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State of the Net Conference

This week was the 16th Annual State of the Net Conference, where internet stakeholders in government and the private sector come together to promote communications, commerce, and democracy. Speakers included Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS), and Representatives Will Hurd (R-TX), Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), and Jan Schakowsky (D-IL).

Congressman Will Hurd kicked off the event addressing the future of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the United States, which must compete with China in deployment and expansion. He stated China can innovate quickly and freely because they do not have to create algorithms that consider the privacy and values that are important to American consumers. He hopes future regulations will address ethical and security concerns that are currently not written into law.

Cong. Cathy McMorris Rodgers followed Cong. Hurd with a discussion on 5G, privacy, and AI. She believes the federal government should incentivize the private sector to deploy 5G across the nation. The congresswoman is also confident a privacy bill can be passed into law. It currently has the support of the chairs of the House Energy & Commerce Committee. She would prefer a strong national law that is supported by state laws like the CCPA, but she does not support a private right of action.

Senator Wicker believes the Democratic privacy bill unveiled by Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) was "pretty good", but he does not believe it has the bipartisan support his bill does. He shared he is continuing to negotiate with colleagues in order to get a bill across the finish line. In regards to 5G, he would like to increase the availability of mid-band spectrum.

Congresswoman Schakowsky ended the conference by reassuring attendees the House Energy & Commerce Committee privacy staff draft was created to solicit stakeholder responses. They are aware that many people are unhappy with the draft, and they hope to edit it to gain wide ranging support. She noted that private right of action and state preemption are negotiable issues that should be discussed at the end of negotiations. Also, there is large support for the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and state attorney's general to enforce privacy legislation. There is a deadline she has placed for introduction of a bill, but she is still welcoming stakeholder input.

  Congressional Hearings & Markups

Wednesday, February 5th @ 2:00 p.m. - House Education & Labor Committee; Civil Rights and Human Services Subcommittee - " The Future of Work: Protecting Workers' Civil Rights in the Digital Age"

Thursday, February 6th @ 10:00 a.m. - House Homeland Security Committee - " About Face: Examining the Department of Homeland Security's Use of Facial Recognition and Other Biometric Technologies, Part II"

Cyber Related Events

Tuesday, February 4th @ 12:00 p.m. - New America - " Privacy's Best Friend: How Encryption Protects Consumers, Companies, and Governments Worldwide"

Tuesday, February 5th @ 9:00 a.m. - Washington College of Law - " Justice in Cyberspace: A Symposium"

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