Policy & Regulation

Policy & Regulation / News Briefs

Trump Expected to Name FCC Commissioner Ajit Pai as Chairman

"Pai, a Barack Obama nominee who has served as the senior FCC Republican for more than three years, could take the new role immediately and wouldn't require approval by the Senate because he was already confirmed to serve at the agency," Alex Byers and Tony Romm reporting in Politico. more

Outgoing FCC Chairman Warns Republicans Against Overturning Net Neutrality

"Outgoing U.S. Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler warned Republicans against dismantling the Obama administration's landmark 'net neutrality' protections," David Shepardson reporting in Reuters. more

U.S. Department of Commerce Issues IoT Advancement Guidelines

The Department of Commerce issues a green paper outlining guiding principles and ways to support the advancement of the Internet of Things (IoT). more

Over 50 Internet Shutdowns Reported in 2016

"Governments around the world shut down the internet more than 50 times in 2016 -- suppressing elections, slowing economies and limiting free speech," Lyndal Rowlands reporting in IPS. more

China Says It Will Use All Means, Including Military, to Ensure Online Security

"Beijing vowed on Tuesday to use all necessary means, including military ones, to wipe out subversion and attempts to undermine its sovereignty in cyberspace," Zhuang Pinghui reporting in South China Morning Post. more

Tom Wheeler Announces Resignation as FCC Chairman

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler has announced he will leave the agency on January 20, the day of President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration. more

China Shuts Down Thousands of Websites for ‘Harmful’, Obscene Content

China has shut down or 'dealt with' thousands of websites for sharing 'harmful' erotic or obscene content since April, the state's office for combating pornography and illegal publications announced on Thursday. more

Internet Governance Forum Puts the Spotlight on Trade Agreements

"This year was the first year in which the spotlight fell on the use of trade agreements to make rules for the Internet behind closed doors, and a broad consensus emerged that this needs to change," Jeremy Malcolm reporting today from EFF. more

AT&T CEO Confident Trump-Appointed FCC Will Scrap Net Neutrality Regulations

AT&T's regulatory problems are melting away as the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump draws near. more

Internet Society Urges for Increased Effort to Address Unprecedented Challenges Facing the Internet

During the 11th Internet Governance Forum (IGF), a United Nations-convened conference taking place in Mexico, 6-9 December, the Internet Society urged the global Internet community to redouble its efforts in addressing the wave of unprecedented challenges facing the Internet. more

German Minister: Facebook Should Be Treated as Media Company, Held Criminally Liable for Hate Speech

Germany's Justice Minister says Facebook should be treated like a media company rather than a technology platform, suggesting he favors moves to make social media groups criminally liable for failing to remove hate speech. more

FCC Drops Every Major Item from the Agenda

FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler has taken all rulemakings off agenda a day after the Republican Party lawmakers' request. more

Global Internet Freedom Declines for Sixth Consecutive Year in 2016, Says Freedom House

"Internet freedom has declined for the sixth consecutive year, with more governments than ever before targeting social media and communication apps as a means of halting the rapid dissemination of information, particularly during antigovernment protests," according to the Freedom on the Net 2016 report released by Freedom House. more

Internet Association Releases Policy Roadmap for Trump

The Internet Association today released a policy roadmap detailing a roadmap for the incoming administration and Congress. more

Could Trump Administration Reverse ICANN Independency? ITIP Chief Weighs In

Could the Trump administration reverse the decision to give the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) autonomy from the U.S. Department of Commerce? more