The Copyright Alert System’s first 10 months of operations are encouraging, said a report (http://bit.ly/1isdnzM) released by the CAS operator Center for Copyright Information (CCI) Wednesday. Don’t expect the system to bring an end to all copyright infringement, said panelists at an Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) event Wednesday. The CAS delivers notices to individuals accessing infringing content through peer-to-peer networks and is intended to educate consumers about copyright infringement. If infringement continues, Internet speed is slowed or Web access is suspended temporarily. CAS is a collaborative effort on the part of AT&T, Cablevision, Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Verizon and copyright holders such as MPAA and RIAA (WID Feb 28/13 p3).

The Copyright Alert System’s first 10 months of operations are encouraging, said a report (http://bit.ly/1isdnzM) released by the CAS operator Center for Copyright Information (CCI) Wednesday. Don’t expect the system to bring an end to all copyright infringement, said panelists at an Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) event Wednesday. The CAS delivers notices to individuals accessing infringing content through peer-to-peer networks and is intended to educate consumers about copyright infringement. If infringement continues, Internet speed is slowed or Web access is suspended temporarily. CAS is a collaborative effort on the part of AT&T, Cablevision, Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Verizon and copyright holders such as MPAA and RIAA.

Principles for facial recognition technology use submitted to NTIA ahead of a Tuesday multistakeholder meeting revealed wide-ranging opinions and a divide between privacy and civil liberties advocates and industry groups. Participants we talked to said it was a good exercise to start articulating what has only been hypothetical to this point in the four meetings of the NTIA-backed group tasked with creating a code of conduct for facial recognition technology.

Principles for facial recognition technology use submitted to NTIA ahead of a Tuesday multistakeholder meeting revealed wide-ranging opinions and a divide between privacy and civil liberties advocates and industry groups. Participants we talked to said it was a good exercise to start articulating what has only been hypothetical to this point in the four meetings of the NTIA-backed group tasked with creating a code of conduct for facial recognition technology.

The FTC will testify on its data security standards and expectations before an administrative law judge (ALJ) at a proceeding starting Tuesday. It’s a unique event for the commission, which has never been required -- or had the power -- to establish data security rules through the traditional rulemaking process of other federal agencies, lawyers said in interviews last week. Expect little useful information for industry to come from the hearings, they said, though the testimony could give lawmakers fodder to call for a more empowered FTC.

With European Parliament elections May 22-25, and European Commission members changing in the fall, some telecom and civil society organizations are working to ensure that their issues remain high on the agenda of the bodies, they said. They may not be backing specific EC or parliamentary candidates, but they have made clear what they want from the winners.

With European Parliament elections May 22-25, and European Commission members changing in the fall, some telecom and civil society organizations are working to ensure that their issues remain high on the agenda of the bodies, they said. They may not be backing specific EC or parliamentary candidates, but they have made clear what they want from the winners.

Several lawmakers and organizations have already signed the letter the Congressional Progressive Caucus plans to send the FCC later this week (WID May 12 p6) pressing for stronger net neutrality rules, relying on Communications Act Title II authority rather than Section 706. According to a Dear Colleague letter sent Monday by caucus co-chairs Raul Grijalva, D-Ariz., and Keith Ellison, D-Minn., the American Civil Liberties Union, Credo Action, Demand Progress, Democracy for America, MoveOn.org and the National Hispanic Media Coalition all endorse the letter. Signatories include House Judiciary Committee ranking member John Conyers, D-Mich., along with Reps. David Cicilline, D-R.I.; Mike Capuano, D-Mass.; Peter DeFazio, D-Ore.; Donna Edwards, D-Md.; Alan Grayson, D-Fla.; Rush Holt, D-N.J.; Mike Honda, D-Calif.; Jared Huffman, D-Calif.; Marcy Kaptur, D-Ohio; Barbara Lee, D-Calif.; John Lewis, D-Ga.; Alan Lowenthal, D-Calif.; Jim McGovern, D-Mass.; Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y.; Mark Pocan, D-Wis.; Lucille Roybal-Allard, D-Calif.; Mark Takano, D-Calif.; and Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, D-D.C. “Over one million people have already gone on the record in support of reclassification,” the letter to lawmakers said. “We urge you to join us in pressing the FCC to consider this support for strong, enforceable open Internet rules as it moves forward with the rulemaking process.” The deadline to sign is Tuesday at close of business, it said. The letter to the FCC has not been officially released or sent.

Several lawmakers and organizations have already signed the letter the Congressional Progressive Caucus plans to send the FCC later this week (CD May 12 p7) pressing for stronger net neutrality rules (see separate report above in this issue), relying on Communications Act Title II authority rather than Section 706. According to a Dear Colleague letter sent Monday by caucus co-chairs Raul Grijalva, D-Ariz., and Keith Ellison, D-Minn., the American Civil Liberties Union, Credo Action, Demand Progress, Democracy for America, MoveOn.org and the National Hispanic Media Coalition all endorse the letter. Signatories include House Judiciary Committee ranking member John Conyers, D-Mich., along with Reps. David Cicilline, D-R.I.; Mike Capuano, D-Mass.; Peter DeFazio, D-Ore.; Donna Edwards, D-Md.; Alan Grayson, D-Fla.; Rush Holt, D-N.J.; Mike Honda, D-Calif.; Jared Huffman, D-Calif.; Marcy Kaptur, D-Ohio; Barbara Lee, D-Calif.; John Lewis, D-Ga.; Alan Lowenthal, D-Calif.; Jim McGovern, D-Mass.; Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y.; Mark Pocan, D-Wis.; Lucille Roybal-Allard, D-Calif.; Mark Takano, D-Calif.; and Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, D-D.C. “Over one million people have already gone on the record in support of reclassification,” the letter to lawmakers said. “We urge you to join us in pressing the FCC to consider this support for strong, enforceable open Internet rules as it moves forward with the rulemaking process.” The deadline to sign is Tuesday at close of business, it said. The letter to the FCC has not been officially released or sent.

The White House big data report -- three months in the works -- pressed Congress to move on several pieces of data privacy legislation and outlined a research, investment and policy agenda for the administration. More broadly, the report centered the big data discussion on discrimination and fairness, rather than notice and choice (http://1.usa.gov/1ky0reK). In doing so, the White House partially went against its own 2012 consumer privacy bill of rights. “It’s undeniable that big data challenges several of the key assumptions that underpin the current privacy framework, especially around collection and use,” said Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker in a conference call.