Democrats plan sweeping net neutrality bill as FCC majority stalls |  Sen. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) is an outspoken net neutrality advocate. (Alex Brandon/AP) | | | Democratic lawmakers' inability to secure a majority at the Federal Communications Commission has stymied plans for the agency to restore Obama-era net neutrality rules. Amid the impasse, lawmakers are renewing efforts to take the issue into their own hands with a sweeping new bill, according to a copy obtained by The Technology 202. Led by Sens. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), the Net Neutrality and Broadband Justice Act would reclassify broadband as a telecommunications service and open companies like AT&T and Verizon up to stricter oversight by the FCC. While the two-page bill is seemingly simple in scope, it would have massive implications in addition to reinstating net neutrality, the rules that bars internet service providers from blocking or throttling content. It would shift how aggressively the FCC can regulate issues like internet pricing, consumer privacy and competition in the broadband market. Lawmakers plan to introduce the bill in coming weeks, likely before the August recess, according to two people familiar with the negotiations, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss private talks. Rep. Doris Matsui (D-Calif.) is slated to introduce a counterpart measure in the House, one of the people said. | | | | | | | | In the metaverse, biology students will have a larger-than-life view of microscopic organisms—transforming what is possible for science education, research and medical breakthroughs.
| | | |  | | | | | The bill is a major new marker in the contentious debate over net neutrality and telecom regulation. If enacted, it would fulfill a long-running Democratic priority. In 2015, a Democratic FCC majority voted to regulate broadband as a telecommunications service under what's known as Title II of the Communications Act of 1934. The move opened telecom companies up to more stringent, utility-style regulation, like what exists for electricity and water, and ushered in the anti-discrimination rules known as net neutrality. But in 2017, a Republican FCC majority voted to repeal the rules under Chairman Ajit Pai, who argued that they were "heavy-handed" regulations that did more harm than good. Since then, Democrats on Capitol Hill have repeatedly tried to revive net neutrality, including through a legislative process that lets Congress revisit and reject decisions by agencies. But those efforts have run into significant opposition from Republicans. After President Biden took office, net neutrality advocates called on the FCC to reinstate the rules. But Democrats still lack a majority at the agency because of delays to the nomination of former FCC staffer and prominent net neutrality advocate Gigi Sohn. The bill is expected to face opposition from Republicans, making odds for passage steep. But some proponents hope other factors could shake up the debate. That includes the coronavirus pandemic, according to one of the people familiar with discussions. Proponents think it has laid bare the necessity of internet access, they said, and could make it more difficult to argue against treating broadband as a utility service. Some net neutrality advocates also think Republican calls to designate social media companies as common carriers could make their positions more untenable, the person said. Republicans have floated the idea as a means to address an alleged anti-conservative bias by companies like Facebook and Twitter. By treating them as common carriers, Republicans have argued, social networks could theoretically be barred from discriminating against viewpoints. | | Arguing that social media platforms — but not internet service providers — should be regulated like common carriers "quickly becomes gymnastics," the person said. Markey and Wyden's offices declined to comment on plans for the bill. But Markey spokeswoman Rosemary Boeglin said in a statement that it's "more clear than ever that broadband internet is an essential utility." "Senator Markey firmly believes the Federal Communications Commission's authority should reflect that, so it can fulfill its obligations to the public by reinstating net neutrality rules, protecting consumers, and taking other critical steps to create a just digital future," Boeglin said. Wyden spokesman Keith Chu said that "Ajit Pai's rollback of net neutrality was a huge loss for competition and privacy," adding that Wyden "still believes that net neutrality is the foundation of an open internet that works for everyone — not just Big Cable and big incumbents." Spokespeople for Matsui did not respond to a request for comment Sunday. Markey teased plans to release the measure last year — but it's yet to be unveiled. | | |  | Our top tabs | | TikTok's chief security officer to leave post |  The shakeup comes as U.S. policymakers look into TikTok's data security practices (Brent Lewin/Bloomberg News) | | | Roland Cloutier began working at TikTok in 2020 and will transition to a strategic adviser at the company, the Wall Street Journal's Ryan Tracy reports. TikTok's data security practices have come under fire in the wake of a BuzzFeed News report on parent company ByteDance's Chinese employees accessing U.S. user data. | | A TikTok spokesperson said the move was in the works before U.S. policymakers ramped up their criticism of the company. TikTok chief executive Shou Zi Chew tied the move to data security developments at the company. "Part of our evolving approach has been to minimize concerns about the security of user data in the U.S., including the creation of a new department to manage U.S. user data for TikTok," he said in the note. TikTok has pushed back on BuzzFeed News's reporting, calling it "incorrect and not supported by the facts." However, Chew also told Republican lawmakers in a letter that employees outside the United States, including those in China, "can have access to TikTok U.S. user data" if they pass security checks. | Musk calls Twitter's request for an expedited trial unreasonable |  Lawyers representing Elon Musk and Twitter will face off Tuesday. (Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg News) | | | Tesla chief executive Elon Musk responded to Twitter's lawsuit in a legal filing, arguing that a Delaware court should deny a request from the social media company to hold a short trial in the next two months, Gerrit De Vynck and Elizabeth Dwoskin report. The court is set to hold a hearing on Tuesday regarding Twitter's request for an expedited trial. "Twitter sued Musk on Tuesday to force him to complete his acquisition of the company after he said last week that he was terminating the deal" to buy the company for $44 billion, my colleagues write. "Musk has argued he has a right to leave the deal because the company didn't give him enough information to figure out if its estimates about the number of spam bots on the platform are accurate. A spokesperson for Twitter declined to comment." Musk's team says resolving the disagreement over bots will take time. "The core dispute over false and spam accounts is fundamental to Twitter's value," Musk's legal team wrote. "It is also extremely fact and expert intensive, requiring substantial time for discovery." | FCC needs extra $3 billion to fund Huawei, ZTE removal program |  FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel put the figure in a letter to top lawmakers. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post) | | | FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel told top lawmakers on Friday that the Federal Communications Commission is facing a shortfall of about $3 billion in its program to fund U.S. telecom systems to remove hardware made by Huawei and ZTE from their networks. The program would need more funding from Congress beyond the $1.9 billion that lawmakers previously appropriated to fully fund telecoms' requests, The Cybersecurity 202 newsletter reported last month. For years, U.S. officials have sought to remove Huawei and other Chinese firms from U.S. telecom infrastructure. The officials fear that if those companies have a foothold in U.S. networks, it could enable the Chinese government to spy on U.S. communications. Huawei has denied the allegations. | | |  | Rant and rave | | | Elon Musk's response to Twitter's lawsuit didn't impress some Twitter users. Consultant and writer Martin SFP Bryant: | | Facebook whistleblower Sophie Zhang, a former data scientist at the company: | | |  | Inside the industry | | | |  | Hill happenings | | | |  | Workforce report | | | |  | Privacy monitor | | | |  | Trending | | | |  | Daybook | | - Federal Trade Commissioner Noah Phillips, a Republican, speaks at an American Enterprise Institute event on the consumer welfare standard today at 1:30 p.m.
- Patreon chief executive Jack Conte discusses the creator economy at a Washington Post Live event today at 4 p.m.
- The House Judiciary Committee holds a hearing on government access to personal data on Tuesday at 10 a.m.
- The Senate Commerce Committee holds a hearing to consider President Biden's nomination of Dr. Arati Prabhakar to lead the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy on Wednesday at 10 a.m.
- FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr, a Republican, discusses broadband grants at an American Enterprise Institute event on Thursday at 10 a.m.
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