Concessions from T-Mobile and Verizon that the companies offered as part of recent transactions were critical to getting major carriers to the table to address long-standing pricing issues, said Todd Schlekeway, president and CEO of NATE, an association representing infrastructure builders. The agreements also address concerns about workforce security and contractors who work on towers being fully vetted, he said.
Social Media
Social media platforms are facing intense scrutiny over how they collect, share and monetize user data. As new state and federal laws focus on age verification, parental controls and transparency requirements, social media companies face legal risks around algorithmic targeting, third-party tracking and children's safety. This page follows key legislation, investigations and lawsuits shaping privacy practices for major social platforms.
Pennsylvania's Emergency Management Agency sent an alert Friday afternoon warning of a statewide intermittent 911 outage. The alert, which included "extreme" in the headline, asked individuals to contact their local 911 centers' non-emergency lines if they experience any issues. Individuals were also told to check their counties' social media and website for more information. "We are on top of the issue and working to restore full service as quickly as possible," wrote Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) on X.
The 5th U.S. Circuit Appeals Court agreed Thursday to hold in abeyance a legal challenge to an FCC ruling that lets schools and libraries use E-rate support for off-premises Wi-Fi hot spots and wireless internet services. The court's action came after the FCC reminded it that the agency's composition has changed since it adopted the school bus Wi-Fi ruling in 2023, and the current commission may no longer support the order (see 2507070012).
Trump Media and Technology Group's Truth+ streaming service is now available globally, it said Monday. Truth+ offers streaming channels and video on demand, as well as carrying the Newsmax cable news network, Trump Media said. The company -- which is majority owned by President Donald Trump -- also operates the social media platform Truth Social.
Paramount Global has agreed to a settlement in President Donald Trump’s lawsuit against CBS over its editing of a 60 Minutes interview last October with former Vice President Kamala Harris during the election, the company said.
President Donald Trump attacked AT&T on social media Monday after experiencing problems on a call with faith leaders. AT&T addressed the issue on X, saying, "We've reached out to the White House and are working to quickly understand and assess the situation."
In a 6-3 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court on Friday upheld a Texas law requiring age verification for access to porn sites (see 2506270015 and 2501130012). The majority in Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton sided with Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) in support of HB-1181, which the adult industry trade association Free Speech Coalition said violates the First Amendment (see 2409170012).
The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the FCC’s USF contribution scheme in a 6-3 opinion Friday in Consumers’ Research v. FCC, but dissenting and concurring opinions from several conservative justices appeared to invite future challenges, attorneys told us.
President Donald Trump made repeated calls on social media this week for reporters from CNN and the New York Times to be fired over their reporting on the U.S. strikes against Iran’s nuclear program Sunday. “FAKE NEWS REPORTERS FROM CNN & THE NEW YORK TIMES SHOULD BE FIRED, IMMEDIATELY!!! BAD PEOPLE WITH EVIL INTENTIONS!!!” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., called Thursday for the federal government to “ban cellphones in every K-12 classroom in America,” reflecting similar recent state-level pushes to bar students from using smartphones and other mobile devices in school (see 2501290066). Slotkin and Sen. Jim Banks, R-Ind., last week filed the Restoring Our Educational Focus on Children of U.S. Servicemembers at DOD Education Activity (DODEA) Act to bar students at K-12 schools on U.S. military bases from using cellphones during school hours.