Technology innovations are great, and the advancement of the electronics industry over the past 20 years has been astounding. However, when the federal government steps in to mandate technology, typically progress comes to a halt. Such is the case with the set-top box. The cable industry has been in the process of moving away from […]
Government Should Not Restrict Free-Data Plans
One only needs to look at the mobile phone bill of a connected teenager’s parent to know that mobile data use is on the rise. Often driven by homework and school expectations, teenagers consume large amounts of mobile data performing classroom internet searches, video messaging their fellow students working on team assignments, as well as […]
A Pathway to Change at the IRS
Because of the delicate, private, and proprietary nature of information provided by individuals and businesses to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) on tax returns, audits are an inherently governmental function that should be conducted solely by government employees. This confidential process should not be handed over to outside individuals or organizations. However, that is exactly the situation that Microsoft Corporation found itself in May 2014, when the IRS decided to hire an outside litigation firm to conduct an audit of the company’s international division, and then proscriptively issued regulations allowing the agency to take such action.
Reduce Regulatory Burdens Instead of Increasing Fees
Innovative technology has become the foundation for performing mundane tasks, such as vacationing, buying groceries, and even catching a ride, in new inventive ways. The sharing economy is on the cusp of such a revolution, using mobile apps to offer consumers new ways to connect with the services they want to use. However, as noted […]
The FCC’s Lifeline Breakdown
Citizens Against Government Waste highlighting the programmatic issues of the Universal Service Fund (USF) and its Lifeline program for low-income individuals in its 2014 report Telecom Unplugged: Ushering in a New Digital Era. The USF was created by Congress to expand communications technology in unserved regions of the country. The original mission of the Lifeline support program was to provide basic telephone service to low-income individuals. This program was expanded in 2008 to include wireless phone service, and on March 31, 2016, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted to further expand the program to include broadband internet subsidies.
Copyright Office Details Problems with FCC Set-Top Box Proposal
On August 3, 2016, the Register of Copyrights sent a letter to four members of Congress, detailing potential copyright violations that could occur if the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) proposed rulemaking on set-top boxes is implemented, requiring multi-channel video programming distributors (MVPDs) to provide access to content, video programming guides, and subscriber data to third […]
Give the FCC an Inch, and It Will Take a Mile
On June 14, 2016, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit (DC Circuit Court) rejected by a 2-1 decision the petition of US Telecom in its case against the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Open Internet Order (OIO). The net neutrality debate has been through legal gyrations at the FCC and the courts for seven years, and this case is still not the end of the long and winding road.
Artists and Composers Say Digital Millennium Copyright Act Isn’t Working
The Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998 gave copyright owners the ability to remove infringing content from the Internet by sending a takedown notice to online providers. As long as the providers promptly responded, they were assured of broad safe harbor protections from prosecution. Unfortunately, these takedown notices have not functioned as intended, due to […]
Yes, the Government Still Uses Floppy Disks
As technology marches forward, the federal government not only cannot keep up, it also remains mired in the past, despite spending more than $80 billion annually on information technology (IT). A May 25, 2016, Government Accountability Office (GAO) report on legacy systems in the federal government found that agencies are using decades-old technology that includes floppy disks and nearly obsolete computer languages.
Time for a Time-Out on Set-Top Box Mandates
It is doubtful the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chairman thought there would be much concern about his proposed mandates on set-top box standards, which would allow third parties access to program guides and video content without needing to be licensed. Obviously, he was wrong. The proposed set-top box rules would require multi-channel video programming distributors […]