Wednesday, January 8, 2025
Headlines Daily Digest
Today: A fireside chat with Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan
Don't Miss:
Sen. Cruz Designated Chairman of Senate Committee on Commerce
The Republicans Driving Broadband Policy in the 119th Congress
New Leadership for House Commerce Committee in the 119th Congress
Artificial Intelligence
Platforms
TV
Security
Policymakers
Stories From Abroad
Company News
The biggest change to the way search engines have delivered information to us since the 1990s is happening right now. No more keyword searching. No more sorting through links to click. Instead, we’re entering an era of conversational search. Which means instead of keywords, you use real questions, expressed in natural language. And instead of links, you’ll increasingly be met with answers, written by generative artificial intelligence and based on live information from all across the internet, delivered the same way.
Never has it been easier to spread misinformation at scale—with less concern about media meaningfully policing it. Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg are of one mind. The most powerful global information platforms should be governed by free speech—and the people—not by the platforms themselves. Both concluded it's too hard, too inherently biased, and too restrictive to put limits on speech. It's also cheaper to stop trying—and convenient to switch as Washington goes all-in on MAGA. Meta made a far-reaching announcement on January 7, with a post headlined, "More Speech and Fewer Mistakes." Facebook, Instagram and Threads will end their third-party fact-checking program—and move to a Community Notes model, where users add corrections and context. That opens most of social media up as a Wild West of expression, where high-quality, trustworthy information will commingle with garbage and misinformation. That's what free speech absolutists have long fought for.
The Senate Republican Conference ratified Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Joining the committee are three new Republican members for the 119th Congress: Senators John Curtis (R-UT), Bernie Moreno (R-OH), and Tim Sheehy (R-MT). Remaining on the committee are Senators John Thune (R-SD), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Todd Young (R-IN), Ted Budd (R-NC), Eric Schmitt (R-MO), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), and Cynthia Lummis (R-WY). Furthermore, three new Democrat members are joining the committee for the 119th Congress: Senators John Fetterman (D-PA), Andy Kim (D-NJ), and Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE). Remaining on the committee are Ranking Member Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Ed Markey (R-MA), Gary Peters (D-MI), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), and John Hickenlooper (D-CO). Sen Cruz said: "My top priority in this role remains the same as it has throughout my entire career in the Senate: pursuing policies that will create jobs and spur economic growth. To that end, the Commerce Committee will be focused on expanding commercial access to electromagnetic spectrum, boosting human and commercial space exploration, improving the safety and efficiency of our nation’s transportation system, ensuring the future and viability of college athletics, and much more."
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), Grace Tepper (grace AT benton DOT org), and Zoe Walker (zwalker AT benton DOT org) — we welcome your comments.
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