The Federal Communication Commission’s (FCC’s) newly promulgated Open Internet rules (2015 rules)—also known as the net neutrality rules—went into effect on June 12, 2015.1 The new rules apply specifically to broadband Internet access service providers, and not to Internet content, application, and device providers (edge providers). Nonetheless, by design, the rules will have a potentially far-reaching impact on edge providers’ and consumers’ rights and the avenues for redress in the face of harm inflicted by broadband providers. To date, the FCC has yet to receive any formal complaints from companies, though those may well be in the offing, according to some media reports and public statements.2
Continue Reading FCC Open Internet Rules Contain Important New Privacy, Data Security, and Transparency Measures
Victoria Jeffries
FCC Dives into Privacy and Data Security Enforcement
By Ted Serra & Victoria Jeffries on
Making a splash with its first-ever data security enforcement actions, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) entered uncharted waters late last year by aggressively asserting its role in safeguarding consumer information. In the fall of 2014, for the first time, the FCC took administrative enforcement action in two instances against telecommunications carriers that misused data, misrepresented their data security efforts, and failed to appropriately secure customer data. The FCC’s efforts demonstrate that it believes it has a role to play in the wider privacy landscape, even as the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has thus far taken the lead on privacy and data security enforcement.1
Continue Reading FCC Dives into Privacy and Data Security Enforcement