House Commerce Committee Democrats filed three bills Thursday aimed at requiring the FCC to strengthen cybersecurity policies. Industry lawyers and lobbyists said the bills appear unlikely to advance even beyond the House Communications Subcommittee given the current political climate, and appear to be more designed to send a message. Committee Democrats filed the bills a day after the FCC voted 2-1 to stay data security aspects of the ISP privacy rules (see 1703010069). FCC reversal last month of several other cybersecurity-related proceedings and proposals promulgated under then-Chairman Tom Wheeler was seen as a sign of an agencywide shift on cybersecurity policy under new Chairman Ajit Pai (see 1702060059). Introduction of the bills came as former NSA Director Keith Alexander called for the federal government to shift away from its existing “stovepiped” cybersecurity apparatus (see 1703020074).
Russia export controls and sanctions
The use of export controls and sanctions on Russia has surged since the country's invasion of Crimea in 2014, and especially its invasion of Ukraine in in February 2022. Similar export controls and sanctions have been imposed by U.S. allies, including the EU, U.K. and Japan. The following is a listing of recent articles in Export Compliance Daily on export controls and sanctions imposed on Russia:
If Wilbur Ross is confirmed by the Senate as commerce secretary Monday night as expected, “we expect to have his swearing in tomorrow here at the White House,” Press Secretary Sean Spicer told reporters Monday. Senators debated Ross’ nomination on the chamber floor ahead of the 7 p.m. confirmation vote. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., outlined opposition at length, questioning his business practices and ties to Russia. Several Senate Democrats had voted earlier in February to advance Ross’ nomination, including leading Democrats on the Commerce Committee.
Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., asked several questions Friday on the ties between Department of Commerce nominee Wilbur Ross and Russia, before a scheduled 7 p.m. Monday Senate confirmation vote for Ross. “The Senate has a constitutional duty to give the president our advice and consent on his nominations to the Cabinet,” said Booker, a member of the Commerce Committee, in his letter. “Americans must have confidence that high-level officials in the United States government are not influenced by, or beholden to, any foreign power.”
Former FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler urged flexible, agile broadband regulation to usher in "Web 3.0" that "orchestrates intelligence" and boosts productivity and economic growth. "We need to make sure that we have open networks that facilitate the kind of productivity revolution that’s necessary, and are not strangled by fewer than half a dozen companies,” he said in a keynote Monday, the final day of the Silicon Flatirons digital broadband conference at the University of Colorado-Boulder (see 1702120001 for Day One). He took some shots at the new Republican-run FCC, as he has on Twitter (see 1702130037). He said allowing the large broadband providers to consolidate further would make matters worse.
The Internet Association and other industry groups cited a range of “cross-cutting issues” they believe would weaken U.S. entities’ IP rights internationally, in filings Thursday to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. IA included EU member states’ adoption of “ancillary copyright laws” seen as a tax on use of snippets. Tech sector groups noted concerns about ancillary copyright laws during USTR's 2016 Special 301 proceeding (see 1603010060). Such laws also have factored into U.S. stakeholders' opposition to a European Commission copyright law revamp proposal (see 1608290062). USTR collected comments through midnight Thursday on its annual Special 301 review on the global status of IP rights enforcement.
The International Intellectual Property Alliance was one of several industry groups that indicated Thursday it would submit comments to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative pushing for China, India and Russia to remain on the office's mid-tier Special 301 priority watch list for copyright and other IP rights violations. USTR was to collect comments through midnight Thursday on its annual Special 301 review on the global status of IP rights enforcement. China, India and Russia have long occupied USTR's priority watch list, which included eight other countries when USTR released its 2016 report (see 1604270049).
Joining Internet Association: John Olsen, ex-Featherstonhaugh Wiley, as New York executive director, leading IA's new Albany office ... Mercury hires announced Friday include Brent Thompson, formerly at Expedia, as managing director ... Swedish Space Corp. names Daniel White, ex-Com Dev, executive vice president-satellite management services, Americas region ... Joining 21st Century Fox in March: Rob Wade, Dancing With the Stars, named president-alternative entertainment and specials, Fox Broadcasting Co. ... E.W. Scripps elevates Leon Clark to permanent vice president-general manager of Arizona's KGUN-TV Tucson and KWBA-TV Sierra Vista and digital channels; he continues running the broadcaster's radio stations in the market until a replacement is found.
Apple CEO Tim Cook said Qualcomm’s actions leading up to his company's lawsuit filed last week (see 1701230067) were "like buying a sofa, and you charge somebody a different price depending upon the house that it goes into.” During Q&A on the company’s fiscal Q1 earnings call Tuesday, Cook said, “They were insisting on charging royalties for technologies they had nothing to do with. The more we innovated with unique features,” he said -- citing Touch ID, advanced displays and cameras -- “the more money Qualcomm would collect for no reason, and the more expensive it would be therefore for us to innovate.” Qualcomm last week called Apple's claims baseless. Apple set all-time highs for iPhone, services, Mac and Apple Watch sales, said Cook, as revenue reached a record $78.4 billion in the quarter ended Dec. 31, vs. $75.9 billion in the year-ago quarter. Net income dipped to $17.9 billion from $18.4 billion. Cook downplayed industry talk of a maturing smartphone market. Apple sold 78.3 million iPhones in the quarter, up 5 percent from a year ago, and unit sell-through was up 8 percent, he said. The U.S., Canada, Japan, Western Europe and Australia had double-digit iPhone growth and higher growth rates in emerging markets including Turkey, Russia, Brazil, Central and Eastern Europe and Vietnam, said the CFO. In greater China, Apple's overall sales were down 12 percent, said Cook. Revenue was flat year over year in mainland China, said Cook, calling the quarter a “significantly better performance” over what Apple experienced in the prior three quarters. The iPhone 7 was the best-selling smartphone in China during Q1, according to Kantar figures, said Cook. Half of iPhone sales in China were to switchers and first-time smartphone buyers, he said. Apple stock closed up Wednesday 6.1 percent to $128.75.
Twenty-seven percent of internet users in 17 countries said they’re willing to share personal data in exchange for benefits or rewards such as lower costs or personalized service, GfK reported Friday. Those ages 30-40 are most likely to share data such as health, financial, driving records or energy use for rewards, with China (38 percent), Mexico (30 percent) and Russia (29 percent) topping the list. U.S. respondents skewed slightly lower at 25 percent willing to share data (23 percent who disagreed with the statement). Germany (40 percent), France (37 percent) and Brazil (34 percent) have the most internet users unwilling to share data for rewards, the report said. GfK interviewed more than 22,000 consumers ages 15 and older online last summer.
The Electronic Privacy Information Center filed a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit Thursday against the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), in a push for publication of U.S. intelligence agencies’ classified report on Russia’s involvement the hacking of IT systems aimed at influencing the 2016 presidential election. The intelligence agencies released an unclassified version of the report earlier this month (see 1701060060). EPIC filed in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C. "There is an urgent need to make available to the public the Complete ODNI Assessment to fully assess the Russian interference with the 2016 Presidential election and to prevent future attacks in democratic institutions,” EPIC said in its complaint (in Pacer). EPIC said it filed a FOIA request with ODNI Jan. 9, which the office needed to respond to within the required 10 days. ODNI didn’t comment.