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☆ US Senate panel to vote on key Biden telecom board nominee
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, July 6 (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee plans to vote next week on President Joe Biden's nominee for a key fifth seat on the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC). In July 2021, Biden signed an executive order encouraging the FCC to reinstate net neutrality rules adopted under Democratic then-President Barack Obama in 2015. Biden's first nominee for the open seat, former FCC official Gigi Sohn, withdrew in March after three hearings. The FCC has raised mounting concerns about Chinese telecom companies which had won permission to operate in the United States decades ago. In 2019, the FCC voted to deny state-owned Chinese telecom firm China Mobile Ltd (0941.HK) the right to provide U.S. services and later withdrew U.S. authorizations for several other Chinese telecom carriers, including China Telecom Corp (0728.HK).

Persons: Joe Biden's, Anna Gomez, Gomez, Brendan Carr, Geoffrey Starks, Donald Trump, Biden, Barack Obama, Biden's, Gigi Sohn, Sohn, David Shepardson Organizations: U.S, Senate, U.S . Federal Communications Commission, Democratic, State Department's Bureau, Cyberspace, Digital, Radio Conference, FCC, Republican, China Mobile Ltd, HK, China Telecom Corp, Thomson Locations: U.S, United States, United

☆ Biden nominates telecom attorney Anna Gomez to FCC after more than two years of deadlock
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Lauren Feiner | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

President Joe Biden nominated telecom attorney Anna Gomez to the Federal Communications Commission, his second attempt to fill an empty seat on the typically five-member panel that has left the agency in a 2-2 deadlock for his entire presidency thus far. Gomez has previously worked for the FCC in several positions over 12 years, the White House said. Jonathan Spalter, president and CEO of USTelecom, a trade group that represents broadband providers like AT&T and Verizon , congratulated Gomez in a statement. Free Press, a nonprofit advocacy group that supports net neutrality, said Gomez's nomination was long overdue. González called Gomez "eminently qualified" for the role and praised the nomination of a Latinx candidate to the position.

☆ Social media apps are all starting to look the same. Here are the 4 biggest consequences of that and why creators will only get more rich.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Alex Kantrowitz | Big Technology | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

He writes that every social media app is unleashing the same pool of content, and one app will win. Social media feeds are melting together. This week, let's look at four key ways the growing homogenization of social media will likely play out:1. And though the U.S. has more to debate on its advisability, he's spot on regarding how the state of social media will factor. But when the format appears on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook, that type of standardization is appealing.

☆ FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr on TikTok CEO's testimony: Hearing's going very poorly for TikTok
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailFCC Commissioner Brendan Carr on TikTok CEO's testimony: Hearing's going very poorly for TikTokFCC Commissioner Brendan Carr joins ‘Squawk on the Street’ to weigh in on TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew's testimony before Congress on Thursday.

☆ It's wild that Western governments have decided that TikTok might spy for China. The app hasn't helped itself.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-18 | by ( Hasan Chowdhury | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

TikTok denies it feeds user data to China, but the drip-drip of revelations hasn't helped. The suspicion is that TikTok's owner ByteDance is in cahoots with the Chinese Communist Party and shares data about Western users with China. TikTok has maintained the app doesn't spy on individuals, and has pointed to the steps it's taking to hive off user information. FCC commissioner Brendan Carr responded to Bertram asking if "any member of the CCP accessed non-public US or EU user data from inside China." US social-media services normalized the aggressive harvesting of user data, and routinely hand over information to international governments.

☆ Democratic senator urges Apple and Google to ban TikTok from their app stores
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Washington CNN —A member of the Senate Intelligence Committee is calling on Apple and Google to remove TikTok from their app stores over concerns about national security, in the latest indication of mounting scrutiny on the short-form video app from members of Congress. The laws in question, Bennet wrote, require organizations in the country to “cooperate with state intelligence work” and to allow the government to access company resources. China could potentially try to shape what US users see on the app, Bennet warned, with possible implications for foreign policy and democracy. Apple, Google and TikTok didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. Some other US officials have also called on Apple and Google to voluntarily remove TikTok from their app stores.

☆ FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr on upcoming TikTok testimony
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailFCC Commissioner Brendan Carr on upcoming TikTok testimonyFCC Commissioner Brendan Carr joins 'Closing Bell' to discuss the CEO of TikTok testifying before Congress, the security concerns associated with TikTok, and how other countries have taken action against TikTok and Huawei.

☆ TikTok and its parent company spent about $5.4 million on federal lobbying last year as it faced renewed threats of a ban
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Dan Whateley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

TikTok and its parent company ByteDance spent about $5.4 million on federal lobbying in 2022. TikTok and its parent company ByteDance spent about $5.4 million on federal lobbying in 2022, a roughly 4% increase from the previous year, according to year-end disclosures filed by the companies and their hired lobbying firms on Friday. While ByteDance's and TikTok's lobbying spend remained relatively flat between 2021 and 2022, both years represented a significant spike from 2020 when the companies spent around $2.6 million. In late 2020, the Trump administration attempted to ban TikTok's app from US app stores. TikTok's app has faced similar government-device bans at the state level.

