The Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) isn't likely to make much headway with the 119th Congress absent a major revamp, tech policy panelists said Wednesday at a Congressional Internet Caucus event, which also featured some panelists disagreeing on the FCC's role in cybersecurity enforcement.
Auto sector manufacturers and importers will have 425 days to cut from their supply chains Chinese software that enables automated driving systems or enables a vehicle to connect to the outside world at a frequency above 450 MHz, according to a final rule from the Bureau of Industry and Security set for Thursday's Federal Register and effective March 17. The agency issued a proposed rule in September (see 2409220001). Chinese hardware that enables out-of-car communication above 450 MHz will be banned beginning in the 2029 model year, or, for items that aren't associated with a model year, before Jan. 1, 2029. The final rule adds that later imports that would otherwise be banned, that are to repair completed connected vehicles model year 2029 or earlier, will also be allowed. Examples of these sorts of hardware are telematics control units, cellular modems and antennas that collect data from GPS, accelerometers, gyroscopes, BMS and other units. The agency said the list of parts is not exhaustive but clarified the rule to say the hardware must "directly enable" the connected capabilities. Companies from adversary countries cannot design or manufacture these systems because the administration says they could imperil infrastructure and "enable mass collection of sensitive information, including geolocation data, audio and video recordings, and other pattern-of-life analysis."
The Bureau of Industry and Security's upcoming export controls on advanced AI semiconductors will introduce hurdles that could push U.S. allies closer to China, a technology think tank and a semiconductor industry group said this week. Both the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation and the Semiconductor Industry Association urged President Joe Biden's administration to reverse course. ITIF said it should “immediately” rethink the "overdesigned, yet underinformed" restrictions, which are expected to be published as an interim final rule before Biden leaves office. SIA, "deeply concerned by the unprecedented scope and complexity" of the potential regulation, asked the government to instead issue the restrictions as a proposed rule -- which would allow for industry feedback and possible revisions without a set effective date -- or allow the new Trump administration to decide how to move forward.
The Bureau of Industry and Security and DOJ are investigating U.S. mobile phone parts producer Lumentum for potentially violating U.S. export controls on shipments to Huawei, according to corporate filings.
Commerce’s proposed restrictions on sales or imports of connected vehicles using hardware or software tied to Russia or China (see 2409220001) is seeing pushback from communications and tech industry and adjacent groups over the compliance deadlines. Comments in the NPRM (docket 240919-0245) were due Monday. Some see the Commerce Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) NPRM as pointing toward a wider eventual campaign against all connected Chinese and Russian devices (see 2409250006).
ATLANTA -- The U.S. is taking an increasingly hard line against all connected Chinese and Russian devices, not just those from particular manufacturers such as Huawei, cybersecurity expert Clete Johnson told attendees at SCTE's annual TechExpo Wednesday. Meanwhile, cable providers at TechExpo discussed why it's imperative that there is better convergence in wireline and mobile services.
U.S. companies and trade groups applauded a recent Bureau of Industry and Security rule that expanded the agency’s export control exemption for certain standards-setting activities. They said the rule change will help remove licensing barriers that American officials face at international bodies while working on emerging technology standards. While the Technology Trade Regulation Alliance welcomed the rule changes, it said BIS should continue expanding the exemption to cover a wider set of technologies discussed in standards bodies involving the electronics, telecommunications and aviation industries. For example, the TTRA said BIS should harmonize its standards-setting-related controls with how it treats other information shared publicly, such as fundamental research. The rule “appears inconsistent with the BIS approach to other First Amendment protected commercial speech,” the alliance said. UL Standards & Engagement, a nonprofit standards development organization, and the Wi-Fi Alliance said the rule update will help their members more easily participate in standards bodies. The Wi-Fi Alliance specifically said the rule confirms that the type of standards-related activity its members are involved in “is not restricted by the Export Administration Regulations.” BIS issued rules in 2020 and 2022 that authorize releasing certain controlled technology for specific standards-setting activities, including when companies on the Entity List, such as Huawei, are participating in those bodies.
The AI Safety Institute (AISI) plans testing frontier AI models prior to deployment, Director Elizabeth Kelly said in an interview at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) Wednesday (see 2402070069). “We’re in a good position to begin that testing in the months ahead because of the commitments we’ve gotten from the leading companies," Kelly told the CSIS Wadhwani Center for AI and Advanced Technologies. When it comes to developing safety standards for AI, the institute will rely on companies showing “what’s under the hood” in their next-generation work, she said. However, because it's not a regulatory body, the institute can only encourage that companies make such information available. Apple, Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft, OpenAI, Adobe, IBM, Nvidia and several other companies have agreed to voluntary testing (see 2407260027). AI safety regulation is under the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security and reporting rules “have not been finalized," so questions remain, Kelly said. The Commerce Department’s website said BIS “will invoke the Defense Production Act to institute measures to enhance safety as next-generation frontier AI models are developed, including measures requiring developers to report the steps they are taking to test their models and protect them from theft." Kelly also spoke about the importance of international collaboration for developing safety standards for frontier AI through the International Network of AI Safety Institutes. International AI safety groups and other stakeholders plan on meeting in November in the San Francisco area, she said.
The Senate Appropriations Committee voted 26-3 Thursday to advance its Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Subcommittee FY 2025 funding bill (S-4795) with allocation increases for NTIA, other Commerce Department agencies and the DOJ Antitrust Division. The measure, released Thursday night, would give NTIA more than $61.5 million for FY25. That’s a 4% increase from what NTIA received for FY 2024 but 8% less than President Joe Biden's request in March (see 2403110056). The Patent Office would get more than $4.65 billion, level with what Biden requested and an 11% increase from FY24 (see 2403040083). The National Institute of Standards and Technology would receive $1.53 billion, a 5% increase from FY24 and 2% more than Biden sought. The Bureau of Industry and Security would get $206 million, 8% more than in FY24 and 7% greater than the Biden request. DOJ Antitrust would get $288 million, level with Biden's proposal but 23% more than it received in FY24. The House Appropriations Committee-cleared CJS FY25 bill (HR-9026) proposed decreased funding for DOJ Antitrust and all Commerce agencies except PTO (see 2407090057).
House Democrats rang alarm bells Wednesday over the Appropriations Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies (CJS) Subcommittee’s proposal reducing FY 2025 allocations for NTIA and other Commerce Department agencies. The subpanel advanced its FY25 bill on a voice vote Wednesday after Republicans defended the proposed cuts, including a significant slashing of annual funding for the DOJ Antitrust Division. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo fielded repeated questions during a House Innovation Subcommittee hearing Wednesday about Republicans’ claims that NTIA’s requirement that broadband equity, access and deployment (BEAD) program participants offer a low-cost connectivity option constitutes rate regulation.