Advocates for survivors of domestic violence, CTIA and the automotive industry welcomed an FCC initiative assisting survivors in accessing safe and affordable connected car services (see 2404230021). CTIA supported the proposed rules and told the FCC that wireless providers are "working towards timely and successful implementation" of the Safe Connections Act. Filings were posted through Friday in docket 22-238.
Country of origin cases
Scams on Facebook and Instagram comprised nearly 75% of social media-related fraud reported to the FTC in 2023, the agency said Friday. The FTC released data from reports to its Consumer Sentinel Network. Facebook accounted for 51% of fraud originating on social media, and Instagram accounted for 22%. Best Buy’s Geek Squad, Amazon and PayPal were the top three most-impersonated companies, according to the report. Microsoft ranked No. 4, Apple No. 7 and Comcast No. 8. Consumers reported losing $60 million to Microsoft impersonators, more than Geek Squad, Amazon and PayPal scams combined. Consumers reported losing $15 million to Geek Squad impersonators, $19 million to Amazon scammers and $16 million in PayPal-related scams.
A proposed Missing and Endangered Persons (MEP) emergency alert system code was universally supported in comments from native groups, public safety officials, CTIA and NCTA. Comments were filed in docket 15-94 last week. Some entities differ on how a wireless emergency alert version should be implemented, and on whether an additional code is needed specifically for missing indigenous people. "There is little or no doubt that a dedicated alert code of this type will save lives and will therefore greatly exceed any nationwide implementation costs,” the National Tribal Telecommunications Association (NTTA) said of the MEP code.
California Assembly members supported a proposed ban on digital discrimination the same day that state senators backed a proposal that would remove a free internet requirement in the state’s public housing broadband grant program. Bills on universal opt-out and social media also cleared their originating chambers Wednesday. The Assembly voted 43-10 to pass AB-2239, which would codify in California law the FCC’s definition of digital discrimination and allow state and local enforcers to seek injunctive relief (see 2404230039). On the privacy front, Assembly members voted 53-7 to pass AB-3048, which would require web browsers to include an option to opt out of selling and sharing data on all websites. The California Privacy Protection Agency supports that bill (see 2403130048). Also, the Assembly voted 46-0 for AB-2481, which would create a mechanism for people who report threatening content on social media platforms. In the other chamber, senators voted 37-0 for SB-1383 to remove restrictions included in the California Advanced Services Fund (CASF) public housing account that require ISPs to provide free internet before receiving grants. The cable industry supports the bill because it claims that the current restriction deters grant applications (see 2404020049).
Petitioners iFixit, Public Resource and Make Community “seek to dramatically rewrite federal law and agency rules by destroying the copyright” to the standards development organizations’ standards, said 17 SDOs in an amicus brief Tuesday (docket 23-1311) in the U.S. Appeals Court for the D.C. Circuit. The brief is in support of the FCC. Petitioners allege that the FCC violated the Administrative Procedure Act when it amended rules incorporating four new equipment testing standards, and did so without the proper notice and comment protocol (see 2403280002). Using a procedure called “incorporation by reference,” they allege the commission informed the public that copies of the rules were available at its headquarters but didn't say that the rules could be read but not copied. The NPRM also said that copies of the proposed rules were available from the private SDOs that originally published them, the petitioners say. But they allege that these too couldn’t be copied and that they were available only after making a “substantial payment” to the sponsoring SDO. The petitioners ask that the D.C. Circuit compel agencies such as the FCC to post a copy of the SDO’s standard on the agency’s website, “where the electronic copy may be copied, downloaded, and further distributed without limitation,” the amicus brief said. According to the petitioners, this is necessary whenever an agency proposes to incorporate by reference such a standard in a final rule or regulation. But the result would be to make the SDOs’ works, “which indisputably are protected by copyright, available for mass infringement,” said the amicus brief. This would undermine the SDOs’ ability “to fund the creation of these works that yield enormous public benefits,” it said. Joining in the amicus brief were the American National Standards Institute, CTA, IEEE and the Telecommunications Industry Association. Consistent with their public-service missions and nonprofit status, SDOs make standards “easily accessible to the public for free, read-only viewing online,” said the amicus brief. Under the petitioners’ demands, the standards would be posted to an agency’s website “without regard to the SDO’s consent and without any remuneration to the SDO,” the amicus brief alleges. That argument is “contrary to federal law,” it said. The petitioners’ argument, if accepted, also “would undermine the infrastructure of U.S. innovation and the incentive system that are essential to our market-driven economy,” it said.
Consumers' Research defended its position Tuesday to the U.S. Supreme Court that Congress and the FCC violated the nondelegation doctrine through the Universal Service Fund contributions mechanism (see 2405070042).
A trial is underway and expected to end this year on the use of cross-border call authentication (CBCA) technology, ATIS told FCC Wireline Bureau staff. CBCA will let calls be "verified end-to-end, even if they originate in a country that has not yet deployed Shaken" technology, ATIS said in an ex parte filing Tuesday in docket 17-97. It expects to launch CBCA live service this year and said the next steps include formally requesting the Secure Telephone Identity Governance Authority's "recognition of CBCA to allow cross border calls to be fully authenticated" and signing additional international service providers.
Two California social media bills advanced through their originating chambers Monday. The Senate voted 35-2 to pass a bill (SB-976) by Sen. Nancy Skinner (D) that would provide social media controls for parents, including the ability to decide whether their children see a chronological news feed or one based on an algorithm, the current default. Also, the bill would let parents stop social media notifications and block access to platforms overnight and during the school day. Attorney General Rob Bonta (D), who had proposed the bill (see 2401300049), applauded Senate passage in a statement. “Our children and teens are experiencing a public health crisis, caused by social media companies in their thirst for profits,” said Bonta. “In California, we take mental health seriously, we take children’s online safety seriously -- and we know that we don’t have a minute to waste to protect our kids.” The Assembly voted 65-0 for AB-3172, which would make big social media platforms liable for damages and other legal remedies “if the platform fails to exercise ordinary care or skill toward a child.” It goes next to the Senate, while SB-976 goes to the Assembly.
Broadcasters expect a draft order that updates the foreign-sponsored content rules to contain language requiring entities buying political issue ads to certify that they aren’t foreign agents (see 2403210071). However, the final version of the order remains in flux, an FCC official told us.
The FCC Enforcement Bureau told U.S.-based voice service providers that they may stop carrying Alliant Financial's call traffic following a cease and desist letter sent Monday to Alliant regarding an illegal robocall campaign. The bureau told providers in a public notice that Alliant appeared to originate a "substantial volume of unlawful robocalls related to purported debt consolidation loans." Alliant sent "prerecorded messages claiming to be from One Street Financial, Main Street Financial, and Alliant Financial," said a news release, saying about 78 million calls were placed to consumers between Nov. 1 and Feb. 24. The bureau noted that service members, veterans and their families "face an increased risk from campaigns of this nature." EB's move was part of the bureau's "Spring Cleaning" initiative. “There are scammers who try to exploit people working to get out of debt and veterans and military families are at a higher risk for this kind of fraud,” said Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. "We are putting these bad actors on notice that they can’t keep targeting people with this junk and taking advantage of their attempts to build a better financial future for themselves."