Archives: Political

California Adopts Net Neutrality Law; Court Hearing Scheduled for Nov. 14

On September 30, California Governor Jerry Brown signed a bill to apply net neutrality rules to Internet Service Providers (“ISPs”) operating in that state. California is not the first state to enact legislation on net neutrality, but its bill contains the most stringent requirements yet. The Trump Administration and multiple ISPs have sued to prevent … Continue Reading

Covington AI/IoT Update: EPA and NHTSA Seek Comment on Autonomous and Connected Vehicles

By Jake Levine on August 29, 2018 Posted in Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), Political, Privacy & Data Security, Spectrum & Mobile

On Friday August 24, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) published a proposed rule in the Federal Register: The Safer Affordable Fuel-Efficient (SAFE) Vehicles Rule for Model Years 2021-2026 Passenger Cars and Light Trucks (“Proposed Rule”). 83 Fed. Reg. 42817. The long-anticipated rulemaking has garnered media attention for … Continue Reading

IoT Update: Congress Hears Testimony on IoT Legislation

By Rafael Reyneri and Kayvan Farchadi on May 24, 2018 Posted in Internet of Things (IoT), Political, Privacy & Data Security

The House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Digital Commerce and Consumer Protection held a hearing this week to discuss the State of Modern Application, Research, and Trends of IoT Act (SMART IoT Act). This proposed legislation would direct the Secretary of Commerce to conduct a comprehensive study of the IoT industry and Federal agencies … Continue Reading

Covington IoT Update: U.S. Legislative Roundup on IoT

By Katharine Goodloe on May 9, 2018 Posted in Internet of Things (IoT), Political

As policymakers weigh the many policy implications associated with the Internet of Things (“IoT”), U.S. lawmakers have put forward a variety of proposals for studying—and regulating—IoT devices. Although the likelihood of current proposals becoming law this term remain uncertain at best, existing legislative proposals provide important context and insight into the ways that lawmakers view … Continue Reading

The UK Government Seeks Views on the Regulation of Digital Markets for a Post-Brexit Great Britain

By Siobhan L.M. Kahmann and Kevin Coates on April 19, 2018 Posted in Artificial Intelligence (AI), Competition Law, Internet of Things (IoT), Political, Privacy & Data Security, Social Media

The UK Government’s Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has just released a 75-page Green Paper on Modernising Consumer Markets, setting out the Government’s main priorities for the digital economy in a post-Brexit Britain. The Green Paper reflects on the current state of consumer markets and regulation, and lays down the key challenges and … Continue Reading

States Battle to Resurrect Net Neutrality Rules

By Jake Levine and Jadzia Pierce on February 26, 2018 Posted in Broadcasting & Cable, Political, Social Media, Spectrum & Mobile, Telecommunications

On December 14, 2017, the Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”) voted along party lines to adopt a 210-page Declaratory Ruling, Report and Order, and Order (the “Restoring Internet Freedom Order” or “Order”) geared towards overhauling the net neutrality framework established during the Obama administration in 2015 (the “2015 Order”). On February 22nd, the Order was officially … Continue Reading