☆ Donald Trump's strained bond with evangelicals creates an opening for rivals
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Jonathan-Allen-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Jonathan Allen | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +9 min

WASHINGTON — There is a deepening crack in Donald Trump's bond with conservative faith voters that potential rivals for the 2024 GOP nomination see as an opportunity. And Pence is expected to speak to faith voters in the coming weeks in Houston, Miami, Naples, Fla., and New York City. "For all the blocs of [GOP] voters, losing the 2020 election took the shine off of Donald Trump," the adviser said. Those are the types of things that I think lose your credibility with the evangelical community and conservative voters writ large." That should give hopefuls and faith voters a chance to get a better feel for one another.

☆ Why India banned TikTok — and what the US can learn from it, as pressure mounts for Biden to follow suit
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-07 | by ( Paayal Zaveri | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

To see what could happen if the US were to ban TikTok, analysts say to look at India. Why did India ban TikTok? What happened when India banned TikTokIn the summer of 2020, India banned 59 Chinese apps including TikTok, WeChat, Weibo, and QQ, an instant-messaging service owned by the internet giant Tencent. While the situation wouldn't be exactly the same, the US might face these questions if it decides to ban TikTok. "So if that continues to deteriorate, I can't imagine that that that doesn't increase the odds of some sort of TikTok ban."

☆ Maryland governor bans use of TikTok on state devices
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON, Dec 6 (Reuters) - Maryland Governor Larry Hogan issued an emergency directive on Tuesday prohibiting the use of Chinese-owned short-video sharing app TikTok on state government devices and networks, the latest U.S. Republican to crack down on TikTok. South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem last week signed an executive order barring state employees and contractors from installing or using TikTok on state-owned devices and South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster on Monday asked a state agency to ban TikTok from state government phones and computers. Maryland executive branch agencies must remove the products from state networks and prevent access. TikTok said the concerns prompting state bans were largely fueled by misinformation. TikTok executive Vanessa Pappas told lawmakers in September that TikTok was making progress toward a final agreement with the U.S. government.

☆ Billionaire Barry Diller said there is something 'quite odd' in Mark Zuckerberg's decision to turn Facebook into Meta
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( Grace Kay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

IAC founder Barry Diller said "something is quite odd" in Mark Zuckerberg's metaverse pivot. Meta has shed over 70% of its value since the Facebook founder changed its name. Diller has made billions in founding and investing in top media companies like Expedia Group, Fox Broadcasting Company and USA Broadcasting. Last week, Federal Communications Commissioner Brendan Carr told Axios regulatory agencies like the Council on Foreign Investment in the US should take action to ban the app which is owned by Chinese media company ByteDance. At Meta, Zuckerberg has continually copied the popular video-app, rolling out features like Instragram Reels.

☆ Movement to ban TikTok: What midterms could mean for future of app
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-05 | by ( David Ingram | David Ingram Covers Tech For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +8 min

The effort to ban TikTok is back, and it could gain more strength after the midterm elections. Alex Brandon / AP fileExperts said there’s a steep hill to climb for those who want a total TikTok ban, but the midterms could provide a push. The renewed push for a TikTok ban or forced sale is taking place while the company is in negotiations with the Biden administration on a potential written security agreement. TikTok says it believes the agreement would address not only privacy concerns but how the app moderates content. Rubio is co-sponsoring legislation to ban TikTok from all U.S. government devices.

☆ FCC commissioner calls for TikTok ban
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Washington CNN Business —The US government should ban TikTok rather than come to a national security agreement with the social media app that might allow it to continue operating in the United States, according to Brendan Carr, a commissioner at the Federal Communications Commission. A string of news reports this year about TikTok’s handling of US user data has left Carr with “little confidence there’s a path forward,” he told CNN in a phone interview Tuesday. Those bipartisan fears were again raised in September, when under pressure from US lawmakers, TikTok declined to commit to cutting off data flows to China. Carr’s call for a TikTok ban was first reported by Axios, and the remarks expand on his earlier calls for Apple and Google to remove TikTok from their respective app stores. Still, Carr said his call for a TikTok ban reflects a “natural progression in my thinking” and is informed by his own agency’s work to limit China’s influence in US telecommunications networks.

☆ A free, democratic Taiwan is vital to America's own economic prosperity, says FCC commissioner
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailA free, democratic Taiwan is vital to America's own economic prosperity, says FCC commissionerBrendan Carr, FCC commissioner, joins 'Squawk on the Street' to discuss why he believes Tiktok needs to be banned, if Carr's belief would change were ByteDance to spin off Tiktok to U.S. owners and more.

