NetNeutrality
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A million net neutrality comments used fake PornHub emails
Even as senators try to halt the FCC's gutting of former internet protections and tech companies express their frustration with the new rules, net neutrality is dead. Sure, there was an extension to the period of public comment on the matter when it was found that more than half of the comments were fake, but that didn't stop Ajit Pai's commission from killing it. Now there's even more evidence showing just how fake submissions to the governmental site were, including the fact that over one million bulk submissions used fake email addresses from pornhub.com.
Tech giants spent record $50 million lobbying the US in 2017
The dramatic shift in American politics during 2017 created many headaches for the tech industry -- and you'd better believe they spent plenty of money trying to cure those headaches. Recode has combed through House and Senate records to learn that Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Google and Microsoft spent a combined $50 million (a record amount) lobbying the US government in 2017. Outside of Microsoft, the corporate giants spent millions more fighting for and against policies -- some of which werent't even on the radar in previous years.
Montana is the first state to enact its own net neutrality rules
Most of the states fighting the FCC's net neutrality repeal are counting on lawsuits or legislative measures that could take years to process, but Montana Governor Steve Bullock isn't willing to wait. He just signed an executive order requiring that all internet providers with a Montana government contract from July 1st onward honor the principles of net neutrality for any customer in the state. Given that most major providers (including AT&T, Charter and Verizon) have government contracts, this forces telecoms to treat all traffic fairly regardless of what the FCC wants.
After Math: First!
It was a week of firsts for the tech industry. Facebook finally got around to adding its first African American board member (because it's not like it's already 2018 or anything), a lifeguard drone made its first Hasselhoffian beach rescue, Ferrari announced that it is indeed working on its first electric supercar, and Kodak took a break from slapping its brand on cryptocurrency mining rigs to release the first footage from its upcoming hybrid Super 8 camera. Numbers, because how else will you put entrants in order?
FCC admits mobile internet is a poor broadband replacement
As dictated by Section 706 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, the FCC released its annual draft 2018 Broadband Deployment Report on Wednesday. In it, the commission made a surprising concession: that no, mobile data and wired broadband are not in fact suitable replacements for one another. This admission comes only a few months after FCC chair, Ajit Pai, filed a "Notice of Inquiry" ahead of proposing that mobile be counted as a form of broadband. Doing so, opponents warned at the time, would disproportionately harm poor and rural communities.
The fight to restore net neutrality is picking up steam
Yesterday, Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer said that Senate Democrats now have a total of 50 votes in favor of restoring net neutrality. Today, the push back against the net neutrality repeal intensifies, as a companion House bill to reject the FCC's repeal now has 80 co-sponsors. What's more, 22 state attorneys general have also filed a lawsuit to block it from happening.
Democrats are just one vote shy of restoring net neutrality (Update)
Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer now says Democrats in the Senate are a single vote away from restoring net neutrality. According to the senator from New York, they now have a total of 50 votes for a Senate resolution of disapproval that would restore the Open Internet Order of 2015 and deliver a stiff rebuke to Ajit Pai and other Republican members of the FCC. It would also prevent the agency from passing a similar measure in the future, all but guaranteeing Net Neutrality is permanently preserved.
FCC Commissioner Clyburn talks about net neutrality at CES
Commissioner Mignon Clyburn has been a vocal defender of net neutrality and even helped author the Open Internet Order in 2015. She was on the ground and Las Vegas for CES and was nice enough to make time to swing by the Engadget stage. She sat down to talk about the importance of net neutrality and her quest to protect it for future generations as well as how current policies are putting at risk those most vulnerable. Unfortunately, there were some technical problems with our audio during the interview, so we've included a slightly abridged transcript after the break. Click here to catch up on the latest news from CES 2018.
Senate bill to undo the net neutrality repeal will get a vote
How could any of us forget that dreary day in December when the FCC voted to repeal Title II net neutrality regulations? However, all hope is not lost. In mid-December, Edward Markey (D-MA) and 27 other senators proposed a resolution to restore net neutrality. Today, Senator Claire McCaskill (D-MO) tweeted that she is the 30th cosponsor of the bill. This also happens to be the number of cosponsors required to ensure a full vote by the Senate.
Don’t pirate or we’ll mess with your Nest, warns East Coast ISP
Internet slowdowns at home aren't just annoying anymore. They can be hazardous to your health or dangerous if you're in an area that freezes. Internet service provider Armstrong Zoom has roughly a million subscribers in the Northeastern part of the U.S. and is keen to punish those it believes are using file-sharing services.
