Days before the FCC votes on Chairman Tom Wheeler’s net neutrality order, both sides prepared talking points. Advocates, including key lawmakers, rallied in favor of the vote, while detractors prepared to testify before the House Communications Subcommittee Wednesday and push for the congressional legislation.
Capitol Hill Republicans keep raising the heat on FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler ahead of his net neutrality vote Thursday, with multiple investigations afoot as others highlight what they consider flaws in Wheeler’s net neutrality approach. House Oversight Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, still wants (see 1502200049) Wheeler to testify Wednesday on possible White House influence over his rulemaking. Several witnesses for a House Communications Subcommittee hearing, meanwhile, are likely to slam Wheeler’s net neutrality order for relying on Communications Act Title II authority.
Capitol Hill Republicans keep raising the heat on FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler ahead of his net neutrality vote Thursday, with multiple investigations afoot as others highlight what they consider flaws in Wheeler’s net neutrality approach. House Oversight Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, still wants (see 1502200049) Wheeler to testify Wednesday on possible White House influence over his rulemaking. Several witnesses for a House Communications Subcommittee hearing, meanwhile, are likely to slam Wheeler’s net neutrality order for relying on Communications Act Title II authority.
Finding the right balance between protecting consumers’ right to privacy and ensuring any collected data is secure without creating such strict regulations that innovation suffers was the focus of a Senate Commerce Committee hearing on the Internet of Things Wednesday. Makers of IoT devices, data brokers and policymakers expressed concern about harming businesses' ability to innovate and so they advocated for the industry to regulate itself, while privacy advocates and some lawmakers argued there should be some form of regulation for the IoT. “Treat the Internet of Things with the same light touch that has caused the Internet to be such a great American success story,” said Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John Thune, R-S.D., in an opening statement. “Let’s not stifle the Internet of Things before we and consumers have a chance to understand its real promise and implications,” he said, as “we are only at the beginning of this technology trend and there is no telling how far it will go.”
Finding the right balance between protecting consumers’ right to privacy and ensuring any collected data is secure without creating such strict regulations that innovation suffers was the focus of a Senate Commerce Committee hearing on the Internet of Things Wednesday. Makers of IoT devices, data brokers and policymakers expressed concern about harming businesses' ability to innovate and so they advocated for the industry to regulate itself, while privacy advocates and some lawmakers argued there should be some form of regulation for the IoT. “Treat the Internet of Things with the same light touch that has caused the Internet to be such a great American success story,” said Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John Thune, R-S.D., in an opening statement. “Let’s not stifle the Internet of Things before we and consumers have a chance to understand its real promise and implications,” he said, as “we are only at the beginning of this technology trend and there is no telling how far it will go.”
Congressional skepticism about the IANA transition is partly attributable to ICANN’s inability to clearly define the “multistakeholder community,” House Commerce Committee member John Shimkus, R-Ill., said in an interview Monday. Shimkus last week reintroduced his Domain Openness Through Continued Oversight Matters Act (DOTCOM) (HR-805), which calls for a GAO study of the final transition proposal for up to one year before approval by NTIA (see 1502060057). The Senate also passed a resolution last week to raise awareness about Internet governance, just before ICANN 52 kicked off in Singapore.
Congressional skepticism about the IANA transition is partly attributable to ICANN’s inability to clearly define the “multistakeholder community,” House Commerce Committee member John Shimkus, R-Ill., said in an interview Monday. Shimkus last week reintroduced his Domain Openness Through Continued Oversight Matters Act (DOTCOM) (HR-805), which calls for a GAO study of the final transition proposal for up to one year before approval by NTIA (see 1502060057). The Senate also passed a resolution last week to raise awareness about Internet governance, just before ICANN 52 kicked off in Singapore.
Net neutrality advocates were reluctant to embrace the 11 net neutrality principles that Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John Thune, R-S.D., released Wednesday, some dubious about what they saw as a dramatic turnaround. Some advocates fear any forthcoming law could restrict FCC ability to act on issues like municipal broadband. Thune’s principles reflect stronger net neutrality protections than have been issued in the past, and haven't yet been released as the legislation he hopes to introduce before the FCC’s Feb. 26 meeting.
Net neutrality advocates were reluctant to embrace the 11 net neutrality principles that Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John Thune, R-S.D., released Wednesday, some dubious about what they saw as a dramatic turnaround. Some advocates fear any forthcoming law could restrict FCC ability to act on issues like municipal broadband. Thune’s principles reflect stronger net neutrality protections than have been issued in the past, and haven't yet been released as the legislation he hopes to introduce before the FCC’s Feb. 26 meeting.
The Commerce and Treasury departments are set to unveil regulatory changes to liberalize trade with Cuba in the coming weeks, possibly as early as late January, but it’s unclear whether the Obama administration will make changes to commercial policies for Cuban exports to the U.S. market, said industry representatives and Cuba experts at a National Foreign Trade Council (NFTC) event on Jan. 13.