EU-U.S. Release Privacy Framework (Broadcasting & Cable)
The Commerce Department has released the full text of the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield framework, the voluntary agreement companies sign on to protect over a quarter of a billion dollars in cross-border digital information flows. Once it becomes official, it replaces the safe harbor agreement that an EU court invalidated.
Apple, FBI to face off at House hearing on encryption (USA Today)
Apple and the FBI will face off for the first time since the federal government went to court to try to force the tech giant to unlock a terrorist’s encrypted iPhone. FBI Director James Comey and Apple’s senior vice president and general counsel, Bruce Sewell, will testify at a House Judiciary Committee hearing.
Apple-FBI fight may be custom made for Supreme Court (USA Today)
The fight over iPhone privacy is just beginning, but its endgame may be the Supreme Court. That’s partly because the classic battle between Apple and the FBI already has divided federal judges in San Francisco and New York, a sure sign of further divisions to come that the nation’s highest court would be called on to settle.
Apple Victorious in Another Phone Unlocking Case (Recode)
A federal judge in New York has handed Apple a victory in a request that it unlock an iPhone — a decision that comes just as a California judge is preparing to hear a similar dispute over a phone used by one of the San Bernardino attackers.
Report Finds Internet Providers See Far Less Personal Data Than the FCC Thinks (Inside Sources)
While the FCC continues to weigh and delay new data privacy regulations for Internet service providers, researchers at Georgia Tech released a report finding ISPs have far less visibility of customers’ web browsing habits than previously thought.
In Greater Alignment: Public & Policymakers on Cyber (Inside Sources)
Nearly three-quarters of Americans, 73 percent, said they felt cyberterrorism was a critical threat, behind only international terrorism and the threat that Iran might acquire nuclear weapons, but ahead of infectious diseases and the conflict in Syria.
CBS May Offer Ad-Free Version Of All Access (The Wrap)
CBS All Access, the broadcaster’s online-only service that lets subscribers stream its live programming for $5.99 a month, may launch an ad-free option at a higher rate, CEO Les Moonves said. He also predicted that All Access would become a “significant driver” in the company’s business next year.
FCC Releases Spectrum Auction User Guide (Communication Law Center)
The FCC posted to the Auction 1001 website the Reverse Auction Initial Commitment User Guide and Online Tutorial. Broadcasters that submitted an FCC Form 177 to participate in the Reverse Auction should review these materials to gain a better understanding of how the system will work so that they are prepared to participate.
PENTAGON ADMITS IT IS ‘LOOKING TO ACCELERATE’ CYBERATTACKS AGAINST ISIS (The Guardian)
The Pentagon has acknowledged using its storehouse of new digital weapons to attack ISIS communications networks, the first time that the US military has acknowledged doing so during an active war. Operators from the US Cyber Command, the young military command twinned to the NSA, have launched assaults on nodes.
EMERGING TOOLS FOR CITIES TO ADDRESS THE DIGITAL DIVIDE (Brookings- Commentary)
Recently, the New York Times ran an article on how the digital divide particularly affects schoolchildren, creating what they termed a “homework gap.” The article illustrates vividly what has been clear, at least since the 2010 National Broadband Plan, that a person’s full participation in the economy and civic life requires connectivity.
Netflix has the answer for those who want to watch TV on two screens (Business Insider)
Watching Netflix one screen at a time just isn’t enough anymore. What is this, 2011? Time to take it to the second screen! The streaming giant has announced a new feature, set to debut later this year, aimed specifically at addressing the ever-growing consumer trend of “second screening” in which a viewer uses their phone or tablet.
Oregon created a tax break for Google Fiber – but Comcast may be the big winner (Oregon Live)
Comcast has created a new class of hyper-fast Internet service it acknowledges almost nobody needs. And it charges a price few would pay. What the new “Gigabit Pro” service does accomplish, according to Comcast, is make the company eligible for millions of dollars in state tax breaks.
Bamboozled consumers and the power of the bundle (Financial Times)
More than eight in 10 broadband users are unable to identify the total cost of their contract, says a cautionary column on the practice of bundling products to befuddle customers, with the “quadplays” offered of landline, mobile, broadband and TV services among the most confusing.