Today:  FCC's Internet Freedom Order Challenges are Transferred to D.C. Circuit Court, City of Baltimore Considers Net Neutrality an Municipal Broadband Actions, Facebook Issues Press Releases Regarding Privacy Practices 

Ninth Circuit Transfers Challenges of FCC's Internet Freedom Order to the D.C. Circuit

On Wednesday, March 28, 2018, a three-judge panel granted an unopposed motion by the petitioners in the cases to transfer them to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.  The Clerk was ordered to transfer the consolidated petitions for review and all pending motions as well. 

Maryland – City of Baltimore Considers Net Neutrality and Municipal Broadband Actions

The Baltimore City Council announced that it is considering three resolutions aimed at ensuring fair internet access.  Highlights include: a public hearing for various city agencies to discuss how the city will navigate Net Neutrality; an investigative hearing into the physical status of Baltimore’s Municipal Conduit System; and an informational hearing to consider a municipal broadband internet service. 

Council President Young, regarding the resolutions, stated that:

“Providing citizens with access to reliable and affordable Internet connectivity is important as more people use technology to gain entry to fast-growing employment sectors and gain valuable education and technological skills.”

Facebook Issues Privacy Press Releases

In response to investigations into Facebook’s privacy practices, the company is making internal changes to certain privacy policies. 

Facebook issued a press release stating that they will make the service’s privacy tools easier to find.  Facebook plans to make a new privacy shortcuts menu. The company believes this will make the settings easier to find and allow, among other things, for users to control their personal information and what ads they see. 

Additionally, the company released that they will be shutting down Partner Categories.  This product allows third party data providers to target their advertising to users on Facebook.  This will be wound down over the next six months, with an intent of improving user privacy. 

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The Regulatory Mix, Inteserra’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 an Inteserra Briefing.