FCC Feb. Meeting :: Rural Broadband :: NN Transparency :: Privacy

FCC TAKES NEXT STEPS TOWARD EXPANDING RURAL BROADBAND ACCESS.   Sets Details of Reverse Auction to Maximize Consumer Value.  News Release. (Dkt No 14-58 10-90 ). Adopted:  02/23/2017. News Media Contact: Mark Wigfield at (202) 418-0253, email: Mark.Wigfield@fcc.gov  WCB  https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-343606A1.docx
https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-343606A2.docx
https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-343606A3.docx
https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-343606A4.docx
https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-343606A1.pdf
https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-343606A2.pdf
https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-343606A3.pdf
https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-343606A4.pdf


 FCC VOTES TO PROTECT SMALL BUSINESSES FROM NEEDLESS REGULATION.   Service Providers with 250,000 Broadband Connections Are Relieved from Excessive Reporting Obligations.  News Release. (Dkt No 14-28 ). Adopted:  02/23/2017. News Media Contact: Mark Wigfield at (202) 418-0253, email: Mark.Wigfield@fcc.gov  CGB  https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-343609A1.docx
https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-343609A2.docx
https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-343609A3.docx
https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-343609A4.docx
https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-343609A1.pdf
https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-343609A2.pdf
https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-343609A3.pdf
https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-343609A4.pdf


 

 STATEMENT ON NEED FOR COMPREHENSIVE AND UNIFORM FRAMEWORK TO PROTECT AMERICANS' ONLINE PRIVACY.  STMT. News Media Contact: Mark Wigfield at (202) 418-0253, email: Mark.Wigfield@fcc.gov  OMR  https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-343623A1.docx
https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-343623A1.pdf

February 24, 2017

  - Statement

Joint Statement FCC Cmmr Clyburn and FTC Cmmr McSweeny on Privacy

Social Media Passwords at the Border

No to DHS Social Media Password Requirements

https://cdt.org/insight/no-to-dhs-social-media-password-requirement/

The undersigned coalition of human rights and civil liberties organizations, trade associations, and experts in security, technology, and the law expresses deep concern about the comments made by Secretary John Kelly at the House Homeland Security Committee hearing on February 7th, 2017, suggesting the Department of Homeland Security could require non-citizens to provide the passwords to their social media accounts as a condition of entering the country.

We recognize the important role that DHS plays in protecting the United States' borders and the challenges it faces in keeping the U.S. safe, but demanding passwords or other account credentials without cause will fail to increase the security of U.S. citizens and is a direct assault on fundamental rights.

This proposal would enable border officials to invade people's privacy by examining years of private emails, texts, and messages. It would expose travelers and everyone in their social networks, including potentially millions of U.S. citizens, to excessive, unjustified scrutiny. And it would discourage people from using online services or taking their devices with them while traveling, and would discourage travel for business, tourism, and journalism.

Demands from U.S. border officials for passwords to social media accounts will also set a precedent that may ultimately affect all travelers around the world. This demand is likely to be mirrored by foreign governments, which will demand passwords from U.S. citizens when they seek entry to foreign countries. This would compromise U.S. economic security, cybersecurity, and national security, as well as damage the U.S.'s relationships with foreign governments and their citizenry.

Policies to demand passwords as a condition of travel, as well as more general efforts to force individuals to disclose their online activity, including potentially years' worth of private and public communications, create an intense chilling effect on individuals. Freedom of expression and press rights, access to information, rights of association, and religious liberty are all put at risk by these policies.

The first rule of online security is simple: Do not share your passwords. No government agency should undermine security, privacy, and other rights with a blanket policy of demanding passwords from individuals.

