The U.K.’s new online speech law is one of the “most fundamental” tools allowing its telecommunications regulator to shed light on how platforms handle misinformation, Jessica Zucker, Office of Communications (Ofcom) director-online safety policy, said Monday. Speaking at a Silicon Flatirons event, Zucker said the U.K.'s Online Safety Act of 2023 is intended to help tackle online malfeasance at scale with systemic improvements across the internet. The law established a duty of care requiring companies to implement policies for removal of illegal content, like child sex abuse material, and legal but “harmful” content. Zucker stressed the law doesn’t require Ofcom to instruct tech companies to remove individual pieces of content or investigate individual complaints.
In-person meetings at the FCC are increasing, but the majority are virtual, as they have been since the COVID-19 pandemic began nearly four years ago. The number of in-person ex parte meetings appear roughly the same as a year ago, based on a review of filings and industry interviews. Beginning last March, more staff began working in the office on more days of the week (see 2303030047). One tendency, industry officials say, is that more meetings with commissioner advisers are now at FCC headquarters. But meetings with the offices and bureaus are mostly virtual because staffers have differing in-office schedules. Virtual meetings seem the best way of ensuring everyone who needs to attend a meeting can.
Similar to several other states, Washington will explore use cases for generative AI in state operations as well as regulatory guidelines. Gov. Jay Inslee (D) signed an executive order Tuesday requiring state agency WaTech to submit a report including a plan for how the government may procure, use and monitor generative AI. “This executive order lays out a year-long process for agencies working together to assess the feasibility, benefits and challenges of integrating this technology into agency operations and services,” Inslee said. “It’s our duty to the public to be thorough and thoughtful in how we adopt these powerful new tools.”
State agencies and rural carriers urged the Utah Public Service Commission to give heightened scrutiny to a Lumen petition seeking statewide exemption from carrier of last resort (COLR) requirements for new customers. In prehearing briefs and written testimony filed last week in docket 23-049-01, they disputed how Lumen’s CenturyLink framed its arguments that relief won’t harm landline customers and that effective competition exists across the state. The PSC plans hearings Wednesday on the petition and has a March 17 deadline to reach a decision (see 2311290043).