Questions remain about potential private right of action and facial recognition provisions in Washington state’s privacy legislation (see 1903220057). During executive session Tuesday, the House Innovation, Technology and Economic Development Committee extended the discussion through Wednesday because the latest House language wasn't publicly posted until Tuesday. Chairman Zack Hudgins (D) cited the need for openness and transparency.
Karl Herchenroeder
Karl Herchenroeder, Associate Editor, is a technology policy journalist for publications including Communications Daily. Born in Rockville, Maryland, he joined the Warren Communications News staff in 2018. He began his journalism career in 2012 at the Aspen Times in Aspen, Colorado, where he covered city government. After that, he covered the nuclear industry for ExchangeMonitor in Washington. You can follow Herchenroeder on Twitter: @karlherk
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s call to regulate online content moderation is a “bad idea,” FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr told us Monday, calling it “outsourcing of censorship to government.” The Zuckerberg proposal drew mixed reaction from lawmakers, industry groups and consumer advocates.
The FTC is “very nervous” that overly stringent privacy regulation will entrench tech “monopolies,” Chairman Joe Simons said Friday. “If you get too much privacy, you might get a situation where it becomes hard for small companies, new entrants potentially, to compete with the more established, bigger platforms,” Simons said at an American Bar Association event.
FTC Commissioner Christine Wilson ripped proposals to break up big tech platforms, as suggested by Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and some others (see 1903180058). “I reject attempts to short-circuit the traditional process and simply assume a problem and impose a preordained solution,” Wilson said at a Computer and Communications Industry Association event Thursday.
The FTC’s upcoming study of ISP data collection practices is the right step (see 1903260072), lawmakers told us. Some want big tech companies also under the microscope. An FTC spokesperson confirmed the study is related to Chairman Joe Simons’ response to Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., (see 1903200073).
The hope is that the Senate Commerce Committee’s working group can begin negotiating privacy bill specifics (see 1903050074) in the next several days or week, Senate Consumer Protection Subcommittee Chairman Jerry Moran, R-Kan., told reporters after a Tuesday hearing. The differences aren’t “insurmountable,” and the goal will be to draft a bill that’s strong enough for Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and Democrats to support federal pre-emption of state laws like the California Consumer Privacy Act, Moran said.
The FTC is examining how it can better protect consumers and promote privacy and competition, Chairman Joe Simons said during the agency’s latest policy hearing. The Electronic Privacy Information Center organized a demonstration outside the hearing Monday at agency headquarters, where the group sought a conclusion to the FTC’s investigation into potential Facebook privacy violations. EPIC seeks enforcement of the agency’s privacy consent order with the social network, President Marc Rotenberg tweeted.
Washington is on the verge of passing the nation's strongest privacy bill, representatives for Microsoft and Internet Association told state House lawmakers Friday, while raising concerns about a private right of action (see 1902280050). Consumer and minority groups called the bill weak, arguing against allowing overly permissive policies for facial recognition technology. House members, who will next meet Tuesday, are amending bill language.
It’s “unacceptable” the FCC hasn’t publicly shared information on the scope of its investigation into wireless carrier geolocation data collection and sharing practices (see 1903200053), said Umair Javed, aide to Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel, at an FCBA event Thursday. Though the probe has taken the better part of a year, the public remains in the dark about how the agency is working to protect data, he said.
The FTC is developing plans to issue a 6(b) study of tech industry data practices, an aide for Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., said Wednesday. Such Section 6(b) authority, agency documents say, lets it conduct “wide-ranging economic studies that do not have a specific law enforcement purpose.” The studies allow the agency to collect internal company information. According to the aide, commission Chairman Joe Simons wrote to Thune: “I agree with you that the FTC’s section 6(b) authority could be used to provide some much needed transparency to consumers about the data practices of large technology companies. We are developing plans to issue 6(b) orders in the technology area.” The agency declined comment.