Foreign Investment Risk Review Modernization Act (FIRRMA) implementation is in its early days, with new rules taking effect last week, but it's generally assumed the number of transactions coming under Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. (CFIUS) jurisdiction will quadruple, said David Plotinsky, DOJ National Security Division principal deputy chief, at an FCBA CLE event Wednesday. He said the number of telecom deals subject to CFIUS also likely will quadruple, though there's less concern about deals on "the pipes" of telecom than on data. CFIUS experts said prospective deals now have to take CFIUS issues and possible mitigation steps into consideration early in the planning.
Businesses entered the new year with questions about the California Consumer Privacy Act that took effect Wednesday, privacy attorneys told us this week. California Attorney General Xavier Becerra (D) has until July to develop rules and start enforcing them, but CCPA is now law with enforcement to look back to Jan. 1.
The 2019 World Radiocommunication Conference was a mixed success for the U.S., FCC Commissioner Mike O’Rielly said, viewing WRC-19 as falling short. Other WRC watchers echoed O’Rielly’s concerns and said questions about ITU process aren’t going away. The conference ended last month after weeks of negotiations (see 1911220014).
NTIA acting Administrator Diane Rinaldo's exit (see 1912160022) about seven months after former Administrator David Redl’s abrupt departure likely means more turmoil ahead, industry observers said Monday. Rinaldo will apparently be replaced by Treasury Department acting Deputy Assistant Secretary-International Affairs Edward Hearst, lobbyists and observers said. It's unclear whether Hearst would be taking over as acting administrator or would be nominated to the role. The White House, NTIA, the Commerce Department and Treasury didn't comment.
Almost two years after Chairman Ajit Pai announced the media modernization effort, many items taken up under that umbrella have had a small scope, an uncontentious docket, and sometimes don’t even draw formal responses from the opposing party. General agreement and a tight focus aren't bad things, broadcast and MVPD attorneys and FCC officials said of the program. “That the items are often unanimous is a compelling case for getting rid of the rules,” said Matthew Berry, Pai’s chief of staff.
Google CEO Sundar Pichai becomes also Alphabet CEO; Alphabet CEO Larry Page and President Sergey Brin leave their roles, remaining shareholders and board members ... Wiley Rein promotes Henry Gola to partner, and Daniel Brooks and Kathryne Dickerson to of counsel, all telecom, media and technology ... Brendan Parets, ex-office of Sen. Martha McSally, R-Ariz., rejoins Covington & Burling as special counsel-congressional investigations and lobbying, telecom, technology and judiciary ... Cable and communications lawyer Craig Gilley leaves Mintz for Venable.
An FCC appeal of Prometheus IV at the Supreme Court is expected by agency and industry stakeholders. Left unclear is how the rules restored by 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals will affect the industry in the meantime, said broadcasters and broadcast attorneys at a Media Bureau event on industry trends Thursday. They said the agency shouldn't wait on the uncertain appeal to deregulate broadcast ownership. Wednesday evening, the 3rd Circuit declined the regulator's request to reconsider the case (see 1911200063)
Data breaches made privacy a mainstream issue and industry's willing to go pretty far in terms of regulatory obligations, giving Congress unprecedented opportunity to pass legislation Brookings Institution's Cameron Kerry told the Multimedia Telecom and Internet Council. FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks thinks the Expanding Broadcast Opportunities Act (HR-3957) sponsored by Rep. G.K. Butterfield, D-N.C., could get bipartisan support, and a similar approach might make sense for other industries such as tech. Butterfield talked up the bill Thursday.
The 2019 World Radiocommunication Conference almost immediately got down to business this week, with FCC Chairman Ajit Pai there. But officials at the WRC, in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, said a letter that President Donald Trump sent Monday (see 1910280054) likely raised question. This is considered potentially the most important WRC because of its focus on 5G and harmonizing bands.
The rechartered FCC Advisory Committee on Diversity and Digital Empowerment will focus on improving access of minority and female would-be broadcast owners to capital, addressing digital redlining, and increasing tech-sector diversity, said FCC Chairman Ajit Pai in a recorded video at ACDDE's first meeting in its latest incarnation. Anyone spending time at a tech conference can see “we're not where we need to be in terms of diversity and inclusion in the tech sector,” said Commissioner Brendan Carr.