California commissioners next month could finalize a process that lets people without social security numbers apply for state low-income phone subsidies. The California Public Utilities Commission on Monday released a proposed decision (docket R.20-02-008) that could get a vote as soon as commissioners’ Aug. 22 meeting and tee up a three-month implementation. Accepting applications from those without SSNs wouldn't be optional under the draft.
Regulatory action overseas increasingly is chilling competition from U.S. tech firms while hurting American consumers, regulatory and trade policy experts said Tuesday during an American Consumer Institute (ACI) panel discussion focused on EU regulations and tech competition with China. Legislation like the EU's Digital Services Act and AI Act subjects U.S. firms to "aggressive" investigations and allegations of competitive harm, said Tirzah Duren, ACI vice president-policy and research.
Sens. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Rand Paul, R-Ky., remain opposed to the Kids Online Safety Act, which is preventing Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., from moving the bill by unanimous consent (see 2406200053).
CDK Global, a software provider for North American car dealerships, failed to take the necessary steps to protect Coby Hester’s and class members’ personally identifiable information (PII), Hester's negligence class action alleged Thursday (docket 1:24-cv-05377) in U.S. District Court for Northern Illinois. CDK was hired to protect PII and is responsible for the software behind most major car dealerships in North America, the complaint said, citing a June 20 article in Enterprise Management 360 about a June 18 ransomware attack at CDK that reportedly reached 15,000 car dealerships. CDK acknowledged the breach on June 19 when it told car dealers it was investigating a “cyber incident.” The company “shut down most" systems and was “diligently trying to get everything up and running as quickly as possible,” the article said. CDK experienced a second cyber incident on June 19 and told dealers it was “again proactively shutting down most of our systems.” An employee of Northwest Dodge, Hester provided CDK with his PII, including name, address, Social Security number, driver’s license, and financial details, the complaint alleged. The Houston plaintiff is careful about sharing his PII and storing documents containing his PII in a safe, secure location, it added. Hester asserts claims of negligence and negligence per se, breach of third-party beneficiary contract and fiduciary duty and unjust enrichment.
A California Senate panel scaled back what the California Public Utilities Commission could require from cable companies under a proposed update of the state’s 2006 video franchise law, known as the Digital Infrastructure and Video Competition Act (DIVCA). At a hearing webcast Monday, the Senate Communications Committee voted 12-4 to approve the Assembly-passed AB-1826 with amendments. The Senate committee delayed receiving testimony on an Assembly-passed equity bill (AB-2239) that would ban digital discrimination as defined by the FCC (see 2405230012).
AT&T raised legal and constitutional concerns as it protested a California Public Utilities Commission proposed decision that denies it relief of carrier of last resort (COLR) obligations. But in other comments the agency received Thursday, some local representatives strongly supported the plan to dismiss AT&T’s application. “Upholding this decision is vital to ensure residents across California … continue to have access to basic telephone service,” said San Mateo County in docket R.23-03-003.
T-Mobile is beefing up its network as hurricane season starts this week and with wildfire season already underway, the carrier said Wednesday. T-Mobile is “turning on new 2.5 GHz spectrum to boost critical coverage and capacity for nearly 60 million customers throughout the country, including hurricane-prone areas such as Louisiana.” The carrier continues to harden its network and is adding to its fleet of satellite cell-on-light-trucks and satellite cell-on-wheels “as well as heavy-duty trucks to provide Wi-Fi and device charging,” the company said.
The House Innovation Subcommittee on Thursday passed a federal privacy bill and a kids’ privacy bill despite objections to the latter from House Commerce Committee ranking member Frank Pallone, D-N.J.
The FCC reminded competitive LECs they must submit interstate tariff revisions by July 17. A Wireline Bureau public notice posted Tuesday in docket 21-41 encouraged CLECs to file revisions "after the competing incumbent LEC's interstate access charge tariffs become effective on July 2."
The FCC Wireline Bureau announced its annual tariff review plans for LECs, effective July 1, in an order Friday in docket 24-41. The bureau also adopted modifications for its rate-of-return tariff review plan and waived rules requiring that carriers file an access charge tariff for a two-year period.