What's on the agenda for policymakers.
Agenda
The Financial Times and OpenAI strike content licensing deal
The Financial Times has struck a deal with OpenAI to train artificial intelligence models on the publisher’s archived content, in the latest agreement between the Microsoft-backed start-up and a global news publisher. Under the terms of the deal, the FT will license its material to the ChatGPT maker to help develop generative AI technology that can create text, images and code indistinguishable from human creations. The agreement also allows ChatGPT to respond to questions with short summaries from FT articles, with links back to FT.com.
Commerce Chair Cantwell Releases Spectrum and National Security Act
Senate Commerce Committee Chair Maria Cantwell (D-WA) released the Spectrum and National Security Act, comprehensive legislation that will modernize the nation’s spectrum policy to protect our communications networks against foreign adversaries, restore Federal Communications Commission auction authority, secure critical broadband funding to keep Americans connected, and invest in CHIPS and Science innovation initiatives that will boost U.S. technological competitiveness. The Spectrum and National Security Act:
Expanding Access to Telehealth for Women's Healthcare in a Constrained Policy Environment
As states continue to enact new restrictions on reproductive care since the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, access to critical reproductive health care services have been severely threatened. Medications prescribed after a telehealth visit present a safe and effective option; expanding telehealth for prescriptions would increase access to and equity in the provision of reproductive health care. This study identifies practical and near-term opportunities to expand equitable access to women's telehealth care across the United States.
UScellular Extending Support for ACP Customers
UScellular is supporting its customers who have the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) benefit with a monthly credit to help ensure they can stay connected. ACP is a Federal Communications Commission benefit program that helps households afford the broadband they need to connect to education, careers, family, and friends. Unfortunately for millions of well-deserving Americans, Congress has not approved a budget to continue the program, and April 2024 is expected to be the last fully funded month. Starting in May 2024, UScellular is providing a $12 credit every month for 12 months on curr
Congress has established programs to increase broadband access through the Universal Service Fund, including the Lifeline and the High-Cost programs. More recently, Congress established the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) and the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) program to further improve broadband access and affordability. The Affordable Connectivity Program, which currently helps more than 23 million households connect to affordable broadband, will expire in May without congressional action.
Witness
Andrew Witty, CEO, UnitedHealth Group, Inc.
In March 2023, the Office of the National Cyber Director at the White House released the first National Cybersecurity Strategy, the first comprehensive vision for how to safeguard cyberspace for all Americans. After one year of implementing the strategy, among a backdrop of issues like data privacy, generative AI, and critical infrastructure security that make citizens’ digital lives more complex, what have we achieved in the first year of the strategy, and what can we do to continue the momentum?
Conversations about the safety of youth online are dominating headlines and dinner table discussions. U.S. lawmakers’ concerns about the negative impacts of unfettered access to online content and social media on young people’s mental health and safety have led to a flurry of legislative activity. In 2023, more than 60 bills were introduced at the state and federal level requiring greater parental consent, age restrictions, and/or safety-by-design measures online. One popular approach to protecting kids—mandating age verification—is poorly understood and may pose more risks than benefits.
NTIA has recently announced significant progress to remove permitting barriers to broadband deployments funded by Internet for All initiatives. The “Permitting and Environmental Information Application” is a publicly available GIS-based tool that NTIA developed to assist industry with early identification of permit requirements and NEPA considerations. NTIA will demo the application and highlight other recent developments supporting efficient broadband permitting.
Jill Springer
Senior Policy Advisor for Permitting
Chief Environmental Review and Permitting Officer
Senate pursues action against AI deepfakes in election campaigns
Politicians often engage in hyperbole to make a point.