The U.S. needs to devote the “proper” federal resources to the rise of white nationalism, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., told us, citing what he called a lack of attention from President Donald Trump. It’s obvious why Tuesday’s hearing (see 1904040064), in which Facebook and Google are expected to testify, is needed, Nadler said. The hearing will convene at 10 a.m. in 2141 Rayburn.
Karl Herchenroeder
Karl Herchenroeder, Associate Editor, is a technology policy journalist for publications including Communications Daily. Born in Rockville, Maryland, he joined the Warren Communications News staff in 2018. He began his journalism career in 2012 at the Aspen Times in Aspen, Colorado, where he covered city government. After that, he covered the nuclear industry for ExchangeMonitor in Washington. You can follow Herchenroeder on Twitter: @karlherk
Senate Banking Committee leadership told us they want more involvement in the ongoing privacy debate but, for now, will defer to the Senate Commerce Committee to lead the legislative effort. Chairman Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, also expects Senate Judiciary Committee participation, which raises jurisdictional questions for the three panels.
A patchwork of 50 conflicting state privacy laws would be “unworkable” for industry, said FTC Commissioner Christine Wilson Wednesday, a day after meeting with industry groups. Speaking at an American Enterprise Institute event, Wilson said she met with a room “full of large companies” Tuesday. She declined to name the companies when asked on the sidelines at Wednesday’s event.
Questions remain about potential private right of action and facial recognition provisions in Washington state’s privacy legislation (see 1903220057). During executive session Tuesday, the House Innovation, Technology and Economic Development Committee extended the discussion through Wednesday because the latest House language wasn't publicly posted until Tuesday. Chairman Zack Hudgins (D) cited the need for openness and transparency.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s call to regulate online content moderation is a “bad idea,” FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr told us Monday, calling it “outsourcing of censorship to government.” The Zuckerberg proposal drew mixed reaction from lawmakers, industry groups and consumer advocates.
The FTC is “very nervous” that overly stringent privacy regulation will entrench tech “monopolies,” Chairman Joe Simons said Friday. “If you get too much privacy, you might get a situation where it becomes hard for small companies, new entrants potentially, to compete with the more established, bigger platforms,” Simons said at an American Bar Association event.
FTC Commissioner Christine Wilson ripped proposals to break up big tech platforms, as suggested by Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and some others (see 1903180058). “I reject attempts to short-circuit the traditional process and simply assume a problem and impose a preordained solution,” Wilson said at a Computer and Communications Industry Association event Thursday.
The FTC’s upcoming study of ISP data collection practices is the right step (see 1903260072), lawmakers told us. Some want big tech companies also under the microscope. An FTC spokesperson confirmed the study is related to Chairman Joe Simons’ response to Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., (see 1903200073).
The hope is that the Senate Commerce Committee’s working group can begin negotiating privacy bill specifics (see 1903050074) in the next several days or week, Senate Consumer Protection Subcommittee Chairman Jerry Moran, R-Kan., told reporters after a Tuesday hearing. The differences aren’t “insurmountable,” and the goal will be to draft a bill that’s strong enough for Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and Democrats to support federal pre-emption of state laws like the California Consumer Privacy Act, Moran said.
The FTC is examining how it can better protect consumers and promote privacy and competition, Chairman Joe Simons said during the agency’s latest policy hearing. The Electronic Privacy Information Center organized a demonstration outside the hearing Monday at agency headquarters, where the group sought a conclusion to the FTC’s investigation into potential Facebook privacy violations. EPIC seeks enforcement of the agency’s privacy consent order with the social network, President Marc Rotenberg tweeted.