Internet prices kick off Washington brawl
Shoshana Gordon/Axios
President Biden s promise to cut the price of Americans internet bills has provoked a fierce lobbying campaign by cable and telecom companies to prove that the cost of broadband has already dropped.
Why it matters: Internet providers are desperate to fend off any move to regulate the prices they charge, while the government is increasingly viewing connectivity as an essential service.
State of play: Internet industry lobbyists are publicly touting studies showing a decline in prices, attacking reports that argue otherwise and telling members of Congress there s no need for new regulations because they already have affordable programs in place.
Published May 13, 2021 Updated May 13, 2021, 1:32 pm CDT
Mozilla, several advocacy groups, and state attorneys general have defended California’s net neutrality law as it faces an appeal from lobby groups representing internet service providers (ISPs). Featured Video Hide
Earlier this year, California’s “gold standard” law secured a victory when a U.S. District Court judge denied a request by the ISP groups seeking to halt California from enforcing it. The net neutrality law in California has been celebrated by advocates because it is actually broader in scope than the rules enacted by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in 2015 that were eventually repealed.
Media Control
More Than 80 Pro-Democracy Groups and Leaders Urge Federal Agencies Not to Silence or Downgrade Public Comments
May 11, 2021
Contact: Timothy Karr, 201-533-8838
WASHINGTON On Tuesday, more than 80 pro-democracy organizations and individuals sent a letter to the Administrative Conference of the United States (ACUS) raising serious concerns about recommendations that could delegitimize mass public comments that are often submitted as part of government proceedings and rulemakings.
ACUS, an independent federal agency, is weighing how other federal agencies should treat mass comments that grassroots and public-interest groups submit. On Tuesday, ACUS is convening the third in a series of meetings to discuss recommended guidelines for federal agencies, such as the Federal Communications Commission, that could seriously curtail the public’s ability to engage in important policymaking procedures.
Facebook confronts human rights dilemma on political speech May 8 06:06 am JST May 8 | 06:49 am JST SAN FRANCISCO
Facebook Inc oversight board s extension of former U.S. President Donald Trump s banishment from the social network failed to settle how it will balance political leaders freedom of speech and its responsibility to make sure hateful rhetoric does not incite violence.
The 20-person board, which includes legal scholars, activists and a former prime minister, upheld Trump s suspension from Facebook for the time being but said the company needed to do far more to prepare for volatile political situations.
The company s policies on these issues have huge importance not just in the United States but in countries including India, Brazil, Myanmar and the Philippines. Political leaders there have turned to the social network to stoke hate or spread misinformation, both with deadly consequences, according to critical reviews by the United Nations and othe