Us FCC stays data security regulations for broadband providers

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission has halted new rules that would require high-speed internet providers to take ‘reasonable’ steps to protect customer data. In a 2-1 vote that went along party lines, the FCC voted Wednesday to stay temporarily one part of privacy rules passed in October that would give consumers the right to decide how their data is used and shared by broadband providers.

Republican FCC member blasts leadership for ‘midnight’ regs without warning

The longest-serving Republican commissioner in the Federal Communications Commission criticized the Democrat-controlled agency for what he called a “regulatory spasm” in its final days after it issued a report Wednesday scolding AT&T and Verizon for their “zero rating” strategies without the approval of the majority of the agency. “It is disappointing that the FCC’s current leadership has yet again chosen to spend its last days in office the same way it spent the last few years – cutting corners on process, keeping fellow Commissioners in the dark, and pursuing partisan, political agendas that only harm investment and innovation,” wrote Commissioner Ajit Pai.