FCC releases the text of its order to undo net neutrality
A few weeks after the FCC voted to undo Title II protections for net neutrality, it has released the final text of its "Restoring Internet Freedom Order." That includes the contained arguments for why chairman Ajit Pai and two other commissioners believe the existing rules were harmful and absolutely must go, as well as dissenting opinions from commissioners Mignon Clyburn and Jessica Rosenworcel. Among the items addressed, it includes a note claiming that "identical or nearly-identical non-substantive comments that simply convey support or opposition" did not impact the commission If you've been paying attention to the debate then you'll be familiar with the various sides, but the 539-page document's release sets the stage for the next step: hearings, lawsuits, attempts by states and cities to establish their own rules, and attempts by Congress to firm up the rules in one way or another. Chairman Pai won't speak at CES next week, reportedly due to death threats, so if you'd like more information on why he pushed through such an unpopular decision, then for now this is the only way.
Ajit Pai reportedly cancelled CES appearance due to death threats
Yesterday, CES announced that FCC Chairman Ajit Pai would no longer be appearing at the trade show where he was scheduled to take part in a conversation with FTC Chairman Maureen Ohlhausen. At the time, neither FCC nor the show organizers gave a reason for the sudden change in plans, but Recode now reports that the cancellation is due to Pai receiving death threats. Two FCC sources added that law enforcement is now involved.
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai cancels appearance at CES
If you were hoping FCC Chairman Ajit Pai would answer for some of his policy decisions with his presence at CES... well, you'll be disappointed. The Consumer Technology Association has issued a brief statement saying that Pai is "unable to attend" CES 2018, where he was slated to participate in a "candid conversation" on January 9th. There's no reason given, and neither the CTA nor the FCC is willing to comment. Needless to say, it's odd to cancel at the last minute with no explanation.
Facebook, Twitter and social media’s road to federal regulation
The extent of Russia's meddling in the 2016 US presidential election remains unclear, but it's no secret that social media played a major role. This year brought with it a great deal of scrutiny for tech giants, particularly Facebook, Twitter and Google. These three companies came under the US government's microscope after news that Kremlin bots and trolls, spearheaded by a group known as the Internet Research Agency, used their sites to tamper with the 2016 presidential election. They spread misinformation (fake news!) and dubious ads across Facebook, Twitter and Google to hundreds of millions of users in the US, with the aim of fomenting hostility among Americans. And it's safe to say they succeeded.
Proposed net neutrality bill would ban blocking and throttling
Last week, the FCC repealed net neutrality protections put in place in 2015 and returned broadband to a Title I classification. There were many voices expressing concern over the proposal and frustration once the FCC voted to enact it and a few members of Congress on both sides of the aisle stated that legislation, which would be more permanent than an FCC ruling, would ultimately be the best way forward when it comes to net neutrality. Now, less than a week after the FCC's vote, Republican Representative Marsha Blackburn has introduced a net neutrality bill.
YouTube took down FCC's 'Harlem Shake' video for 7 hours
Remember when "Harlem Shake" musician Baauer said he'd take down FCC chairman Ajit Pai's video marking (and really, trivializing) the death of net neutrality? He meant it... although his effort didn't last long. The Verge notes that Baauer's label Mad Decent successfully removed the video from Daily Caller's YouTube channel with a copyright notice for a whopping 7 hours -- not much more than a momentary blip. The brief success is highlighting the concerns about the "shoot first, ask questions later" approach to copyright takedowns at sites like YouTube.
Netflix, Google and others voice frustration with net neutrality vote
Today, with a three to two vote, the FCC voted to repeal net neutrality protections put in place in 2015. While Commissioners Clyburn and Rosenworcel made it very clear how much they disagreed with the move in their dissents, others are also voicing their concerns over the decision.
Net neutrality is dead: What happens now?
The FCC repealed Title II net neutrality regulations this morning, making it legal for internet service providers to fracture the internet and charge more for the leftover pieces. We've covered the technical details of Title II and Title I, discussed how net neutrality has enabled creatives and entrepreneurs to thrive, and broken down the new transparency rules -- but what does today's vote actually mean for the future of the internet? Let's dive in.
The FCC has repealed net neutrality
During today's open meeting, the FCC's proposal to repeal net neutrality protections put in place in 2015 was put to a vote and it passed, three votes to two. As was widely expected, the three Republican members -- Chairman Ajit Pai and Commissioners Michael O'Rielly and Brendan Carr -- voted in favor of the proposal while Commissioners Mignon Clyburn and Jessica Rosenworcel, both Democrats, voted against it.
FCC net neutrality vote halted due to security concerns (updated)
As FCC Chairman Ajit Pai was in the middle of giving his comment on the net neutrality proposal, someone handed him a note. He quickly said that on advice of security, the Commission needed to take a break. The feed was then cut off. Politico kept its feed of the evacuated room up and it showed law enforcement and bomb-sniffing dogs searching the room. Update: After just a few minutes, the Commissioners and audience members returned to the room, the security concern seemingly resolved.
