Policy & Regulation

Policy & Regulation / Most Commented

Microsoft’s New Study Reports Over 162 Million in US Lack Broadband, FCC Says Only 24.7 Million

A new study by Microsoft researchers suggests the actual use of high-speed internet across the US is quite different than those of from the FCC. more

Rural Home Connectivity in Cuba

Cuba's government monopoly ISP ETECSA in October announced special home connectivity rates for some of the poorest towns in rural Cuba. The monthly charge for 30 hours of 512/256 Kbps DSL access in those towns will be 5 CUC. In other areas where home connectivity is available, the minimum monthly charge is 15 CUC for 30 hours of 1,024/256 kbps service and faster, more expensive, plans are available. more

Paris Cyber Agreement Has Grown to More Than 450 Signatories

The "Paris Call for Trust and Security in Cyberspace," announced by French President at the Paris Peace Forum on November 13, has attracted more than 450 signatories. more

Kaspersky Loses Appeal Against US Government Ban of Its Security Software

A federal appeals court in Washington, D.C. has upheld the federal government’s ban on anti-virus software from the Russian cybersecurity firm Kaspersky Lab. more

NTIA Releases Cybersecurity Road Map for “Building a More Resilient Internet”

U.S. Departments of Commerce and Homeland Security have released a road map setting out steps to stop the cyber threat to nations internet infrastructure, announced NTIA. more

Initial Report on ICANN’s EPDP for gTLD Registration Data: Forward Progress Yet Much Work Remains

Here in the United States, we recently celebrated Thanksgiving and with that, we now enter the last weeks of 2018. I've spent much of this past year involved in ICANN's Expedited Policy Development Process (EPDP) for gTLD Registration Data and I'm happy to say our group has reached a historic milestone. Just last week, the group published its initial report for public comment. more

The Future of Internet Governance? Comments on IGF 2018 Speech by French President Emmanuel Macron

Macron has declared the Internet to be under threat. Without stepping back to question and explore the underlying causes of those threats, he uses them as a justification to propose a different approach to, albeit limited, current Internet Governance processes. Here we explore his proposals and some of the issues they generate. He acknowledges that Civil Society and the private sector have been core drivers in the creation of the Internet. He argues that its benefits and existence are endangered by predatory practices. more

US, European Consumer Groups Call on FTC to Investigate Google for Deceptive Tracking of Users

Over 75 consumer groups in U.S. and Europe have asked the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to investigate Google for unfairly and deceptively manipulating users of mobile phones with its Android operating system by constantly tracking location. A letter sent to the FTC by the Transatlantic Consumer Dialogue (TACD), a forum of US and EU consumer organizations, says Google manipulates users into constant location tracking. more

U.S. Government Trying to Persuade Allied Countries to Avoid Telecom Equipment from China’s Huawei

The U.S. government is engaged in persuading wireless and internet providers in allied countries to stop using telecommunications equipment from China's Huawei Technologies. more

FCC to Classify Text Messaging as Information Service to Fight Spam Texts, Others Oppose the Move

The FCC has unveiled two proposals as part of its plan to help reduce unwanted phone and text spam however the move is challenged by consumer advocacy groups. more

EU Should Not Be Setting US WHOIS and Privacy Policy, Says MPAA

The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) in its recent submission to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has raised a stern objection regarding ICANN's attempt to adhere to the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), stating that the temporary specification had gone "well beyond what the GDPR mandates." more

SpaceX Wins FCC Approval to Deploy 7,518 Satellites for Broadband Communications

Space Exploration Technologies Corp. is granted permission from U.S. regulators to deploy over 7,000 satellites. more

US, Russia and China Stay Out of Paris International Cybersecurity Pact

US, China and Russia have refused to sign the French-backed agreement, Paris Call for Trust and Security in Cyberspace, announced by French President at the UNESCO Internet Governance Forum (IGF) on Monday. more

Schneier: Lasting IoT Security Will Only Happen if Governments Start Introducing Stiff Penalties

Without regulation, there is little hope companies will implement proper security protection measures for IoT devices, said author and security expert Bruce Schneier, during a panel discussion at the Aspen Cyber Summit. more

IGF 13 & Paris Peace Forum: Europe Should Take Lead in Shaping a “New Deal” on Internet Governance

The development of the Internet has arrived at a new Crossroads. The growing Internet Governance complexity is leading also to a higher level of confusion on how the digital future should be shaped. The French president Emanuel Macron and UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres will open both the Paris Peace Forum and the 13th IGF where Internet Governance is a key issue. Is the time ripe for a "New Deal" on Internet Governance? And which stakeholder should bear the primary responsibility for the normative framing of the key challenges internet governance is facing? more