Pants On Fire - Mobile Telecom Edition
via Jon Brodkin, writing at Ars Technica, comes his superlative truth-telling in the knobby wake of astounding deceipt by Chariman Pai and other members of the FCC. Sit down, hold on, and buckle up, we're in for a bumpy ride! Read it and weep my friends. Oh, and then there's this.
"Only 62.3 percent of staff drive tests achieved at least the minimum download speed predicted by the coverage maps—with US Cellular achieving that speed in only 45.0 percent of such tests, T-Mobile in 63.2 percent of tests, and Verizon in 64.3 percent of tests. Similarly, staff stationary tests showed that each provider achieved sufficient download speeds meeting the minimum cell edge probability in fewer than half of all test locations (20 of 42 locations). In addition, staff was unable to obtain any 4G LTE signal for 38 percent of drive tests on US Cellular's network, 21.3 percent of drive tests on T-Mobile's network, and 16.2 percent of drive tests on Verizon's network, despite each provider reporting coverage in the relevant area." - Excerpt from a FCC staffer report - via Jon Brodkin, writing at Ars Technica, comes this tremendous short-form tell-all
California Assembly Member Leveraging Familial Connection To Ring
via Kate Cox, writing at Ars Technica, comes this superb reportage; in which, Ms. Cox details the highly troubling connections between California Assemblywoman Irwin, her husband Jon Irwin, COO of Ring (a subsidiary of Amazon LLC (NASDAQ: AMZN) (the corporate owner of Ring)) and several hundred police organizations.
More than simply a conflict of interest, California Assembly Member Jacqui Irwin's actions are borderline Fascist in nature. Read all about it, and weep for your country.
"The California legislature worked through the summer to finalize the text of the state's landmark data privacy law before time to make amendments ran out on Friday. In the Assembly (California's lower house), Assemblywoman Jacqui Irwin has been a key voice and vote backing motions that would weaken the law, and a new report says her reasoning may be very, very close to home." "A review of state ethics documents conducted by Politico found that Ms. Irwin is married to Jon Irwin, the chief operating officer of Amazon's controversial Ring home surveillance business. That company stands to benefit if the California law is weakened in certain key ways before it can take effect." - via Kate Cox, writing at Ars Technica, with this superb piece
Pai's Incompetence Leads FCC (and the Nation) Down Flawed Path
via the inimitable Jon Brodkin, reporting from Ars Technica, comes this superlative piece of short-form reportage, detailing the utter incompetence of Agit Pai's FCC Commissioner's Board including himself, of course). And what do we owe this significantly dissappointing determination of the glaring lack of governing capabilities of these political appointees? Read Mr. Brodkin's report, and you will be in the 'know', as it were.
'A new broadband mapping system is starting to show just how inaccurate the Federal Communications Commission's connectivity data is. ...() In Missouri and Virginia, up to 38% of rural homes and businesses that the FCC counts as having broadband access actually do not, the new research found. That's more than 445,000 unconnected homes and businesses that the FCC would call "served" with its current system.' - via Jon Brodkin, writing at Ars Technica with this timely reportage
Why Is The FTC Allowing The Harvesting Of Kids Data?
via David Uberti, writing at Vice News, comes word of the harvesting of children's personal data, of which, the FTC is perfectly fine with... Something's terribly wrong with this scenario.
'“Over the last 20 years or so, regardless of what party was in power, the FTC has been afraid, been risk-averse, been weak-kneed — choose your metaphor — to the powers of the big digital companies,” said Jeff Chester, executive director for the Center for Digital Democracy, who was involved in the talks.' - via David Uberti, writing at Vice News
The Unenforceables
via Nicholas Vinocour, reporting at Politico, of the apparent enforcement shortcomings evidenced by the European Union's GDPR Data Protection Commission (in this case, the entity entrusted with the enforcement of the GDPR is the Republic of Ireleand's Data Protection Commission). Today's Must Read! h/t
FCC Chairman Pai Front-Loads FCC Consumer Advisory Panel With Anti-Consumer Functionaries
The Chairman has apparently decided it's OK to front load a consumer level commission with anti-consumer business 'leaders'... Pai's behavior as Chairman certainly crosses the line into the realm of corruption and, at the very least malfeasance. When will this clown's malign actions be investigated?
'Sprint and T-Mobile had quit ALEC in 2012 and 2015, respectively, "leav[ing] Comcast, Charter Communications, CenturyLink, and Cox Communications as the last major telecom companies sticking with the corporate bill mill," PR Watch reported in November 2018,..' via Jon Brodkin, writing at Ars Technica
FCC Coughs Up $43,000 For Hiding Net Neutrality Records
You Can Successfully Bet The Chairman Will Be Implicated In This...
via Jon Brodkin, writing at Condé Nast media property Ars Technica, in which, Mr. Brodkin reports on bad news for Chairman Ajit Pai, as the FCC was forced to settle a suit (to the tune of 43K) brought by independent writer Jason Prechtel where the FCC refused to comply with a FOIA request for data related to the Commissions'repeal of net neutrality. Folks, that's $43,000 of US taxpayer money paid out (legitimately) to a suit plaintiff (and rightly so, to cover his attorney's fees and court costs), that would not have occurred if we had an honest FCC Chairman in place.
