Chairman Joe Simons suggested the FTC is examining Zoom’s privacy practices in light of COVID-19 concerns (see 2005070044). During a Monday teleconference with the House Consumer Protection Subcommittee, Simons didn’t directly link the company to any specific agency effort but said the agency monitors major events in the news media. “If you’re reading about it in the press, then you can be assured that either we’re looking at it already, or if we’re not, we will as a result of that media attention,” he responded to questions from Rep. Jerry McNerney, D-Calif., about Zoom. The company didn’t comment.
Broadcasters and industry analysts expressed in interviews this month cautious optimism about the economy ramping up from the COVID-19 slowdown. They touted cost-saving measures while declining to offer forecasts.
The FCC could act on CTIA and Wireless Infrastructure Association proposals for more changes to wireless infrastructure rules designed to accelerate siting of towers and other 5G facilities (see 1910300027) at commissioners' June 9 meeting, industry and agency officials said in interviews this and last week. The regulator wrapped up a comment cycle last year, with support from CTA and other industry groups and widespread opposition from local government groups (see 1911210054). That opposition continues.
Higher call volume for IP captioned telephone services and video relay services during the COVID-19 pandemic, plus longer call times, increased wait times, we heard. That has left some in the hearing loss community isolated and frustrated. Consumer advocacy groups, industry and the FCC are working to respond, stakeholders said in interviews.
A draft item on allowing broadcasters to fulfill notice requirements with online and on-air listings instead of buying newspaper advertisements is expected to change in response to criticisms from broadcasters, industry and FCC officials told us. The agency is expected to walk back docket 17-264 draft requirements that would have affected broadcaster websites and mobile apps, FCC officials said. The item isn’t expected to get much opposition at the agency, and is slated to be voted before commissioners’ telephonic meeting Wednesday. In the two previous FCC meetings since the COVID-19 shutdown, all items voted on circulation before the meeting were approved unanimously.
A November ballot vote on California consumer privacy might be inevitable despite lukewarm reception from groups that typically back such measures. Industry hasn’t formally opposed the proposed California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA) and legislative intervention is no sure thing, we were told last week. “That there is no campaign against this initiative” by businesses is “almost as telling” as “no privacy group coming out to support it,” said Corbin and Kaiser lobbying firm CEO Samantha Corbin.
New language in the FCC's draft regulatory fees order on the agenda for when commissioners meet Wednesday (see 2004220048) might provide some rate relief for VHF satellites and foreign satellites that ping U.S. customers but don't have U.S. market access, but still would broadly levy U.S. regulatory fees on foreign-flagged satellites. That's according to satellite experts and an FCC official interviewed last week. Some consider 5-0 commissioner approval likely. Foreign satellite operators resisted the fee (see 2003240047), saying the issue needs more study.
Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss., is considering an additional hearing on the FCC’s approval of Ligado’s L-band plan as a follow-up to the Senate Armed Services Committee’s Wednesday panel (see 2005060065). There’s no consensus among Senate Armed Services members on whether to pursue legislation to intervene or reverse the FCC, with several committee members telling us they want feedback from Commerce. Twenty-three House Armed Services Committee members pressed the FCC for further information on its rationale.
If Amazon was untruthful in July when it testified about third-party seller data, a perjury referral would be "appropriate,” said House Antitrust Subcommittee Chairman David Cicilline, D-R.I., on Thursday. Last week, Cicilline said he was considering whether a perjury referral is warranted due to discrepancies between a Wall Street Journal report (see 2004300054) and testimony from Amazon Associate General Counsel-Litigation and Regulatory Legal Nate Sutton. “It certainly appears as if the testimony Mr. Sutton gave was contradicted directly by the WSJ report, and so I’m going to review all of that carefully,” Cicilline said during a Politico livestream.
Dish Network doesn’t have a “funding need today” to fulfill its eventual goal of raising and spending $10 billion for building out 5G, said Chairman Charlie Ergen on a Q1 investor call Thursday (hear the call here). “We’re not standing still. That $10 billion now is $9 billion, because we raised a billion dollars of equity.”