On Privacy, AT&T's Quinn Sees More in Common Than Not With Likes of Amazon, Google

AT&T's Washington chief sees more in common than not with major tech companies on some privacy issues. The company is "very much in favor" of the Balancing the Rights of Web Surfers Equally and Responsibility Act (HR-2520) by House Communications Subcommittee Chairman Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., as "I should have the same rules in place as Google has, as Amazon has," and the Browser Act "says that," said Senior Executive Vice President for External and Legislative Affairs Bob Quinn. "We’ll be in the same regulatory environment" at the FTC, he said on C-SPAN's The Communicators during a segment to be televised this weekend and to be put online. He noted the likes of Amazon and Google don't like the opt-in standard in the bill, which is "less important than the equal treatment and one regulator approach." Tech companies may be escaping some heat, as "in any debate, it's always better to be arguing about how you're going to regulate some other person than you are fighting the regulation," Quinn said: "I think they are going to be a little more defensive" as scrutiny may increase. ISPs compared to websites and apps may be "part of the same ecosystem, but [are] strikingly different in makeup," an Internet Association spokesman emailed us. "The ISP market has high entry barriers, burdensome or even nonexistent ability to switch providers, and consumers, according to FCC data, lack choice. In contrast, entry barriers at the edge are low and competition is just a click away." Meanwhile, AT&T may wrap up its buy of Time Warner by year's end, Quinn said. It's unclear how soon the full Senate will approve Makan Delrahim as DOJ antitrust chief, the executive said, after the Senate Judiciary Committee cleared him 19-1 (see 1706080025). "Timing of this is going to be tied up with a lot of other partisan disputes" on Capitol Hill, Quinn said of Senate approval: "It's not clear to us how far in that process we’re going to get" at DOJ and with any consideration of possible conditions before Delrahim takes over the Antitrust Division. "I think that conversation is just beginning," and AT&T produced all data and answered all questions the department sought, Quinn said. "That process will kick off this summer." At a meeting with tech, FCC and other officials Thursday, President Donald Trump praised AT&T (see 1706220054), after criticizing the deal on the campaign trail. DOJ declined to comment. On net neutrality, "the only way to ensure that is really through legislation," Quinn said. "Whatever this commission does, we’re in Washington, and we know the pendulum politically swings back and forth repeatedly in this town," he said of the FCC and "walk[ing] away once and for all" from Title II Communications Act common-carrier regulation of broadband service. "If the political pendulum swings the other way, we’re subject to the next FCC coming in and just backtracking." The company worried "use of Title II was going to lead to significant rate regulation," he recounted.