✏️ Notice of Extension of Comment Period on Fostering the Advancement of the Internet of Things

Date:  February 22, 2017

Docket Number:  Docket No. 17010523-7023-01

"In response to requests for additional time, the Department of Commerce is extending the closing deadline for submitting comments to a request for public comments entitled "The Benefits, Challenges, and Potential Roles for the Government in Fostering the Advancement of the Internet of Things." 82 FR 4313 (Jan. 13, 2017).  In the request for comment, the Department is seeking broad input from all interested stakeholders -- including the private industry, researchers, academia, and civil society -- on the issues and proposed approach, current initiatives, and next steps laid out in the green paper "Fostering the Advancement of the Internet of Things."  Through this notice, the Department extends the comment period to March 13, 2017. "  

⚖ Cybertelecom Links 🚴🏿

Released:  02/14/2017.  WIRELINE COMPETITION BUREAU ANNOUNCES RESULTS OF 2017 URBAN RATE SURVEY FOR FIXED VOICE AND BROADBAND SERVICES, POSTING OF SURVEY DATA AND EXPLANATORY NOTES, AND REQUIRED MINIMUM USAGE ALLOWANCE FOR ETCS SUBJECT TO BROADBAND PUBLIC INTEREST OBLIGATIONS. (DA No.  17-167). (Dkt No 10-90 ).  WCB . Contact:  Suzanne Yelen at (202) 418-7400, email: Suzanne.Yelen@fcc.gov, TTY:  (202) 418-0484 https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-17-167A1.docx
https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-17-167A1.pdf

Ohio and Utah are first states to approve CenturyLink - Level 3 merger http://news.centurylink.com/news/ohio-and-utah-are-first-states-to-approve-centurylink-level-3-merger

State of the Internet / Security Q4 2016 https://blogs.akamai.com/2017/02/state-of-the-internet-security-q4-2016.html

Windstream receives regulatory approvals for EarthLink merger, announces fourth-quarter, full-year 2016 earnings call http://news.windstream.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=1784 

Mitigating the Increasing Risks of an Insecure Internet of Things

FEBRUARY 18, 2017 BY NICK FEAMSTER 

https://freedom-to-tinker.com/2017/02/18/mitigating-the-increasing-risks-of-an-insecure-internet-of-things/

Regulation and Anti-Regulation

FEBRUARY 15, 2017 BY ED FELTEN https://freedom-to-tinker.com/2017/02/15/regulation-and-anti-regulation/https://freedom-to-tinker.com/2017/02/15/regulation-and-anti-regulation/

Are My Emails Beyond the Grasp of the U.S. Government? WJLTA https://wjlta.com/2017/02/14/are-my-emails-beyond-the-grasp-of-the-u-s-government/

SOUPS Call for Papers

Greetings, If you're interested in contributing to the program for the Thirteenth Symposium on Usable Privacy and Security (SOUPS 2017), you have just a few more weeks to register a paper. Paper registration must be completed by Wednesday, March 1, 2017, and paper submissions will be due the following Monday, March 6. We invite authors to submit previously unpublished papers describing research or experience in all areas of usable privacy and security. We welcome a variety of research methods, including both qualitative and quantitative approaches. A sampling of topics of interest include: Innovative security or privacy functionality and design Security testing of new or existing usability features The impact of organizational policy or procurement decisions Lessons learned from the deployment and use of usable privacy and security features Please review the complete Call for Papers for additional details on suggested topics and submission instructions. We look forward to seeing your paper registration by Wednesday, March 1, 2017! Sincerely, Mary Ellen Zurko, Cisco Systems SOUPS 2017 General Chair soups17chair@usenix.org For more information and frequent updates regarding SOUPS, please check out our Facebook page. Please use soups17chair@usenix.org to contact Mary Ellen Zurko. The email address maryellen.zurko@usenix.org is for automated list management only. About this mailing list: USENIX never shares, sells, rents, or exchanges email addresses. We would like to continue sending you occasional emails like this one. However, if you no longer want to receive emails from USENIX, please click here to opt out. If you have any questions about the mailing list, please email office@usenix.org. We may also be reached via postal mail at: USENIX Association 2560 Ninth St, Suite 215, Berkeley, CA 94710, USA

