Today's Regulatory Mix:  FTC Urged to Issue Online Conferencing Guidelines, Serving Rural America Act Introduced

FTC Urged to Issue Online Conferencing Guidelines 

Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass), has urged the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to issue comprehensive guidelines for companies that provide online conferencing services.  He also called for a set of best practices for users that will help protect online safety and privacy during the coronavirus pandemic and beyond.   In his letter, Senator Markey urges the FTC issue guidance to companies on topics including: 

• Implementing secure authentication and other safeguards against unauthorized access;  
• Enacting limits on data collection and recording;  
• Employing encryption and other security protocols for securing data; and  
• Providing clear and conspicuous privacy policies for users. 
• He also asked them to develop best practices covering topics such as:  
• Identifying and preventing cyber threats such as phishing and malware;  
• Sharing links to online meetings without compromising security; 
• Restricting access to meetings via software settings; and 
• Recognizing that different versions of a company’s service may provide varying levels of privacy protection. 

“As Americans’ reliance on online conferencing grows, individuals are increasingly vulnerable to cyber-attacks and inappropriate access of their personal data,” the Senator wrote.  “Although much of the recent reporting has focused on Zoom due to its growing user base, and I would urge the FTC to conduct a thorough investigation into Zoom, it is clear that no platform is immune from risks. Other services, including Cisco Webex, Microsoft Teams, and Slack have all previously had security flaws exposed, raising the need for the FTC to issue guidance generally ‘to help businesses understand their responsibilities and comply with the law,’ particularly during this pandemic.” 

Serving Rural America Act Introduced

Congressman Rob Wittman (VA-01), along with Rep. Bill Johnson (R-OH-6), announced the introduction of the Serving Rural America Act (HR 6456).  The Act would create a five-year pilot grant program at the FCC, authorizing $100 million a year for a total of $500 million over five years to expand broadband service to unserved areas of the country.  To be eligible for funding, an internet service provider would be required to partner with a locality, city, county, wireless authority, or planning district commission to ensure the needs and input of residents are included.  The Act also: 

• Prioritizes funding to areas without 25Mbps/3Mbps. 
• Includes  measures to ensure inter-agency coordination and safeguards against overbuilding of other federally funded broadband projects. 
• Features a challenge process that allows the public or other existing service providers in the proposed service area to submit a challenge to the FCC, to determine whether the proposed project would duplicate existing broadband service in the proposed service area. 
• Includes measures to improve mapping such as analysis of third party data, crowd sourcing, and site specific testing in service areas where mapping data has been contested. 
• Instructs the FCC to report to Congress annually on the progress of the program based on buildout data provided by recipients.

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The Regulatory Mix, Inteserra’s blog of telecom related regulatory activities, is a snapshot of PUC, FCC, legislative, and occasionally court issues that our regulatory monitoring team uncovers each day. Depending on their significance, some items may be the subject of an Inteserra Briefing.