What the apparent collapse of a previously tight relationship between Elon Musk and President Donald Trump means for Musk's SpaceX is uncertain, space industry and FCC watchers told us. Some believe SpaceX will face a chillier reception from regulatory agencies, including for FCC proceedings that SpaceX is intensely interested in, such as the agency's probes into EchoStar's use of the 2 GHz band and its terrestrial 5G network buildout (see 2505130003). Others don't see the feud meaning much. The FCC and FAA -- which regulates SpaceX's launch operations -- didn't comment.
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.
The FCC should “act to restore public trust in those who use public airwaves” in the wake of an ABC News journalist publicly criticizing President Donald Trump (see 2506090054), the Center for American Rights said Tuesday in a letter to Chairman Brendan Carr. ABC reportedly released correspondent Terry Moran after he described Trump as a "world-class hater" and White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller as one in a social media post.
ABC News reportedly suspended journalist Terry Moran after White House officials complained about his social media post disparaging President Donald Trump and Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller. ABC didn’t comment. Moran, who covers the White House for ABC, reportedly said Sunday in a since-deleted post on X that Miller was “richly endowed with the capacity for hatred” and that Trump is “a world-class hater.” Moran’s comments were “unhinged and unacceptable,” White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt posted in response. “We have reached out to ABC to inquire about how they plan to hold Terry accountable.” Vice President JD Vance called Moran’s post a “vile smear” and called for ABC to apologize. “Remember that every time you watch ABC’s coverage of the Trump administration,” Vance wrote.
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said Wednesday that the FCC will consider three items during its June 26 open meeting, though he acknowledged in his blog the uncertainty about whether any votes could occur. Leading the proposed items is an order that would eliminate a “dated and reticulated” group of cable TV rate regulations, consistent with the FCC’s “Delete” proceeding.
Top Senate Republicans told us Wednesday that they're likely to prioritize confirmation votes for GOP FCC nominee Olivia Trusty much earlier than expected as a result of Commissioner Nathan Simington’s abrupt exit. Simington said Wednesday he plans to depart the FCC “at the end of this week,” as we reported (see 2506030069). Democratic Commissioner Geoffrey Starks said he will resign Friday, also as expected (see 2505220043). The departures mean the FCC's party makeup will stand at a 1-1 tie by week’s end. That will also leave the commission below the statutory three-commissioner quorum, posing potential problems for Chairman Brendan Carr’s agenda heading into the commission’s planned June 26 meeting (see 2506040061).
Numerous industry and FCC officials told us Tuesday that FCC Commissioner Nathan Simington is expected to leave the agency or announce an imminent departure this week. Simington and his office didn’t respond to requests for comment. Simington’s term expired last year, but he was expected to stay until the end of 2025.
Federal budget-cutting could mean degraded quality and timeliness of emergency alerts during major storms and disasters, emergency response and weather experts tell us. A number of advocacy groups, from the Urban Institute to the Natural Resources Defense Council, have raised concerns about budget cuts for the Federal Emergency Management Agency disaster response. Others say budgetary issues won't harm emergency alerting, and the system remains robust.
NPR and three public radio stations filed a lawsuit Tuesday that asks the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to block a White House executive order cutting funding for NPR and PBS (see 2505020044).
Nebraska became the latest state this week to restrict students' use of cellphones during school hours (see 2501130041). LB-140, which Gov. Jim Pillen (R) signed Tuesday, will go into effect during the 2025-26 school year. It provides certain exemptions for students with individualized education plans, emergencies and educational purposes. The law also clarifies that the restriction doesn't authorize monitoring, collecting or assessing information on a device that isn't owned or provided by a school district. "The research is clear about the detriments from overexposure to social media and the way Big Tech works to keep kids online and coming back for more," Pillen said.
FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez said Friday at a policy forum that removing all minority-party commissioners would weaken the agency’s ability to defend its rules in court. “The Communications Act doesn't just require three commissioners for quorum,” she told the Competitive Enterprise Institute and Tech Freedom audience. “It requires that there will be one member of a minority party, and that, in and of itself, could weaken whatever defense that a future FCC may have if there is no such single minority party member.” The agency also wouldn’t be able to present evidence that it had considered dissenting opinions, making it harder for a one-party FCC to present itself as an expert agency, said Gomez and Tech Freedom President Berin Szoka.