New Yorkers could gain a digital right to repair under a bill cleared on a bipartisan basis Tuesday by the Assembly Consumer Affairs and Protection Committee. The panel voted 14-2, with two of four Republicans in favor, to report A-7006 to the Codes Committee. Also at the livestreamed hearing, all four GOP members unsuccessfully voted to stop the Democratic majority from holding a Republican bill (A-8246) that would have exempted real estate agents from a ban on unsolicited telemarketing sales calls during declared disasters and other states of emergency. Advocates are still searching for the first state to pass an electronic right-to-repair bill, amid continued opposition from industry groups (see 2204060043).
Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) signed a bill to set up a state broadband office and a council and governing board, and to create a broadband grant program and revolving fund (see 2204290033). Stitt signed HB-3363 Friday.
Clearview AI promised to comply with the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA), in a settlement filed Monday at Illinois Circuit Court in Cook County. Under the agreement with American Civil Liberties Union and other plaintiffs, which the court must approve, Clearview wouldn’t be able to sell access to its facial recognition database to most businesses across the U.S. Also, the company would cease selling access to Illinois entities including police for five years. “Clearview can no longer treat people’s unique biometric identifiers as an unrestricted source of profit,” said Nathan Freed Wessler, ACLU Speech, Privacy and Technology Project deputy director. “Other companies would be wise to take note, and other states should follow Illinois’ lead in enacting strong biometric privacy laws.” The court last year denied Clearview AI’s motion to dismiss the case (see 2108270068). Clearview CEO Hoan Ton-That said the agreement doesn't stop the company from "selling its bias-free algorithm, without its database, to commercial entities on a consent basis, which is compliant with BIPA." The company's attorney Lee Wolosky of Jenner Block said the settlement is a "huge win" for Clearview, which "will make no changes to its current business model."
The National Association of Attorneys General created a cyber and technology center to support state AG offices in understanding new technologies, doing cybercrime probes and strengthening resiliency of private sector networks and infrastructure, NAAG said Monday. NAAG tapped Faisal Sheikh, a counsel for its research arm National Attorneys General Training and Research Institute, to lead the cyber center.
Connecticut legislators passed a bill requiring cable customers who subscribe to internet and video streaming services to pay a fee supporting community access TV. The fee currently is assessed only to cable TV subscribers. The Senate voted 36-0 and the House voted 79-65 Wednesday to pass SB-278, which goes next to Gov. Ned Lamont (D). Also that day, the Connecticut legislature sent Lamont a comprehensive privacy bill passed last week (see 2204290036).
The Hawaii legislature passed a bill to require public housing built, renovated or reconstructed after Jan. 1 to have access to broadband, not counting wireless. The House and Senate unanimously passed SB-2479 Tuesday after it went through a conference committee. The bill says broadband service doesn’t “include wireless network infrastructure or facilities used to provide wireless services over a licensed spectrum.” SB-2479 goes next to Gov. David Ige (D).
The Telecommunications Bureau of Puerto Rico supports a T-Mobile request to be allowed to use stage 2 mobile support through a program providing emergency relief to Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands to pay for the deployment of distributed antenna systems (see 2204180025), but it raised concerns on where systems will be installed. T-Mobile’s list of potential DAS locations “is limited to locations in heavily populated metropolitan areas,” the regulator said in a Monday filing in docket 18-143: “While the installation of DAS in those locations is appropriate, there is an equal if not greater need for DAS in the Emergency Management Bureau Zones, particularly those located in rural and non-metropolitan municipalities.” The bureau also asked DAS be installed at hospitals in Adjuntas, Moca, Utuado and Aibonito. Comments were due Monday.
NTIA awarded the Healy Lake Village $500,000 for broadband infrastructure construction in Fairbanks, Alaska, through the tribal broadband connectivity program, said a Friday news release. The project will include "backhaul infrastructure, access points, and distribution of customer premise equipment directly connecting unserved Alaska Native households" with up to 200/100 Mbps speeds.
The Communications Workers of America touted Friday support from a pair of West Virginia state legislators for FCC nominee Gigi Sohn. CWA focused on an endorsement from state Sen. Robert Plymale (D), and noted state House Speaker Roger Hanshaw (R) “has also voiced support for the Democratic nominee.” Putting “partisan politics aside, West Virginia legislators are recognizing that Gigi Sohn has long been a champion for expanding broadband access, especially in rural parts of our state where folks desperately need reliable connections,” said CWA West Virginia Representative Elaine Harris in a statement. “We can not allow corporate dark money to delay her confirmation any longer. It’s time for the U.S. Senate to confirm her so that the FCC can get to work for the people of West Virginia and for all Americans.” The Senate’s confirmation process for Sohn has stalled while Democratic leaders struggle to get unified support from their caucus. Three Democratic senators have said they remain undecided on Sohn, including Joe Manchin of West Virginia (see 2204260071). Sohn supporters also touted Navajo Nation leaders' recent letter to Sens. Mark Kelly and Kyrsten Sinema, both D-Ariz., endorsing Sohn. Kelly is another of the undecided Democrats, while Sinema backed Sohn only at the last minute before the Senate Commerce Committee reached a 14-14 tie on the nominee in March (see 2203030070).
Virginia and Pennsylvania commissions approved Apollo's buy of Lumen's ILEC assets, leaving New Jersey and the FCC as the last clearances needed. Virginia and Pennsylvania had recommended approval after parties reached settlements (see 2203080031 and 2203300029). The Virginia State Corporation Commission “is cognizant of and troubled by the numerous complaints regarding the deficiencies in the level of service quality,” including “poor quality, repeated loss of service, and lengthy delays in repairs and restoration of service, from customers of the CenturyLink ILECs arising both before and during the course of this proceeding,” said a Wednesday order in docket PUR-2021-00246: The approved settlement was “designed to address these issues in a reasonable and timely manner and on an on-going basis.” The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission’s Monday order closed docket A-2021-3028668. Lumen declined to comment Friday on remaining regulatory reviews. CenturyLink is known as Lumen.