Fwd: 🚴🏿 Cybertelecom Links 🐶

Comcast Isn't Allowed to Say It Has 'America's Fastest Internet' Anymore Gizmodo https://gizmodo.com/comcast-isnt-allowed-to-say-it-has-americas-fastest-int-1792143242

Public Knowledge Moves to Preserve FCC's Online Privacy Rules PK Feb. 7, 2017 https://www.publicknowledge.org/press-release/public-knowledge-moves-to-preserve-fccs-online-privacy-rules#When:14:00:00Z ("Recently, Public Knowledge filed an Opposition to Petitions for a Stay of the Federal Communications Commission's Broadband Privacy rules adopted in 2016.")

The FCC talks the talk on the digital divide — and then walks in the other direction, WAPO Feb. 11 https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-fcc-talks-the-talk-on-the-digital-divide--and-then-walks-in-the-other-direction/2017/02/11/45a754f4-ef06-11e6-9662-6eedf1627882_story.html?utm_term=.abd2c52ab086

Lawsuit filed against Spectrum (Charter) for $9.99 wifi activation fee, Tampa Bay Times Feb. 9 2017 http://www.tampabay.com/news/business/class-action-lawsuit-filed-again-spectrum-for-999-wifi-activation-fee/2312652 ("Memmer is one of more than a million former Bright House Networks customers Spectrum acquired when Charter bought the company in a deal finalized in May. The suit said Spectrum "illegitimately asserted" that Memmer "had newly enrolled in WiFi service" when she had, in fact, done no such thing.")

📽 PCH 2016 Survey of Interconnection Agreements :: NANOG 69

📽 Current Issues Relating to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act DMCA :: NANOG 69

📽 Mirai Inside of an IoT Botnet :: NANOG 69

FCC Friday

February 3, 2017

  - Statement

Statement of Commissioner Clyburn on Reversing Lifeline Designations

February 3, 2017

  - Statement

Statement of Chairman Pai on Revoking Midnight Regulations

February 3, 2017

  - Statement

Statement of Chairman Pai on Free Data Programs

February 3, 2017

  - Statement

Statement of Commissioner Mignon Clyburn On Today's Friday News Dump

February 3, 2017

  - Statement

Stmt of Comm O'Rielly on Conclusion of Zero Rating Inquiries

February 3, 2017

  - Statement

ORielly Stmt on Appt as Chair of Fed-State Joint Boards and Conference

February 3, 2017

  - News Release

Chmn. Pai Taps Commissnr. O'Rielly to Lead Federal-State Partnerships

1995 :: Feb. 1 :: Sen. Exon Introduces the Communications Decency Act

On February 1, 1995, Senator James Exon (D-Neb.) attempted to do what had never been done before--regulate speech on the Internet. Introducing the Communications Decency Amendment (CDA), Senator Exon declared a danger to society: Barbarian pornographers are at the gate and they are using the Internet to gain access to the youth of America. Senator Exon proclaimed:

The information superhighway should not become a red light district. This legislation will keep that from happening and extend the standards of decency which have protected telephone users to new telecommunications devices.

Once passed, our children and families will be better protected from those who would electronically cruise the digital world to engage children in inappropriate communications and introductions. The Decency Act will also clearly protect citizens from electronic stalking and protect the sanctuary of the home from uninvited indecencies.

In a year of deregulation, Senator Exon called for more regulation. In the year when Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich placed the House of Representatives on the Internet, praising it as a landmark for democracy, Senator Exon warned America that the Internet was filled with dark places from which we needed government protection. In a year where Internet users were proclaiming the infinite utility of the World Wide Web, Senator Exon, who has apparently no Internet experience, declared a danger.

The Communications Decency Act would be passed one year later as an amendment to the Telecommunications Act of 1996.  It was struck down by a unanimous Supreme Court as a violation of the First Amendment.

For the full history of the Communications Decency Act, see The Legislative History of Senator Exon's Communications Decency Act:Regulating Barbarians on the Information Superhighway