TikTok is fielding a wave of user complaints about content takedowns and account suspensions, after the platform’s shift to more automated moderation. TikTok is removing content and accounts based on false violations, one user told us. Others expressed frustration over seemingly frivolous takedowns. Content moderation experts told us automation is necessary at TikTok’s scale, but the platform can act to minimize mistakes.
Country of origin cases
The Competitive Carriers Association and NTCA urged caution as the FCC considers how to tighten secure telephone identity revisited (Stir) and signature-based handling of asserted information using tokens (Shaken) rules, with an eye on moving up by a year the June 30, 2023, deadline for smaller providers to implement the technology (see 2105200072). Replies were posted Tuesday in docket 17-97. ‘’Be careful not to inadvertently penalize carriers acting in good faith and earnestly seeking robocall mitigation solutions for their consumers,” CCA said: “Additional time to implement STIR/SHAKEN is vital for small carriers. The Commission should adopt an approach that is most likely to address the most culpable parties without inadvertently sweeping in those providers operating in good faith.” The record supports targeting “bad actor” providers that “knowingly enable (or turn a blind eye towards) parties using voice service to generate illegal robocalls and ‘spoofing’ caller-ID information,” said NTCA: “The record also highlights the importance of avoiding overly-inclusive and burdensome proposals that would sweep in innocent voice providers.” USTelecom supports keeping the current deadline for facilities-based providers, but shortening it for others. “Should the Commission move forward with the proposal, it should allow such nonfacilities based providers to seek the full two-year extension based on the same challenges the Commission cited when it first adopted the small provider extension,” the group said. “There can be no justification for imposing an accelerated deadline on small voice providers that are not prone to originating large volumes of illegal robocalls and that are operating in good faith to meet the June 30, 2023 deadline,” said ACA Connects. The rules should be “narrowly tailored to capture the most likely sources of illegal robocalls,” NCTA said.
Democratic senators are actively eyeing how to use a planned $3.5 trillion budget reconciliation package to further boost broadband spending beyond the $65 billion in connectivity money included in the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (HR-3684) the chamber passed Tuesday. Republicans told us they’re concerned about such an attempt to double-dip on broadband spending given the amount of money they already agreed to allocate via HR-3684 and a set of COVID-19 aid bills. HR-3684 itself still must clear the majority-Democratic House before it goes to President Joe Biden’s desk.
Gray Television said the FCC’s $518,000 notice of apparent liability against it last month (see 2107070066) creates a new rule against affiliation sales without notice and impermissibly regulates the broadcaster’s content choices. The comments came in Gray’s 55-page NAL response filed Monday. The FCC’s notice was 10 pages.
The Voice on the Net Coalition asked the FCC to grant the “widely-supported” petitions for reconsideration that it and CTIA filed seeking additional comments on the deadline for carriers to block calls originating from foreign service providers that aren’t in the robocall mitigation database. The potential number of uncompleted calls “should be more of a concern” than “speculative illegal robocalls” from foreign carriers, VON said in an ex parte letter posted Monday in docket 17-97. VON said it also supports AT&T’s request for a six-month extension for foreign providers to register with the database (see 2108040075).
Lionsgate had a “strong financial quarter” for Starz streaming, “but like the rest of the industry, we were impacted by a reduction in at-home viewership, and importantly a light content quarter, due to COVID-driven production delays,” said CEO Jon Feltheimer on a call Thursday on fiscal Q1 ended June 30. Starz continued growing its base of international subscribers, but U.S. sub numbers took a “temporary” hit that “we have already reversed,” he said. He expects Starz global subscriber growth to “outpace” last year’s, “buttressed by a very strong slate” of content. Starz plans 12 original programs this FY compared with seven last, plus “five tentpole films in the next three quarters will drive a large, large growth of subscriber acquisition,” said Starz CEO Jeffrey Hirsch. “We also saw churn at a historic low.”
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden, D-Ore., Banking Committee ranking member Pat Toomey, R-Pa., and Sen. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., were seeking a Saturday vote on language to clarify new cryptocurrency tax provisions included in the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act substitute for shell bill HR-3684 (see 2108050064). They seek to narrow the definition of “broker” for digital asset third-party tax-reporting requirements. Software developers, e-wallet providers and miners shouldn’t face the same burdensome requirements as entities running crypto exchanges, they said.