TAIPEI, Nov 2 (Reuters) - U.S. Federal Communications Commissioner Brendan Carr will visit Taiwan this week, the de facto U.S. embassy in Taiwan said on Wednesday, the latest senior official from the country to visit the island. Carr will meet with "Taiwan interlocutors" to discuss issues including telecommunications and cybersecurity from November 2-4, the American Institute in Taiwan said in a statement to Reuters. China has stepped up military activities near democratically governed Taiwan since August when it conducted blockade drills around the island following a visit to Taipei by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Taiwan's government says the People's Republic of China has never ruled the island and so its sovereignty claims are void. Reporting By Sarah Wu and Yimou Lee; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman and Michael PerryOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Snap, Meta shares pop after FCC commissioner says U.S. should ban TikTok
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( Lauren Feiner | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Brendan Carr, FCC Commissioner, speaking at the State of the Net Conference 2019 at the Newseum in Washington, DC. Shares of U.S. social media companies Snap and Meta spiked on the news that a Federal Communications Commissioner said the U.S. government should ban TikTok. "I don't believe there is a path forward for anything other than a ban," Republican Commissioner Brendan Carr told Axios in an interview. Snap shares were up 6% and Meta shares were up 4% Tuesday afternoon. "Commissioner Carr has no role in the confidential discussions with the U.S. government related to TikTok and appears to be expressing views independent of his role as an FCC commissioner," a TikTok spokesperson said a statement.

☆ U.S. FCC commissioner urges govt action on TikTok -Axios
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

WASHINGTON, Nov 1 (Reuters) - The federal government should take action to rein in online media platform TikTok Inc, one of the U.S. FCC's commissioners said in an interview, Axios reported on Tuesday. "I don’t believe there is a path forward for anything other than a ban," the Federal Communications Commission's Brendan Carr told the news outlet, citing recent revelations about how TikTok and its Chinese parent ByteDance handle data of U.S. users. Reporting by Susan Heavey; Editing by Chris GallagherOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ U.S. FCC set to ban approvals of new Huawei, ZTE equipment- document
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-13 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON, Oct 13 (Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Communications Commission is set to ban approvals of new telecommunications equipment from China's Huawei Technologies and ZTE (000063.SZ) in the United States on national security grounds, according to a document posted by the agency. The companies would not be able to sell new equipment in the United States without equipment authorizations. In June 2021, the FCC voted to advance the plan to ban approvals for equipment in U.S. telecommunications networks from Chinese companies deemed national security threats, including Huawei and ZTE. ... We have left open opportunities for (Huawei and other Chinese equipment) use in the United States through our equipment authorization process. The FCC action would prohibit all future authorizations for communications equipment deemed to pose an unacceptable risk to national security.

☆ SpaceX says FCC's 'grossly unfair' rejection of $886 million Starlink subsidy leaves many Americans stranded on the wrong side of the digital divide
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-12 | by ( Kate Duffy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

SpaceX said the FCC's rejection of an $886 million Starlink subsidy was "unreasonable" and "unfair." It leaves Americans stranded on the wrong side of the digital divide, SpaceX said in a filing. Turning down a subsidy for Starlink internet leaves many Americans "stranded indefinitely on the wrong side of the digital divide," Goldman said. He said the rejection of SpaceX's application for the subsidy was "erroneous and unreasonable," as well as "contrary to the evidence" and "grossly unfair." The FCC and SpaceX didn't immediately respond to Insider's request for comment made outside of normal working hours.

☆ FCC commissioner slams the agency for rejecting Elon Musk's bid for $886 million in funding to SpaceX's Starlink satellite internet
▼ + stars: | 2022-08-25 | by ( Kate Duffy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Commissioner Brendan Carr slammed the FCC for denying SpaceX $886 million in US subsidies to expand Starlink. Carr said he was surprised to find out via an FCC press release that the agency had changed its mind on providing funding to Starlink. As part of an FCC program to introduce high-speed internet to rural US locations, SpaceX in 2020 won tentative approval for $886 million in funding to deploy Starlink. The FCC and SpaceX didn't respond to Insider's request for comment made outside of US operating hours. It follows the US Air Force awarding SpaceX a $1.92 million contract for Starlink to support US military bases in Europe and Africa.

☆ An FCC commissioner calls on Apple and Google to remove TikTok from their app stores, saying it's a national security risk
▼ + stars: | 2022-06-28 | by ( Travis Clark | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

FCC commissioner Brendan Carr called on Apple and Google to remove TikTok from their app stores. BuzzFeed News recently reported that US user data was accessed repeatedly in China. In a letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook and Google CEO Sundar Pichai, FCC commissioner Brendan Carr wrote that TikTok "poses an unacceptable national security risk due to its extensive data harvesting combined with Beijing's apparently unchecked access to that sensitive data." Representatives for TikTok and Apple did not immediately respond to requests for comment. At its core, TikTok functions as a sophisticated surveillance tool that harvests extensive amounts of personal and sensitive data."

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