The Regulatory Mix - Thursday, November 1, 2018

Today:  FTC Announces Agenda for Session on Competition and Consumer Protection, FCC’s Rosenworcel Broadband Conversation Podcasts 

FTC Announces Agenda for Next Session on Competition and Consumer Protection

The Federal Trade Commission announced the agenda for the seventh session of its Hearings Initiative, scheduled for November 13-14, 2018.  The hearing will examine competition and consumer protection issues associated with the use of algorithms, artificial intelligence, and predictive analytics in business decisions and conduct. See detailed agenda.

The hearing will inform the FTC, other policymakers, and the public of:

• the current and potential uses of these technologies;
• the ethical and consumer protection issues that are associated with the use of these technologies;
• how the competitive dynamics of firm and industry conduct are affected by the use of these technologies; and
• policy, innovation, and market considerations associated with the use of these technologies.

The FTC is also seeking comment by February 19, 2019, on a number of questions relating to the subject matter of the hearing, including but not limited to:

• What features distinguish products or services that use algorithms, artificial intelligence, or predictive analytics? In which industries or business sectors are they most prevalent?
• Are there factors that have impeded the development of these technologies? Are there factors that could impede further development of these technologies?
• What are the main ethical issues (e.g., susceptibility to bias) associated with these technologies? How are the relevant affected parties (e.g., technologists, the business community, government, consumer groups, etc.) proposing to address these ethical issues? What challenges might arise in addressing them?
• Is industry self-regulation and government enforcement of existing laws sufficient to address concerns, or are new laws or regulations necessary?
• Should ethical guidelines and common principles be tailored to the type of technology involved, or should the goal be to develop one overarching set of best practices?
• What are the main consumer protection issues raised by algorithms, artificial intelligence, and predictive analytics?
• How well do the FTC’s current enforcement tools, including the FTC Act, the Fair Credit Reporting Act, and the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, address issues raised by these technologies?
• Does the use of algorithms, artificial intelligence, and predictive analytics currently raise particular antitrust concerns (including, but not limited to, concerns about algorithmic collusion)?
• How are these technologies affecting competition, innovation, and consumer choices in the industries and business sectors in which they are used today? How might they do so in the future?

FCC’s Rosenworcel Broadband Conversation Podcasts

FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel released the second and third episodes of her podcast, Broadband Conversations.  The podcast dedicated to amplifying the voices of women from across the technology, innovation, and media sectors.  The second episode features New School Professor Maya Wiley.  Rosenworcel and Wiley discuss challenges of connectivity in both rural and urban communities, the importance of broadband access for individual and community success, and how we need to integrate technology into all of our public policy decisions.  The third episode features Kimberly Bryant, founder of Black Girls Code and a 2013 White House Champion of Change.  Commissioner Rosenworcel and Bryant discuss how we can encourage more girls, especially girls of color, to be interested in technology and how through that work we can help close the digital divide in this country.

The episodes are available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Google Play, and the FCC. 

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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.