"The FCC didn't comply with the request and allegedly didn't even approve or deny the FoIA request within the legally allotted timeframe, so Prechtel sued the commission in September 2017. One year later, a US District Court judge presiding over the case ordered the FCC to stop withholding certain records sought by Prechtel, although the ruling didn't give Prechtel everything he asked for." via Jon Brodkin, writing at Ars Technica, in a report detailing a settlement forced on the FCC by Judge Christopher Cooper of US District Court for the District of Columbia (Ars Technica's PDF link).
Another Appalling Privacy Failure From The FCC
This time, it's the apparent lack of planning for location privacy protections in the new 911 Emergency Data Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking from our apparently on-the-take Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, Ajit Pai. Via Jon Brodkin, writing at ArsTechnica, comes a significantly enhanced detailed analysis of the Chairman's latest playing-it-fast-and-loose with our data. Just Shameful.
FCC To Auction Wireless Spectrum That Will Interfere With Weather Data Collection
What kind of idiot would do this damage to the data collection of meteorological data, just to make a buck? Ajit Varadaraj Pai, that's who... The first (that I can recall) Federal Communications Commission Chairman that's for sale to the highest bidder.
Listen In On FCC Lawyers Attempting To Defend Repeal Of Net Neutrality Rules →
Listen in to the three-judge-panel at the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, hearing oral arguments on that little matter of Net Neutrality rules repeal. In the audio, you'll hear Federal Communications Commission attorneys fumble their way through their poor defense of the repeal of FCC Net Neutrality Rules. A Phenom, eh? Enjoy.
Meet The Big Brother Of India (And Potentially - Others)
via Nikhil Pahwa, reporting for Wired UK, comes a glimpse into an Indian version of Big Brother, in this case, a database monikered Aadhaar, in which is contained the apparently problematically managed biometric identity data of over 1.2 Billion Indian Citizens. I fear for the freedom of the justly proud and wonderful people of India with the existence of this system. Nice logo though, eh?
"The Aadhaar number is a 12 digit identity code, based on a person's biometric and demographic information, that has been made mandatory for a large number of government welfare and private services in India: at present you need one to open a bank account, get a mobile phone, pay taxes, or even get an ambulance. It is the largest biometric identity project in the world and has enrolled more than 1.22 billion people. Russia, Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia are interested in adopting similar systems." - via Nikhil Pahwa, reporting for Wired UK
Too Busy, Don't Care; So Sorry, Not Sorry
via Lawrence Abrams, writing at Bleeping Computer, comes news of a the most recent Attorney's General - The Gathering, colaescing into a brilliant coterie of top Law Enforcement Officials for their individual States. In which, Mesdames et Messieurs Procureurs Généraux demanding Somthing Be Done about Robo-Calls (cetainly the 1st, 2nd and perhaps 3rd World Scourge of Telecommunications) in a missive to the Federal Commmunications Commission (FCC).
Now, whilst I do enthusiastically laud the Advocatus Generalis' cumulative effort to stem-the-tide of robotic-calling systems - that enthusiasm is tempered by the herculean proposition it is to make such a request of the FCC, as Charman Pai of the Commission is far too busy casting his Reese's Peanut Butter Cup soaked visage for former employer Verizon and the other telcos' interests, rather than the People's Business.
"As these illegal telemarketing scams are estimated to have stolen 9.5 billion dollars from consumers, the letter urges the FCC to push for new protocols that can further help to battle these scams. These protocols are STIR (Secure Telephone Identity Revisited) and SHAKEN (Secure Handling of Asserted information using toKENs) and can be used by telephone providers to identify legitimate calls and those from bad actors..." - via Lawrence Abrams> , writing at Bleeping Computer
Vendor Dismissal Of Discovered Voting Machine Vulnerabilities Stinks To High Heaven...
Take Cover! EU Threatens Privacy War Against United States
Lucian Armasu, writing at Tom's Hardware, details actions under contemplation by European Lawmakers. Today's Must Read (maintain some composure when examining the rationale of the EU Parliament...).
DHS To Create Lists of Journalists and Bloggers Based on 'Sentiment' →
Department of Homeland Security to Begin Creating Lists of Bloggers and Journalists... Oh good, I like lists, don't you? Remember the DHS - TSA No-Fly List? That went well, didn't it... Meanwhile, in other news - George Washington and Thomas Jefferson have been observed spinning in their graves (the former - the first President of the United States, and the latter - the third President of the United States). And, of course, there's this...
