| NET NEUTRALITY ACTIVISTS RALLY TO OVERTURN FCC REPEAL: Net neutrality activists are stepping up their pressure on lawmakers this week to support a bill that would vacate the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) decision to repeal its net neutrality rules. On Tuesday, supporters are holding a net neutrality day of action to push for one more Republican senator to support the bill and become the tie-breaking vote needed to send it to the House. The bill would use a legislative tool called the Congressional Review Act (CRA) to roll back the FCC repeal. The repeal order was published in the Federal Register last week, starting a countdown of 60 days for Democrats to find the tie-breaking vote on the bill. It currently has 50 supporters in the Senate, with Sen. Susan Collins (Maine) as the sole Republican in favor of it. Evan Greer, an organizer with the group Fight for the Future, said that the goal of Tuesday's demonstrations is to show lawmakers the popular support that the FCC's Obama-era rules enjoy. "We need to turn that public consensus into political power," Greer told The Hill. "We are seeing this becoming less of a partisan issue in Congress, and that's because members are so consistently hearing from so many of their constituents and small businesses in their districts that this is something that matters to them." Even if the bill does pass the Senate, however, it will face an even steeper challenge in the House. But Democrats see a political upside in forcing a vote on the issue ahead of what's shaping up to be a tough midterm cycle for Republicans. Internet companies like Reddit, Etsy, Tumblr and Medium have signed on to Tuesday's rally, as have advocacy groups like the American Civil Liberties Union and Common Cause. Read more here. Please send your tips, comments and compliments 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. FCC CHAIR WANTS NEW SPECTRUM AUCTIONS: Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Ajit Pai on Monday said that he wants to free up more spectrum, the radio bands that telecommunications companies use for their networks. Speaking at the Mobile World Congress event in Barcelona, Pai said that he would like the FCC to hold an auction in November for the 28 GHz bands that 5G wireless broadband relies on. After this, he would like to hold another spectrum auction for 24 GHz bands. The chairman noted during his remarks that his timeline is reliant on Congress passing legislation addressing upfront payment by May 13. Companies interested in bidding must provide some money upfront to prove that they have the resources to deploy spectrum bands. Previously, this money was held by banks, but private financial institutions are now less amenable to this. Read more here. COURT ALLOWS DATA-THROTTLING CASE AGAINST AT&T TO MOVE FORWARD: A federal appeals court ruled on Monday that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) can move forward with its lawsuit against AT&T over allegations the company deceptively slowed data for some of its customers. The decision also affirms the FTC's authority to police internet service providers, an issue that had been in question amid the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) repeal of its net neutrality rules. The FCC's net neutrality repeal handed oversight of internet service providers to the FTC, but critics said that would create an enforcement gap. "I welcome the 9th Circuit's ruling as good news for consumers," Maureen Ohlhausen, the FTC's acting chairwoman, said in a statement. "It ensures that the FTC can and will continue to play its vital role in safeguarding consumer interests including privacy protection, as well as stopping anticompetitive market behavior." Read more here. SANDBERG BACKS HOUSE SEX TRAFFICKING BILL: Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook's chief operating officer, voiced her support on Monday for controversial legislation aimed at cracking down on sex trafficking on internet platforms. "We all have a responsibility to do our part to fight this. That's why we at Facebook support efforts to pass amended legislation in the House that would allow responsible companies to continue fighting sex trafficking while giving victims the chance to seek justice against companies that knowingly facilitate such abhorrent acts," Sandberg wrote in a Facebook post. Her comments come as House lawmakers prepare to vote this week on the Allow States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act (FOSTA), which amends Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act -- a provision that prevents technology companies from being held liable for content users post on their platforms. Read more here. SEX TRAFFICKING BILL CLEARS HOUSE PANEL: A sex trafficking bill that has divided the tech industry was cleared by the House Rules Committee on Monday, setting it up for a Tuesday floor vote. The panel approved the Allow States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act (FOSTA) to be considered by the House. The bill includes an amendment attached by Rep. Mimi Walters (R-Calif.) that has some internet companies worried that it could erode the legal immunity they have over content posted by third-party users. The Walters amendment attaches language from a similar Senate bill that would allow victims and prosecutors to take legal action against internet platforms for enabling sex trafficking on their sites. Read more here. POLL: AMERICANS SPLIT ON UNIVERSAL BASIC INCOME FOR AI-DISPLACED WORKERS: The American public is split on the prospect of giving a universal basic income to Americans who lose their jobs to artificial intelligence, according to a new poll. In a Gallup and Northeastern University poll released Monday, 48 percent of those surveyed said they would support a universal basic income (UBI) compared to 52 percent who said they would oppose it. There was a large difference in responses based on respondents' political identification. Of respondents who said they are Democrats, 65 percent said they would support UBI, while only 28 percent of Republicans said they would support the measure. Read more here. ON TAP: The National Association of Broadcasters will have its state leadership conference at 7:00 a.m. Information Technology and Innovation Foundation will host an event on open government data risks at 9:00 a.m. The Senate Health Committee will hold a hearing on how tech and data can help combat opioid addiction at 10:00 a.m. Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass) and other lawmakers will hold a net neutrality press conference at 11:00 a.m. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: BuzzFeed: A Former Manager At The Russian "Troll Factory" Is Now Living In The US, Report Says WSJ: How Softbank, World's Biggest Tech Investor, Throws Around Its Cash The Guardian: EU finance head: We will regulate bitcoin if risks are not tackled Reuters: Apple shares on verge of record high after Buffett comments TechCrunch: Circle acquires cryptocurrency exchange Poloniex | 
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