| REPUBLICAN OFFERS NET NEUTRALITY BILL: Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) on Tuesday introduced a bill that would replace some of the net neutrality rules that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) repealed last week, though critics say that the legislation falls short of the previous protections. Blackburn's bill would prohibit internet service providers from blocking or throttling web content. But it would still allow companies such as Verizon and Comcast to charge websites for faster data speeds, and it pre-empts states from implementing stronger net neutrality protections. The Tennessee Republican, who chairs the House Commerce subcommittee on technology, wrote on Twitter, "No blocking. No throttling. The Open Internet Preservation Act will ensure the internet is a free and open space. This legislation is simple, it provides light-touch regulation so companies can invest and innovate, and make sure our internet is up to 21st century standards." In an interview with Breitbart News announcing the bill, Blackburn said it's intended to "settle the net neutrality debate." But groups that tried to prevent the FCC's rollback say that the bill is just a watered-down version of the popular rules. "The proposal circulated today does not meet the criteria for basic net neutrality protections -- including bright-line rules and a ban on paid prioritization -- and will not provide consumers the protections they need to have guaranteed access to the entire internet," said Michael Beckerman, head of the Internet Association, a trade group that represents tech giants such as Facebook and Google. "Net Neutrality in name only is not enough to protect our economy or the millions of Americans that want and rely on these rules," Beckerman said. Read more here. Please send your tips, comments and holiday wish lists to Ali Breland (abreland@thehill.com) and Harper Neidig (hneidig@thehill.com) and follow us on Twitter: @alibreland and @hneidig. We're also on Signal and WhatsApp. Email or DM us for our numbers. UNCERTAINTY AFTER NET NEUTRALITY REPEAL: The Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) vote last week to scrap net neutrality rules has sparked a vigorous debate about what comes next. FCC Chairman Ajit Pai and his allies believe deregulation will induce a new wave of investment in broadband, leading to increased competition and better and cheaper internet for consumers. Net neutrality advocates, on the other hand, argue the end of the rules will ultimately result in higher costs for consumers, with broadband providers now free to pursue deals with internet companies like Netflix and YouTube. The effects of the FCC's policy change will not be clear for some time, experts say. Read more here. FACEBOOK ROLLS OUT NEW FACIAL RECOGNITION TOOLS: Facebook is introducing new facial recognition capabilities aimed at that helping individuals better manage how they appear on the platform. The Menlo Park, Calif.-based firm will give users notifications when their photos appear on Facebook, even when they're not tagged in a photo by the user who posted it. The company is taking the same facial recognition technology that it uses to create "tag suggestions," in which its algorithms recognize users' faces in pictures and suggest that they be tagged. In instances where a user isn't tagged in a photo, they often have no way of knowing that the picture of them on Facebook exists. Read more here. SEC HALTS TRADING IN BITCOIN COMPANY: The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has suspended trading on shares of The Crypto Company, which deals in digital currencies, after its stock surged by roughly 2,700 percent in the past month. Regulators said their decision was based on the "accuracy and adequacy of information in the marketplace" about The Crypto Company. In particular they raised concerns about "the compensation paid for promotion of the company, and statements in Commission filings about the plans of the company's insiders to sell their shares of The Crypto Company's common stock." "Questions have also arisen concerning potentially manipulative transactions in the company's stock in November 2017," the SEC said in announcing the suspension. The SEC's action against The Crypto Company comes amid an enormous surge in the value of cryptocurrencies. Read more here. GOOGLE CHROME TO START BLOCKING ADS IN FEBRUARY: Google's Chrome browser will soon be removing advertisements from sites that fall short of industry standards, the company announced Tuesday. In June, Google revealed its plans to have the browser start blocking certain types of ads, like autoplay videos. On Tuesday, the company said that starting Feb. 15, the browser would block all ads on sites that repeatedly show autoplay videos and full-page or pop-up ads. The standards were proposed by the Coalition for Better Ads, an industry group that includes technology and media companies. If Google finds that a site is failing to meet the coalition's advertising standards for more than 30 days, Chrome will remove all ads from that site. Read more here. US-NORTH KOREA TENSIONS GROW OVER WANNACRY ATTACK: Tensions between the Trump administration and North Korea ratcheted up further on Tuesday after the U.S. publicly blamed Pyongyang for a global cyberattack that crippled Britain's National Health Service and damaged systems at government agencies in other countries. The decision to call out North Korea for the WannaCry cyberattack is significant because the U.S. has only on rare occasions called out other nations for orchestrating cyberattacks. "We do not make this allegation lightly," White House homeland security adviser Tom Bossert told reporters Tuesday. "North Korea has acted especially badly, largely unchecked for more than a decade." The public denouncement is a sign of the Trump administration's effort to increase pressure on North Korea, though experts say that it is likely to fall short of having any effect unless officials can unite other countries in imposing further sanctions on the country. Read more here. MICROSOFT BACKS BILL TO LET SEX HARASSMENT CLAIMS GO TO COURT: Microsoft on Tuesday endorsed a Senate bill that would prohibit employers from using forced arbitration agreements on claims of workplace sexual harassment. Microsoft President Brad Smith said in a blog post Tuesday that, even though the bill is still awaiting a vote, the company would also be ending its own requirement that employees' sexual harassment claims be handled through the arbitration process. "The easiest mistake any employer can make is to assume that 'this could never happen here,' " Smith wrote. "While it's natural to hope and believe that's the case, one of the fundamental lessons of recent months is that people's voices need to be heard if their problems are to be addressed." Smith said that Microsoft is the first Fortune 100 company to endorse the Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Harassment Act of 2017, which was introduced earlier this month by Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.). The lawmakers argue that forcing harassment claims to go through the arbitration process tips the scales in the company's favor and lets alleged perpetrators off the hook. Read more here. ON TAP: National Institute of Standards and Technology will hold a webinar workshop on cybersecurity frameworks at 2:00 p.m. National Telecommunications and Information Administration will hold a webinar on broadband at 2:00 pm. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: White House: Kim Jong Un behind massive WannaCry malware attack German watchdog: Facebook abused dominant position in data collection French privacy watchdog slams Whatsapp on data collection Dem senator: Someone used my identity to file a fake anti-net neutrality comment Breitbart: An interview with Marsha Blackburn on her new net neutrality legislation The Verge: Waymo riders will now be insured Gizmodo: Facebook is making it harder for people you've blocked to harass you | 
沒有留言:
張貼留言