Washington is on the verge of passing the nation's strongest privacy bill, representatives for Microsoft and Internet Association told state House lawmakers Friday, while raising concerns about a private right of action (see 1902280050). Consumer and minority groups called the bill weak, arguing against allowing overly permissive policies for facial recognition technology. House members, who will next meet Tuesday, are amending bill language.
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
It’s “unacceptable” the FCC hasn’t publicly shared information on the scope of its investigation into wireless carrier geolocation data collection and sharing practices (see 1903200053), said Umair Javed, aide to Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel, at an FCBA event Thursday. Though the probe has taken the better part of a year, the public remains in the dark about how the agency is working to protect data, he said.
The FTC is developing plans to issue a 6(b) study of tech industry data practices, an aide for Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., said Wednesday. Such Section 6(b) authority, agency documents say, lets it conduct “wide-ranging economic studies that do not have a specific law enforcement purpose.” The studies allow the agency to collect internal company information. According to the aide, commission Chairman Joe Simons wrote to Thune: “I agree with you that the FTC’s section 6(b) authority could be used to provide some much needed transparency to consumers about the data practices of large technology companies. We are developing plans to issue 6(b) orders in the technology area.” The agency declined comment.
The U.S. needs bright-line regulation prohibiting data throttling and paid prioritization, Public Knowledge Senior Counsel John Bergmayer told the FTC. An industry-related speaker fired back, arguing that self-regulation is the approach.
A proposal from Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., to tax the tech industry on data collection is a political move that’s not realistically enforceable, said politically conservative and libertarian tech observers Tuesday. During an American Action Forum event, R Street Institute Fellow Caleb Watney called it an effort to seize political momentum, rather than an attempt to solve real issues.
Democrat and Republican staffs are in informal discussions about privacy legislation, House Consumer Protection Subcommittee Chair Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill., told us. That signals the committee’s bipartisan legislative discussion isn't as advanced as its Senate counterpart. “We’ve been meeting about it. We fully intend to talk to them in the hopes of getting something bipartisan, but we’re not there yet,” she told us. Schakowsky is the Democratic lead on the committee’s privacy effort.
The U.S. might need legislation to combat the influx of frivolous Chinese trademark applications, Patent and Trademark Office Director Andrei Iancu told the Senate Intellectual Property Subcommittee Wednesday. Chinese trademark applications have increased 1,100 percent cumulatively in the past six years, he said. Iancu noted at the hearing, however, that Chinese applications have decreased to start 2019, possibly because of increased scrutiny.
Sens. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn.; Josh Hawley, R-Mo.; Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn.; and Chris Coons, D-Del., formed a Senate Judiciary Committee privacy working group, Chairman Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., Blumenthal and Coons told us. Judiciary heard testimony from Google, Intel, DuckDuckGo, Mapbox and others during a privacy hearing Tuesday.
Data privacy issues can’t be fully addressed using antitrust tools, Sens. John Kennedy, R-La., and Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., told us separately. The Senate Judiciary Committee will discuss the intersection of antitrust and privacy policies Tuesday, with Google, Intel and Mapbox among those invited to testify (see 1903070072). Intel confirmed Friday that Global Privacy Director David Hoffman will testify.
The Senate Judiciary Committee invited Google, Intel and Mapbox to testify at Tuesday’s privacy hearing (see 1903050073), said tech lobbyists. American Enterprise Institute Visiting Scholar Roslyn Layton and University of Arizona law professor Jane Bambauer also were invited, said the lobbyists. The hearing is expected to include two panels with as many as three additional witnesses, they said. Mapbox confirmed it’s sending Policy Lead Tom Lee. The other potential witnesses and the committee didn’t comment.