Consumer groups are wrong when they claim ISPs have access to user data not available to edge providers like Google and Facebook, said Richard Bennett, free-market blogger, in a blog post. ISPs can track people only when they're using ISP services, Bennett noted. “The large error is the implication that Google can only track you when you’re using Google and Facebook can only track you when you’re using Facebook," he said. "In fact, Internet advertising networks embed trackers in web pages off all kinds, even non-commercial ones such as those operated by ‘consumer groups.” FCC Chairman Ajit Pai indicated Friday the agency will act to guarantee parts of ISP privacy rules don’t take effect Thursday (see 1702240055).

The FCC Communications Security, Reliability, and Interoperability Council will meet 1-5 p.m., March 15, in the Commission Meeting Room, for the last time under the charter for its fifth iteration, the agency said in a notice set to appear in Thursday's Federal Register. The meeting will be the first since the start of FCC Chairman Ajit Pai’s administration, which has raised questions about CSRIC’s future role in cybersecurity policy (see 1701250077 and 1702060059).

Time Warner shareholders signed off on the $108.7 billion purchase by AT&T, voting at special shareholder meeting Wednesday. In a news release, TW said it still expects to close on the deal before year's end.

There are 16 common data breach scenarios that can affect every part of an organization, said a Verizon news release outlining a report Tuesday. "Breaches are growing in complexity and sophistication," said Bryan Sartin, executive director of Verizon's Research, Investigations, Solutions and Knowledge (Risk) team, which performs cyber investigations for companies and government. "Breaches touch every part of an organization up to and including its board of directors." The telco said 10 of the 16 scenarios represent more than 60 percent of the 1,400 cases investigated by the RISK team over the past three years. The other six are less common but still considered "highly damaging."

APCO encouraged the FCC to collect still more detailed information on when and how states divert 911 funds to other purposes. It said the FCC should “clearly define NG9-1-1 [next-generation 911] as part of the information collection on NG9-1-1 expenditures." The FCC should seek information on how states and their vendors are ensuring NG-911 components are fully interoperable, APCO said. The FCC also should provide guidance on what constitutes a “cybersecurity program” and additional information “about the types of cybersecurity programs states and [public safety answering points] are participating in and implementing,” APCO said. Also helpful would be data on the number of 911 texts received, “broken down by emergency and non-emergency, as well as the methods PSAPs use to receive texts,” APCO said. “The Commission’s fee diversion reports provide valuable insight into the 9-1-1 funding environment, as well as areas such as technology deployment and cybersecurity,” the filing said. “The reports will be even more useful advocacy and planning tools if the Commission collects more detailed information.” The group commented in docket 09-14 in response to an agency 911 fee diversion report (see 1701130065).

Parties seeking to administer an FCC national deaf-blind equipment distribution program in individual states, the District of Columbia and U.S. territories can apply for Consumer and Governmental Affairs bureau certification through April 7, said a commission public notice in docket 10-210 in Wednesday's Daily Digest. Current state administrators certified under a pilot program also must notify the FCC by April 7 if they don't wish to continue in the permanent program, which the FCC adopted in August (see 1608040065). The pilot program ends June 30 and the permanent program begins July 1. Also known as iCanConnect, the program is budgeted annually at up to $10 million, and gives those who are deaf-blind and meet income guidelines free equipment designed to make telecom, internet access and advanced communications services accessible. Installation, training and other technical support are also available.

AT&T, IBM, Nokia, Palo Alto Networks, Symantec and Trustonic formed the IoT Cybersecurity Alliance Wednesday to “use their combined expertise to help tackle today's top [IoT] security challenges,” AT&T said: IoTCA “will research and raise awareness of ways to better secure the IoT ecosystem.” AT&T said the group also intends to “influence” cybersecurity standards and policies. “Be it a connected car, pacemaker or coffee maker, every connected device is a potential new entry point for cyberattacks," said AT&T Chief Security Officer Bill O’Hern. "Each device requires very different security considerations. It's become essential for industry leaders and innovators like those in the founding members of this Alliance, to work together to help the industry find more holistic security approaches for IoT.”

FCC data collection to make a pilot national deaf-blind equipment distribution program (NDBEDP) permanent was approved for three years by the Office of Management and Budget, said a commission rule summary in Monday's Federal Register. An August order "clarified that the pilot program will not terminate until after all reports have been submitted, all payments and adjustments have been made, and all wind-down activities have been completed, and no issues with regard to the NDBEDP pilot program remain pending," said the rule, noting the program's $10 million annual budget. Parties can apply for a period of 60 days to be certified for the program. "To minimize any disruption of service in the transition between the pilot program and the permanent program, the FCC's Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau will announce its selection of the entities certified to participate in the NDBEDP permanent program as soon as possible, but such certifications will not become effective before July 1," the rule said.

FTC Acting Chairman Maureen Ohlhausen said the commission will continue to "aggressively" challenge anticompetitive mergers and exclusionary conduct, but added there's room for improvement. In prepared remarks to the Global Competition Review annual antitrust forum Friday, Ohlhausen said she supports the Standard Merger and Acquisition Reviews Through Equal Rules (Smarter) Act, which seeks to eliminate disparities in the antitrust review process between DOJ and the FTC. The House passed its version last year but the measure never reached the Senate floor (see 1702010069). The bill is expected to be reintroduced this year. Ohlhausen said the bill "would subject the FTC and DOJ to the same standard in seeking preliminary injunctions, and bar the FTC from challenging unconsummated mergers" in the commission's Part 3 process, which permits the commission to challenge alleged Section 5 violations via administrative litigation. "A merging company's prospects should not depend on which agency reviews its [Hart-Scott-Rodino] filing," she said. The commission also got its Part 3 priorities "backwards" under the prior administration, favoring going to federal court to seek disgorgement rather than use administrative litigation in some conduct cases, she said. Ohlhausen said she would like the FTC to explore new guidance on disgorgement, as well as work "to define and confine" anticompetitive effects from state government action. "From one perspective, federal antitrust enforcement can make governments be politically accountable for state-imposed restrictions on competition," she said. But she added it doesn't have to be adversarial and the commission can work with state and local governments to reduce barriers to competition.

The FCC will review a wide range of agency rules that are more than a decade old, it said in a notice scheduled for Friday's Federal Register. "The purpose of the review is to determine whether Commission rules whose ten-year anniversary dates are in the years 2011-2014" should be "continued without change, amended, or rescinded in order to minimize any significant impact the rules may have on a substantial number of small entities," it said. Comments will be due May 4.