U.S. may screen foreign travelers’ Facebook, Twitter accounts (USA Today)
The government’s next plan to curb terrorism involves snooping around the Facebook profiles of foreign travelers. Non-citizens traveling to the U.S. on a visa waiver could be asked about their online presence and social media profiles — but not their account passwords — by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol.
Microsoft’s Nadella says ‘A.I. must guard against bias’ (USA Today)
Satya Nadella is a believer in the vast promise of artificial intelligence. But the Microsoft CEO says humans and machines need to work together to solve the world’s great societal challenges, including issues of diversity and inequality. And responsibility is in the hands of the designers.
LETTER FROM JUDICIARY LEADERS TO NTIA RE: INTERNET TRANSITION PLAN (The Hill)
Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Chuck Grassley and House Judiciary Chair Bob Goodlatte sent a letter to the NTIA, asking a series of questions about NTIA’s proposal to transfer key Internet domain name functions to the global multi-stakeholder community. “We are writing to express concerns regarding this proposal.”
DEAR LANDLORD: DON’T RIP ME OFF WHEN IT COMES TO INTERNET ACCESS (Back Channel- Commentary)
When it comes to Internet access, people in apartments often have the worst of both worlds: all the limitations of a utility framework — no competition, no choices — with zero protections for consumers. That means unconstrained pricing.
Verizon, AT&T and others can’t afford Dish’s spectrum: MoffettNathanson (Fierce Wireless)
MoffettNathanson lowered its rating for Dish Network, saying that while the company’s mid-band spectrum is theoretically valuable, major U.S. carriers simply can’t afford to buy it. The value of Dish’s spectrum has been the subject of much speculation in recent months as the FCC prepares to auction off 600 MHz airwaves.
After New Regulations in China, What’s Ahead for Baidu? (Ad Age)
Digital advertising has exploded in China, the world’s No. 2 ad market, with spending on online ads increasing five-fold in five years. Chinese search giant Baidu has been a big beneficiary of that growth. In terms of global search revenues, Baidu is second only to Google.
FCC’s Wheeler Circulates Item Eliminating UHF Discount (Broadcasting & Cable)
At the same time chair Tom Wheeler was circulating the FCC’s quadrennial review of media ownership rules, which retain and even tighten some rules, he separately circulated an order eliminating the UHF discount, an FCC source confirms, which would be an additional cap on ownership.
Broadband Stakeholders Eye Security, Privacy of Internet of Things (Broadcasting & Cable)
The Broadband Internet Technical Advisory Group, a nonprofit multistakeholder group focused on broadband network management issues, is working on a report on the technical side of security and privacy in the Internet of Things world. The report will look at smart phones, tablets and computers, as well as the sensors and monitors.
CTIA: ATSC 3.0 Tech Shouldn’t Get Repack Funds (Broadcasting & Cable)
Wireless carriers have told the FCC it should not pay any extra for ATSC 3.0 equipment if that proves to be part of the TV station repack equation following the spectrum auction or change its timeline to accommodate a new transmission standard.
Google is adding new ways to track you for ads, but it’s letting you call the shots (Recode) Since it began, Google has kept the vast amount of user data it tracks in silos. Information gathered from users while signed into Google accounts — searches, YouTube videos watched — was kept separate from data on web pages and apps visited. Not anymore.
FCC’s O’Rielly calls STB proposal ‘convoluted scheme,’ stumps for apps-based alternative (Fierce Cable)
Republican FCC Commissioner Michael O’Rielly, a vocal critic of Chair Tom Wheeler’s set-top box regulation proposal, delivered his most strident support yet for the pay-TV industry’s apps-based proposal. Calling Wheeler’s proposal a “convoluted scheme,” O’Rielly said the industry’s alternative— to use existing apps — is viable.
Why live virtual reality can enrich the journalism landscape (Jounalism)
The tech is already there via NextVR, which has been working with media companies to broadcast events live in VR for the complete immersive experience. Having made early experiments with sports events and the Democratic and Republican debates, NextVR has its own cameras and transmission equipment.
Black Media Say Facebook Should be Regulated (Inside Sources)
Black media outlets concerned with Facebook’s growing influence over online news media are calling on the federal government to regulate the social network, which has grown into a major driver of news consumption in recent years.