Several former FCC chairs, commissioners and staffers of both parties have signed a petition from Tech Freedom and Protect Democracy calling on the agency to rescind its broadcast news distortion policy. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr has used the policy to perform “extraordinary intrusions” into editorial decision-making, said the petition, signed by former Republican FCC Chairmen Mark Fowler, Alfred Sikes and Dennis Patrick, former Democratic Chairman Tom Wheeler, three Republican ex-commissioners, and several past eighth-floor aides.
As the longest federal government shutdown in history likely nears an end, industry lawyers who depend on FCC decisions said there’s no question the companies they represent have taken a hit. Among the biggest problems, they said, are that everything the FCC has done has taken longer, while some transactions and license applications aren’t being processed with key systems offline.
The FCC appears unlikely to make any moves to enforce the data privacy rules approved under the Biden administration, which were recently upheld by the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, industry experts said Friday. Last week, the panel that decided the case agreed to hold it in abeyance pending the FCC’s review of the 2023 order, as the agency requested. The panel ordered the FCC to file status reports every 60 days, with the first due Dec. 16.
The FCC appears unlikely to make any moves to enforce the data privacy rules approved under the Biden administration, which were recently upheld by the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, industry experts said Friday. Last week, the panel that decided the case agreed to hold it in abeyance pending the FCC’s review of the 2023 order, as the agency requested. The panel ordered the FCC to file status reports every 60 days, with the first due Dec. 16.
Sens. Ed Markey, D-Mass., and Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., and Rep. Grace Meng, D-N.Y., slammed FCC Chairman Brendan Carr’s proposal to overturn the rule allowing schools and libraries to use E-rate funds to loan Wi-Fi hot spots to students and educators. Benton Senior Counselor Andrew Schwartzman criticized both that proposal and one to stop funding Wi-Fi on school buses (see 2509030064).
The FCC should investigate ABC over late-night host Jimmy Kimmel’s donations to and fundraising for politicians who have appeared on his show, said the Center for American Rights in a complaint filed Thursday.
Industry will likely turn to the FCC to address a 6th U.S. Circuit Appeals Court decision on Wednesday upholding the agency’s 2023 data breach notification rules (see 2508130068). When the rules were approved, now Chairman Brendan Carr and former Republican Commissioner Nathan Simington dissented (see 2312220054).
Industry will likely turn to the FCC to address a 6th U.S. Circuit Appeals Court decision on Wednesday upholding the agency’s 2024 data breach notification rules. When the rules were approved, now Chairman Brendan Carr and former Republican Commissioner Nathan Simington dissented.
The decision Friday by public interest groups not to challenge the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals’ narrow decision overturning last year’s net neutrality order appeared to be based on a number of considerations, including avoiding a precedent that could prevent future FCC rules (see 2508080020). Friday was the deadline to file a petition for certiorari seeking U.S. Supreme Court review. Some lawyers saw the 6th Circuit’s decision as badly reasoned and susceptible to further review (see 2507160048).
Public interest groups said Friday they won’t file a petition for certiorari seeking U.S. Supreme Court review of the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals’ narrow decision overturning last year’s net neutrality order (see 2501020047). Friday was the deadline to seek review. Free Press, the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society, New America’s Open Technology Institute and Public Knowledge said in a joint statement they won’t appeal. However, the groups said they’re not giving up on net neutrality.