Solon, Cyrus Farivar  |  NBC

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg oversaw plans to consolidate the social network's power and control competitors by treating its users' data as a bargaining chip. Zuckerberg, along with his board and management team, found ways to tap Facebook users' data — including information about friends, relationships and photos — as leverage over the companies it partnered with. In some cases, Facebook would reward partners by giving them preferential access to certain types of user data while denying the same access to rival companies.

Facebook reveals new privacy mishap involving apps for groups

Tony Romm  |  Washington Post

Facebook acknowledged another privacy mishap: some app developers may have wrongly accessed names and profile photos of users in certain groups. Roughly 100 “partners” may have accessed this information — including 11 that had done so within the past 60 days. Otherwise, Facebook declined to offer specifics, including who exactly might have seen the data and how many users had been affected. The trouble appears to stem from a functionality in Facebook’s groups service. Before April 2018, administrators for groups could authorize apps, which could access information about users in that group. After April 2018, Facebook said it imposed restrictions on developers, who would have to obtain group members’ permission before collecting information such as their name and profile photo. On Nov 5, Facebook announced it had “found that some apps retained access to group member information, like names and profile pictures in connection with group activity, from the Groups API, for longer than we intended.”

California AG reveals Facebook probe, says company has been dragging its feet

Annie Palmer  |  CNBC

New court documents give the first look into the state of CA’s 18-month-long investigation into Facebook’s privacy dealings. In those documents, CA State Attorney General Xavier Becerra says Facebook has failed to comply with its subpoenas for more information in the state’s ongoing privacy investigation. It represents the first time the state has acknowledged the probe into Facebook, as investigators don’t disclose active probes, “unless there’s a legal action that makes it public,” Becerra said.  “This is one of those times,” Becerra said. “If Facebook had complied with our legitimate investigative requests, we would not be making these announcements today, but our work must move forward.”  Becerra is now asking the San Francisco County Superior Court to require Facebook to comply with its requests for additional documents related to the Cambridge Analytica scandal. The information they’re seeking to obtain includes communications among executives, documentation of any changes made to Facebook’s privacy settings, as well as any documents detailing Facebook’s privacy program. 

Security

In a letter to Chairman Pai, Sen Wyden urges mandatory cybersecurity requirements for 5G networks of all wireless carriers

Sen Ron Wyden (D-OR)  |  Press Release  |  US Senate

Sen Ron Wyden (D-OR) urged the Federal Communications Commission to secure next-generation, 5G telephone networks against hackers, scam-artists and foreign spies. In a letter addressed to FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, Sen Wyden demanded the administration require all wireless carriers to implement improved cybersecurity measures – including upgrading encryption and authentication features – on 5G telephone networks. Sen Wyden also pushed the FCC to mandate carriers provide consumers with adequate information to evaluate carriers’ cybersecurity efforts in order to make informed decisions. “The FCC has the authority to regulate wireless carriers and their use of the public airwaves, particularly in areas that involve public safety and national security. The FCC must stop leaving the cybersecurity of American consumers, businesses and government agencies to wireless carriers, and finally secure America’s next-generation 5G networks against interception and hacking by criminals and foreign spies,” Sen Wyden said. He requested a response from the FCC by Dec 6.

Television

Senator Wicker Introduces STELAR Renewal

John Eggerton  |  Multichannel News

Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Roger Wicker (R-MS) has introduced a clean renewal of the STELAR Act with yet another name, the Satellite Television Access Reauthorization (STAR) Act. STELAR, and if it passes, STAR, provides for a compulsory license allowing satellite operators--Dish and DirecTV--to import distant network affiliated TV station signals to markets that lack them. The law expires at the end of the year. The bill would simply change the expiration date from 2019 to 2024, extending the law for another five years as well as the requirement that TV stations and pay-TV companies, when the do negotiate individually for signals (retransmission/must carry) do so in good faith. Generally, broadcasters want the license to expire and cable and satellite operators want it renewed.  

Census

The Sum of All 2020 Census Fears

Kriston Capps  |  CityLab

With the next census, for the first time ever, respondents will be able to fill out their questionnaires online. This marks a major transition for the count, which guides the apportionment of seats in Congress and the disbursement of hundreds of billions of dollars in federal funds. Giving Americans the option to fill out the 2020 census by laptop or smartphone means dragging Article 1, Section 2 of the US Constitution into the 21st century. For better or for worse. Putting the census online opens a Pandora’s box of new risks, including meddling from hackers and scammers, and there’s evidence that vultures are already circling. While the first-ever online census introduces challenges for consumer protection and data security, the greatest threat to the census itself may be inequality—specifically, the digital divide.

Outreach is an enormous obstacle for the 2020 census, thanks to the deep divides in the ways that American reach and use the internet. In New York City, for example, more than 917,000 households lack access to broadband at home—29 percent of the city, per a July report on the census from the Office of the New York City Comptroller. This digital divide tracks neatly with existing borders that define marginalized populations, including race, class, and ethnicity. Nearly half of the homes in Borough Park, Kensington, and Ocean Parkway in Brooklyn lack broadband access at home, while on the Upper East Side that figure is just 15 percent. Black and Hispanic adults, who are more likely to have unreliable access to the internet in the first place, also harbor greater doubts about the census, according to the research from Pew.

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Benton (www.benton.org) provides the only free, reliable, and non-partisan daily digest that curates and distributes news related to universal broadband, while connecting communications, democracy, and public interest issues. Posted Monday through Friday, this service provides updates on important industry developments, policy issues, and other related news events. While the summaries are factually accurate, their sometimes informal tone may not always represent the tone of the original articles. Headlines are compiled by Kevin Taglang (headlines AT benton DOT org) and Robbie McBeath (rmcbeath AT benton DOT org) — we welcome your comments.


© Benton Institute for Broadband & Society 2019. Redistribution of this email publication — both internally and externally — is encouraged if it includes this message. For subscribe/unsubscribe info email: headlines AT benton DOT org


Kevin Taglang

Kevin Taglang
Executive Editor, Communications-related Headlines
Benton Institute
for Broadband & Society
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