Today, the Federal Trade Commission released details of its $5 billion settlement with Facebook over the company’s repeated violations of a 2012 consent decree, which includes privacy violations such as the Cambridge Analytica incident.

Today, the Department of Justice announced it will conduct a review of competition in digital platforms. Public Knowledge welcomes this announcement and urges the DOJ to thoroughly examine the persistence of market power and the lack of significant new entrants into digital platform markets.

Today, the Federal Trade Commission and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau announced an Equifax settlement that includes a fine up to $700 million for the 2017 Equifax data breach that jeopardized sensitive financial data of millions of Americans.

Today, the Senate Judiciary Committee marked up Senator John Kennedy’s (R-LA) bill, “Copyright Alternative in Small-Claims Enforcement Act of 2019,” (S. 1273), to establish a new Copyright Claim Board within the United States Copyright Office. Public Knowledge opposes the bill as written due to grave concerns with its contents.

Today, Public Knowledge is pleased to announce the appointment of Chris Lewis as the organization’s new President and Chief Executive Officer as Gene Kimmelman steps down from the position.

Reports indicate that the Federal Trade Commission recently voted 3-2 along party lines to approve a roughly $5 billion settlement with Facebook over the company’s repeated privacy violations, including the Cambridge Analytica incident. The FTC is expected to unveil the terms of the fine — including possible conditions — once the Department of Justice has finalized the settlement.

Today, the Federal Communications Commission released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and Declaratory Ruling to reduce barriers to competitive broadband choices for consumers living in multi-tenant buildings, like apartments. Public Knowledge has long supported efforts to remove barriers to deployment and facilitate greater choice for residents of these buildings.

Today, the Federal Communications Commission voted to approve a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking seeking public comment on the creation of a “Connected Care Pilot” program that would provide Universal Service Fund support to help health care providers defray the cost of broadband service, allowing low-income and veteran patients to access telehealth services. Public Knowledge applauds the FCC for taking this step to learn more about how to make health care more accessible and affordable for vulnerable communities and areas with shortages of health care providers.

Today, the Federal Communications Commission voted to approve a Report and Order to eliminate one of the last non-commercial, educational wireless set-asides, the Educational Broadband Service (EBS). The Order eliminates the educational set-aside and creates procedures designed to encourage existing educational licensees to sell their licenses to commercial providers. The Commission will also auction unassigned educational spectrum to commercial carriers in the future.

Today, Public Knowledge joined 21 other rural, education, and public interest groups in a letter urging Congress to ensure that the Federal Communications Commission’s plan to reallocate spectrum in the 3700 to 4200 Mhz band (the “C-Band”) benefits rural and low-income Americans struggling to access broadband.