23934782
submission
GovTechGuy writes:
The FCC will begin a test on Monday that will give the public access to "white spaces," the unused spectrum between TV and radio stations. The Commission is in the process of opening up the airwaves for public use; the last release of unlicensed airwaves eventually spawned a number of innovations such as WiFi, cordless phones and baby monitors. Officials hope this move will lead to better WiFi technology that can cover up to 50 miles.
23934458
submission
GovTechGuy writes:
Federal officials told lawmakers that attacks against the U.S. financial industry are growing increasingly sophisticated and damaging, increasing the need for new security laws that will enable firms and the government to share information on attacks.
23701934
submission
GovTechGuy writes:
The Obama administration wants hackers to be prosecuted under the same laws used to target organized crime syndicates, according to two officials appearing in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday morning.
22572386
submission
GovTechGuy writes:
Once thought to be a foregone conclusion, AT&T's proposed $39 billion acquisition ran into a stumbling block this week as the first real resistance emerged on the Hill in the form of Senate antitrust subpanel chairman Herb Kohl, who came out vehemently against the deal. Kohl's resistance has given heart to the opposition, also buoyed by a letter from a trio of prominent House Democrats who termed the deal a troubling step back towards the Ma Bell phone monopoly disbanded in the 1980s.
22182620
submission
GovTechGuy writes:
Google chairman Eric Schmidt will testify at a September hearing in front of the Senate antitrust subpanel after the search giant backed off its earlier refusal to send either Schmidt or CEO Larry Page. Google appears to have reversed itself under the threat of a subpoena from the subpanel.
21969102
submission
GovTechGuy writes:
Two-thirds of consumers want the government to safeguard their privacy online and 81 percent want to add their names to a Do Not Track list, according to a May poll released Tuesday by Consumers Union. In addition, over 80 percent of respondents were concerned that companies may be sharing their personal information with third parties without their permission. The survey's release comes just one day before a Senate Commerce Committee hearing where lawmakers will hear testimony on three data privacy bills currently in front of the Senate.
21846954
submission
GovTechGuy writes:
The FCC adopted new rules on Thursday that would significantly increase the penalties for individuals or organizations that alter their caller ID information to commit fraud or with other harmful intent. The new rules allow the FCC to fine violators $10,000 per violation plus more for every day it continues. Users can still change their caller ID info as long as it's not for fraud or harmful purposes.
21821066
submission
GovTechGuy writes:
A new bill from Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.) would force wireless carriers to provide consumers with information on the minimum data speeds for their 4G networks at both the point of sale as well as on all billing materials. The bill would also task the FCC with compiling a Consumer Reports-style comparison of the 4G data speeds at the top ten wireless carriers so customers can view a side-by-side comparison.
21770278
submission
GovTechGuy writes:
FCC chairman Julius Genachowski said Monday that his agency is going to make it harder for mobile carriers to hit customers with mystery fees on their monthly bills. The practice, known as "cramming," typically involves charging customers between $1.99 and $19.99 per month for services they either didn't use or didn't request. The FCC last week announced fines totaling nearly $12 million against four carriers for cramming last week.
21706258
submission
GovTechGuy writes:
Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas) could introduce his bill to legalize online poker as soon as next week. The bill would legalize the game in all 50 states but sites could only be set up in states where gambling is already legal, so they can be licensed through existing gaming commissions. States could choose to opt-out of the law and ban online poker by referendum or a vote of the state legislature. The bill would also create a federal regulatory body to oversee the game.
21690114
submission
GovTechGuy writes:
The Senate Judiciary Committee reported a bill from Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) that would make it a felony to illegally stream movies online. S. 978 would punish 10 or more instances of streaming copyrighted works for commercial purposes over a 180-day period with up to five years in prison. Cracking down on online piracy and illegal streaming has broad support from both parties and the White House.
21686460
submission
GovTechGuy writes:
Federal chief information officer Vivek Kundra will leave a mixed track record of progress when he leaves the Obama administration later this summer. Kundra will head to Harvard University in mid-August to serve as a joint fellow at the Kennedy School of Government and the Berkman Center for Internet and Society. Upon taking office Kundra quickly established himself as a champion of outsourcing federal web applications to the cloud in order to reduce costs and increase flexibility. But other high-profile projects championed by Kundra have drawn criticism, such as the online data warehouse Data.gov.
21654090
submission
GovTechGuy writes:
Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) unveiled a new bill on Wednesday that would require firms like Apple and Google to obtain consent from consumers before collecting or sharing their smartphone location data with third parties. The bill would cover all mobile devices including tablets and require firms to inform consumers when they collect their data and allow them to delete it when requested.
21651704
submission
GovTechGuy writes:
Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.) released an official application for the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch, making him the first Senator to offer an official mobile application. The Chambliss app allows the public to call Chambliss' offices directly from the app and find in real-time information on the Senator's positions on current political topics.
