Today: US Senate Hearings on Social Media and Driving Automation, FTC Workshop on Privacy and Security Issues Related to Connected Cars, California Dialing Procedure for 916 Area Code    

US Senate Hearings on Social Media and Driving Automation

The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation announced it will convene a hearing titled “Terrorism and Social Media: #IsBigTechDoingEnough?” on Wednesday, January 17, 2018.  The hearing will examine the steps social media platforms are taking to combat the spread of extremist propaganda over the Internet.  Witnesses currently scheduled to appear include representatives from Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and the Foreign Policy Research Institute. 

Separately, the Committee announced  it will convene a field hearing titled, “Driving Automotive Innovation and Federal Policies,” on Wednesday, January 24, 2018, at the Washington Convention Center.  The Senate hearing will examine self-driving and other auto technologies as well as issues on the horizon for lawmakers and regulators.  Witnesses include representatives from Florida Polytechnic University, Zoox, Inc., Intel Corporation, Robert Bosch LLC, and  Audi Mobility U.S.

FTC Workshop Examining Privacy and Security Issues Related to Connected Cars

The Federal Trade Commission held a workshop on June 28, 2017, to examine the privacy and security issues unique to connected cars.  The staff generated key takeaways in a new paper released this month.  The Staff Perspective summarizes important themes from the discussion by panelists at the full-day workshop. Panelists discussed the types of data collected from connected cars and the various ways in which the data can be used.  Participants noted that speaking about consumer privacy concerns is critical to consumer reception and adoption of the developing technologies behind connected cars and that different methods may be needed depending on how the data is used.  The panelists also discussed the cybersecurity challenges facing connected cars and best practices for addressing these risks.

California Reminder About New Dialing Procedure for Customers with a 916 Area Code

Starting February 10, 2018 all residents and businesses in the 916 area code must dial 1 + area code + telephone number for all calls.  This dialing change is paving the way for a new 279 area code overlay within the current 916 geographic area.  Beginning March 10, 2018 customers requesting a new or additional phone number may be assigned a 279 or a 916 area code, depending on the available numbers at that time.

Looking for more information regarding this development in California? Learn how you can recieve detailed Briefings.

TMI Briefing Service subscribers see Briefing dated 2/17/17.

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The Regulatory Mix, TMI’s daily 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 a TMI Briefing.