The FCC Wireline Bureau made numerous changes to rules for the rip and replace program for Huawei and ZTE gear in U.S. networks. The bureau agreed to a request by Adtran to ask about the country of origin of gear in support of a “buy American” policy, it said in a notice listed in Wednesday’s Daily Digest. “We find that including a ‘country of origin’ question on the Application Request for Funding Allocation will further help the Commission track and analyze technology trends without increasing the overall burden on applicants,” the notice said. The bureau rejected arguments that it shouldn’t require site-specific information as part of the application for funds. “The identification and tracking of site-specific information on covered and replacement communications and services, as well as on cost estimates, helps to ensure funds are spent for the purpose intended and protects against waste, fraud, and abuse,” the notice said. The bureau denied a request by Nokia that the fields indicating that applicants picked an open radio access network solution be removed because the fields show a preference for open RAN. “We disagree,” the bureau said: “These questions are merely intended to help the Commission track technology choices by providers and do not suggest or otherwise encourage an applicant to select a particular technology solution.” The bureau also added a question on whether the applicant's cost estimate “includes a technology upgrade over a comparable replacement.” The bureau clarified that carriers are “responsible for the additional incremental costs of funding upgrades that exceed what is reasonably necessary to transition to a comparable replacement.” Nokia had asked the FCC to allow applicants to submit cost estimates based on reasonable costs incurred by the applicant over an 18-month timeline, the notice said: “We decline to accept a cost estimate covering such a lengthy period of time.” The notice said the FCC’s target remains to open the reimbursement filing window Oct. 29. Mavenir Senior Vice President John Baker emailed, “The catalog now accurately reflects that Open RAN solutions are 40 percent cheaper than proprietary network equipment -- savings that will make it easier for rural wireless carriers to deploy interoperable infrastructure, avoid vendor-locked solutions, and future-proof their networks.” The bureau said it modified the catalog to “reflect the lower pricing information” submitted by Mavenir. The Competitive Carriers Association is “pleased to see the process continue to move forward and appreciate that they accepted a number of our suggestions to improve the cost catalog and application process,” emailed President Steve Berry. Nokia didn't comment.
Eugene, Oregon's petition for rehearing of the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals' partial rejection of a consolidated challenge to the FCC's 2019 cable local franchise authority order (see 2107120060) was denied. In an order Tuesday (docket 19-4161, in Pacer), Clerk Deborah Hunt said the original panel of Judges Raymond Kethledge, Richard Griffin and David McKeague reviewed the petition and decided the issues raised in the petition "were fully considered upon the original submission and decision of the cases." No judge asked for a vote on rehearing en banc when the petition was circulated to the full 6th Circuit, Hunt said. Eugene outside counsel Tim Lay of Spiegel and McDiarmid emailed that the 6th Circuit action is "frustrating because it ducks our arguments" about the Oregon Supreme Court's contrary holding and avoids explaining how it's consistent with 6th Circuit precedent. He said a Supreme Court petition for writ of certiorari "certainly will be considered."
Providers asked for greater flexibility in notification times and type of information relayed to public safety answering points in response to the FCC’s NPRM to harmonize 911 outage reporting, in comments posted Monday in docket 15-80. Comments were due Friday (see 2106290046). PSAP notifications should be triggered by “reportable outages,” said T-Mobile. It said requiring originating service providers to notify PSAPs about commercial outages would “increase the volume of notifications received by PSAPs significantly” and “not provide information that could be used by PSAPs to mitigate the impact.” T-Mobile said providers should be given more than 30 minutes to send “actionable information." AT&T, Verizon and Lumen agreed. Keep the “as soon as possible” standard to prevent over-notification, AT&T said. The proposed timing “would risk confusion and miscommunication between service providers and PSAPS,” Verizon said. Lumen said the timing should be “more flexible to avoid publicizing unvetted facts that may confuse the public.” The National Emergency Number Association said to prioritize electronic notifications because voice communication “comes with significant limitations surrounding sharing, recording, analysis, and continuity.” ATIS said providers won’t know the root cause or extent of an outage within 30 minutes and “additional burden to the industry and potential confusion would outweigh the benefits.” CTIA said it would be “extremely difficult for that provider to verify the other material information the proposal requests within that timeframe.” The Competitive Carriers Association agreed and said carriers “risk supplying PSAPs with incomplete or inaccurate information.” APCO disagreed and said notifications “should occur as quickly as possible.” Requiring notification no later than 15 minutes from discovery “would provide a stronger incentive for service providers to automate their notifications,” it said. Lumen opposed including geographic information systems data instead of descriptions of areas affected. USTelecom said smaller providers would “have no way of immediately providing this type of information” because they don't collect it in real-time.