Federal Communications Commission

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NBC Gives Trump 'Equal Time' After Harris' Appearance on SNL

Republican FCC commissioner had complained about what he saw as a rules violation

(Newser) - After a commissioner claimed Kamala Harris' surprise appearance on Saturday Night Live violated the Federal Communications Commission's "equal time" rules, NBC offered Donald Trump equal time. Brendan Carr, a Republican appointed to the FCC by Donald Trump, posted on X Saturday that Harris' SNL appearance seemed to be...

FTC Is Finalizing 'Click to Cancel' Rule

It's part of 'Time Is Money' consumer initiative

(Newser) - The Federal Trade Commission is finalizing a "click to cancel" rule that will make it as easy to cancel subscriptions to services like gym memberships or cable packages as it is to sign up. "For a lot of services, it takes one or two clicks on your phone...

FCC Reinstates Net Neutrality Opposed by Broadband Industry
FCC Restores Net Neutrality
Apr 25, 2024 7:25 PM CDT

FCC Restores Net Neutrality

Rules had been imposed under Obama and scrapped under Trump

(Newser) - The Federal Communications Commission on Thursday reinstated net neutrality regulations that prohibit internet service providers from interfering with online speeds to favor certain websites. The rules were imposed during the Obama administration, then rescinded during the Trump administration. Democrats have a 3-2 majority on the FCC, and that was the...

FCC Outlaws AI-Generated Voices in Robocalls

Steep fines await those who attempt to use the technology to manipulate voters, scam people

(Newser) - The Federal Communications Commission on Thursday outlawed robocalls that contain voices generated by artificial intelligence, a decision that sends a clear message that exploiting the technology to scam people and mislead voters won't be tolerated. The unanimous ruling targets robocalls made with AI voice-cloning tools under the Telephone Consumer...

It's the 'Most Meaningful Regulatory Action Ever' on Robocalls
It's the 'Most
Meaningful
Regulatory Action
Ever' on Robocalls
in case you missed it
Jul 11, 2021 5:34 PM CDT

It's the 'Most Meaningful Regulatory Action Ever' on Robocalls

FCC requiring phone providers to verify phone number before call is made

(Newser) - If you've noticed a recent drop in spam calls, thank the Federal Communications Commission. As of June 30, major US phone providers must use caller ID authentication meant to block spoofed robocalls, costing Americans some $10 billion annually, and help "law enforcement track bad actors," according to...

Feds Are Giving Millions $50 Off Their Internet Bills

Emergency Broadband Benefit program was launched Wednesday

(Newser) - Americans can begin applying for $50 off their monthly Internet bill on Wednesday as part of an emergency government program to keep people connected during the pandemic. The $3.2 billion Emergency Broadband Benefit program is part of the $900 billion December pandemic-relief package. The government is increasing spending on...

FCC Slaps Spam Callers With Record $225M Fine

Texas-based telemarketers send out more than 1B calls

(Newser) - Under a bill Congress passed in 2019, spammers can be fined up to $10,000 for a single robocall. The fine handed out to two Texas-based telemarketers Wednesday worked out to less than 5 cents per robocall, but it was still a new record for the Federal Communications Commission. The...

Low-Income Families May Get $50 a Month for Internet

FCC approves subsidy to help close the digital divide

(Newser) - With so many people working and attending school from home during the pandemic, it's become crucial that as many Americans as possible have access to high-speed internet. That's why the FCC on Thursday gave the green light to a $3.2 billion initiative that will offer eligible families...

Trump Signs $1B Bill to Replace Huawei Equipment

Bill will help small providers with switch

(Newser) - President Trump on Thursday signed into law a bill that provides $1 billion to help small telecom providers replace equipment made by China's Huawei and ZTE. The US government considers the Chinese companies a security risk and has pushed its allies not to use Huawei equipment in next-generation cellular...

It Will Soon Be Much Easier to Call Suicide Hotline

FCC plans to set up '988' as national suicide prevention hotline number

(Newser) - In most emergencies, you only need to dial three digits to get help: 911. But for people considering suicide, it takes a lot more digits than that to reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Thanks to a proposal advanced Thursday by the Federal Communications Commission, that will soon change. The...

