The Republican-led FCC’s effort to get out of the business of regulating broadband providers’ consumer practices took a step forward on Monday. In an appeal that has been proceeding in parallel with the FCC’s “Restoring Internet Freedom” reclassification proceeding, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit issued an opinion giving the Federal Trade
FCC Net Neutrality Repeal Published in Federal Register, Triggering Deadlines for Challengers
On Thursday, February 22, 2018, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC or Commission) published the Restoring Internet Freedom Order (the Order) in the Federal Register.
As we previously discussed, the Order effectively reverses the Commission’s 2015 Open Internet Order, reclassifying broadband Internet access service as a lightly regulated Title I “information service” and eliminating
Will Your TV Watch You? FCC Green Lights Targeted Advertising in Next Gen TV Broadcasting Standard
Last week, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), in a 3-2 vote, approved an order allowing “television broadcasters to use the ‘Next Generation’ broadcast television (Next Gen TV) transmission standard, also called ‘ATSC 3.0.’” Described in the Order “as the world’s first Internet Protocol (IP)-based broadcast transmission platform,” the Next Gen TV standard is expected to allow broadcasters to provide more targeted advertisements to individual viewers. Some had expressed concerns over the collection of the demographic and consumer data necessary for Next Gen TV targeted advertising, and applicable privacy safeguards for the new standard. At this stage though, the FCC majority took a wait and see approach to privacy concerns.
House Antitrust Subcommittee Explores the Role of Antitrust Law in Net Neutrality
On November 1, 2017 the House Antitrust Law Subcommittee held a hearing to discuss the role of federal agencies in preserving an open Internet.
The core question discussed at the hearing was whether current antitrust law is sufficient to ensure net neutrality absent FCC rules. The panelists—including FTC Acting Chairman Maureen Ohlhausen and Commissioner Terrell McSweeney; former FCC Commissioner Robert McDowell; and Michael Romano, NTCA Senior Vice President of Industry Affairs and Business Development—and committee members were generally divided down party lines, with Republicans arguing that FCC rules were both unnecessary and counterproductive and Democrats arguing that rules were necessary to ensure an open Internet, free expression, and innovation.
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Congress Repeals FCC 2016 Privacy Order via Congressional Review Act
On April 3, 2017, President Trump signed into law a Congressional joint resolution eliminating new broadband and voice privacy rules set forth in a November 2016 order (the 2016 Privacy Order) by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) (the Joint Resolution). Members of Congress largely voted along partisan lines. The House approved the Joint Resolution by
Client Advisory: The FCC’s Broadband Privacy Order
On Wednesday, November 2, 2016, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) released the text of its long-awaited Broadband Privacy Order, which it adopted on October 27, 2016. For an overview of the Order, you may read our client advisory here.
The practical impact and reach of the rules will not be known for some
FCC Votes to Impose Aggressive New Privacy Rules on Broadband Providers
At the Federal Communications Commission’s (“FCC”) Open Meeting on October 27, the Commission voted along party lines (3-2) to impose more stringent rules on broadband Internet service providers (“ISPs”). Chairman Tom Wheeler, along with Commissioners Rosenworcel and Clyburn voted in favor of the item, while Commissioners Pai and O’Rielly voted against it.
The new rules clarify the privacy requirements applicable to broadband ISPs pursuant to Section 222 of the Communications Act. The new rules also apply to voice services and treat call-detail records as “sensitive” in the context of voice services.
According to an FCC press release issued immediately after the meeting, these rules “establish a framework of customer consent required for ISPs to use and share their customers’ personal information that is calibrated to the sensitivity of the information.” The Commission further asserts that this approach is consistent with the existing privacy framework of the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”).
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FCC Chairman Outlines Proposal for New Broadband Privacy Rules
On October 6, 2016, Federal Communications Commission (FCC or Commission) Chairman Tom Wheeler published a blog entry on the Commission’s website outlining proposed privacy rules for broadband Internet Service Providers (ISPs). The proposed rules are scheduled to be considered by the full Commission at its monthly meeting on October 27, 2016. These rules come after
Commerce Department Kicks off Multistakeholder Process for Consumer Privacy Codes of Conduct
In the wake of the White House’s February 23, 2012 release of Consumer Data Privacy in a Networked World: A Framework for Protecting and Promoting Innovation in a Global Digital Economy ("Framework"), the Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) published in today’s Federal Register a request for public comments from all interested stakeholders
Groupon Privacy Statement Revisions Reflect Evolving Legal and Regulatory Landscape
Groupon recently made sweeping and material changes to its web-posted privacy statement, allowing the company to collect more information and share it more freely with other companies. The changes allow Groupon to collect more information, including location information for its app-driven Groupon Now! deals, and to share it more freely with others, such as Expedia