Today, reports surfaced that the Trump Administration is drafting an Executive Order that would require the Federal Communications Commission and Federal Trade Commission to monitor speech on social media platforms. Reports indicate that the draft order calls for the FCC to develop new regulations detailing how and when the law shields social media companies when they remove content from their platforms. Public Knowledge finds this Administration’s potential abandonment of free speech and agency independence alarming.

Today, reports surfaced that a Facebook third-party marketing partner, Hyp3r, collected public Instagram user data that was intended to disappear after 24 hours over the course of a year. This data includes records of Instagram users’ geolocation, personal bios, followers, metadata, and photos.

Recently, Senate Antitrust Subcommittee Ranking Member Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) introduced the “Monopolization Deterrence Act of 2019.” The bill would enable the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice to seek civil monetary penalties against individuals and corporations that engage in anticompetitive behavior such as favoring their own services over a competitor’s service.

Today, the Federal Communications Commission voted to approve a Third Report and Order to enforce cable franchising laws by preempting state and local authorities. Public Knowledge finds the FCC’s move to prevent states from regulating broadband — a service the agency refuses to regulate itself — both baffling as policy and defective as a matter of law.

Today, the Federal Communications Commission voted to approve a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to establish a $20.4 billion rural broadband investment fund, “The Rural Digital Opportunity Fund,” (RDOF) to help close the digital divide. According to the FCC, the fund will “provide funding through a reverse auction to broadband service providers that deploy infrastructure that provides up to gigabit-speed broadband” in rural America.

This week, Public Knowledge filed comments on the Federal Communications Commission’s recent Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to consider implementing a cap on the Universal Service Fund (USF).

Today, Capital One — a popular bank and credit card company — announced that an “outside individual” with “unauthorized access” had obtained the personal information of about 106 million customers who had applied for its credit card products.

After more than a year of review, the Department of Justice announced today that it has approved the proposed T-Mobile/Sprint merger, the divestiture of prepaid brands and customers, as well as several side agreements designed to accelerate Dish Network’s entry into the wireless market.

Today, Representatives Anna Eshoo (D-CA) and Steve Scalise (R-LA) introduced the “Modern Television Act” to promote competition and lower prices in the video marketplace by promoting privately-negotiated copyright.

Today, Facebook confirmed during its Q2 earnings call and in its quarterly report that the Federal Trade Commission notified the company in June that the agency has opened an antitrust investigation into Facebook. An FTC investigation means there is particular conduct by the company that the agency is interested in, and that the agency is examining that conduct to determine if it violates antitrust law.