Major Carriers Pledge Action on Robocalls

Americans are getting nearly 5B of them a month

(Newser) - Major phone companies have pledged to do more to fight robocalls plaguing Americans, the country's state attorneys general say. It's the latest step from government and industry to combat the growing problem, the AP reports. Americans get nearly 5 billion automated calls from scammers, telemarketers, debt collectors, and...

A Jimmy Kimmel Segment Just Cost ABC $395K

FCC cracks down on use of emergency tone to avoid 'alert fatigue'

(Newser) - ABC has been ordered to cough up $395,000 for using a simulated emergency alert tone in an October Jimmy Kimmel Live! skit making fun of last fall's test of the emergency presidential alert system . The sketch, a fake trailer for a movie called The Textening, used the tone...

Calif. Just OK'd Strongest Net Neutrality Law in the US

Trump administration immediately sued

(Newser) - California Gov. Jerry Brown approved the nation's strongest net neutrality law Sunday, prompting a lawsuit by the Trump administration and opening the next phase in the battle over internet regulation. Net neutrality advocates hope the law—which Brown signed to stop internet providers from favoring certain content or sites,...

Most Americans Will Get the Same Text Next Thursday

You can't opt out out of this 'Presidential Alert'

(Newser) - You may hear a bit of noise next Thursday afternoon after lunch, and you can thank FEMA and the FCC. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports the two agencies are pushing out a "Presidential Alert" test to nearly every cellphone in the nation Sept. 20 to "assess the operational readiness...

Senate Votes to Restore Net Neutrality

But effort will likely 'go nowhere' in the House

(Newser) - The Senate has voted to kill a Federal Communications Commission rule that repealed the Obama administration's ban on internet providers blocking or slowing down certain content. Back in December, in an effort to deregulate the internet, the FCC repealed "net neutrality" rules that ensured equal treatment for all...

'Spoofing' Robocaller Fined $120M by FCC

It's the commission's biggest-ever fine

(Newser) - The Federal Communications Commission has slapped a notorious robocaller with a fine that works out to around $1.24—for each of roughly 97 million calls made over three months toward the end of 2016. The $120 million fine finalized against Adrian Abramovich Thursday is the biggest in FCC history...

BK Ad Explains Net Neutrality With a $26 Whopper

Some call the ad 'brilliant,' some say it's just another marketing ploy

(Newser) - If you've tried explaining net neutrality to your friends only to find their eyes glazing over, appeal to their stomachs instead. Per CNNMoney , Burger King's new "Whopper Neutrality" ad , which debuted Wednesday, illustrates the concept through the lens of Whoppers and wait times. In BK's "...

21 US States Just Took New Action on Net Neutrality

Lawsuit from attorneys general claims FCC broke the law by voting to repeal net neutrality rules

(Newser) - A lawsuit filed Tuesday claims the FCC broke federal law when it voted to repeal net neutrality rules in a move labeled "arbitrary, capricious and an abuse of discretion," Reuters reports. As promised , a lawsuit filed by 21 state attorneys general, all Democrats, argues the FCC will allow...

Another Potential Victim of Net Neutrality Nix: Free Online Porn

The porn will still be there—you might just have to pay for it

(Newser) - Many individuals and groups are displeased with the FCC's ruling Thursday to nix "net neutrality" rules, which kept ISPs from giving preference to or throttling some online content. But one demographic in particular is particularly hot and bothered, per the Independent Journal Review : consumers of internet porn. The...

Left, Right, and Tech Come Out Against Net Neutrality Vote

Lawsuits, legislation already planned to save net neutrality

(Newser) - That didn't take long. Within minutes of the FCC voting 3-2 to kill Obama-era net neutrality rules, New York Attorney General Eric Schnedierman had announced plans to file a multi-state lawsuit over the decision, which he claims is illegal, Quartz reports. And he wasn't alone. Washington state Attorney...

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