US Congress Sells Out
Ladies and Gentlemen, Girls and Boys: Behold the list of both United States Senators and United States House of Representatives that voted to sell out your personal information while online (i.e., your precious online privacy) for monetary gain.
Each surname noted below, possesses a link to that Senator or Representative's contact page, to make it super-easy to let them know what you think. Oh, and for you parents/grandparents, gaurdians this includes all data requests coming from your home, i.e., your children's' data will also be swept up in this nightmare maelstrom example of the surveillance state. Enjoy
Senate of the UNITED STATES of AMERICA
YEA -- 50
U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 115th Congress - 1st Session
Question: On the Joint Resolution (S.J. Res. 34 )
Alexander (R-TN)
Barrasso (R-WY)
Blunt (R-MO)
Boozman (R-AR)
Burr (R-NC)
Capito (R-WV)
Cassidy (R-LA)
Cochran (R-MS)
Collins (R-ME)
Corker (R-TN)
Cornyn (R-TX)
Cotton (R-AR)
Crapo (R-ID)
Cruz (R-TX)
Daines (R-MT)
Enzi (R-WY)
Ernst (R-IA)
Fischer (R-NE)
Flake (R-AZ)
Gardner (R-CO)
Graham (R-SC)
Grassley (R-IA)
Hatch (R-UT)
Heller (R-NV)
Hoeven (R-ND)
Inhofe (R-OK)
Johnson (R-WI)
Kennedy (R-LA)
Lankford (R-OK)
Lee (R-UT)
McCain (R-AZ)
McConnell (R-KY)
Moran (R-KS)
Murkowski (R-AK)
Perdue (R-GA)
Portman (R-OH)
Risch (R-ID)
Roberts (R-KS)
Rounds (R-SD)
Rubio (R-FL)
Sasse (R-NE)
Scott (R-SC)
Shelby (R-AL)
Strange (R-AL)
Sullivan (R-AK)
Thune (R-SD)
Tillis (R-NC)
Toomey (R-PA)
Wicker (R-MS)
Young (R-IN)
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES of the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
YEA -- 215
Abraham (R-LA)
Aderholt (R-AL)
Allen (R-GA)
Amodei (R-NV)
Arrington (R-TX)
Babin (R-TX)
Bacon (R-NE)
Banks (R-IN)
Barletta (R-PA)
Barr (R-KY)
Barton (R-TX)
Bergman (R-MI)
Biggs (R-AZ)
Bilirakis (R-FL)
Bishop (R-MI)
Bishop (R-UT)
Black (R-TN)
Blackburn (R-KY)
Blum (R-IA)
Bost (R-IL)
Brady (R-TX)
Brat (R-VA)
Bridenstine (R-OK)
Brooks (R-IN)
Buchanan (R-FL)
Buck (R-CO)
Bucshon (R-IN)
Budd (R-NC)
Burgess (R-TX)
Byrne (R-AL)
Calvert (R-CA)
Carter (R-GA)
Carter (R-TX)
Chabot (R-OH)
Chaffetz (R-UT)
Cheney (R-WY)
Cole (R-OK)
Collins (R-GA)
Collins (R-NY)
Comer (R-KY)
Comstock (R-VA)
Conaway (R-TX)
Cook (R-CA)
Costello (R-PA)
Cramer (R-ND)
Crawford (R-AR)
Culberson (R-TX)
Curbelo (R-FL)
Davis (R-IL)
Denham (R-CA)
Dent (R-PA)
DeSantis (R-FL)
DesJarlais (R-TN)
Diaz-Balart (R-FL)
Donovan (R-NY)
Duncan (R-SC)
Dunn (R-FL)
Emmer (R-MN)
Farenthold (R-TX)
Ferguson (R-GA)
Fitzpatrick (R-PA)
Fleischmann (R-TN)
Flores (R-TX)
Fortenberry (R-NE)
Foxx (R-NC)
Franks (R-AZ)
Frelinghuysen (R-NJ)
Gaetz (R-FL)
Gallagher (R-WI)
Garrett (R-VA)
Gibbs (R-OH)
Gohmert (R-TX)
Goodlatte (R-VA)
Gosar (R-AZ)
Gowdy (R-SC)
Granger (R-TX)
Graves (R-GA)
Graves (R-LA)
Graves (R-MO)
Griffith (R-VA)
Grothman (R-WI)
Guthrie (R-KY)
Harper (R-MS)
Harris (R-MD)
Hartzler (R-MO)
Hensarling (R-TX)
Hice (R-GA)
Higgins (R-LA)
Holding (R-NC)
Hollingsworth (R-IN)
Hudson (R-NC)
Huizenga (R-MI)
Hultgren (R-IL)
Hunter (R-CA)
Hurd (R-TX)
Issa (R-CA)
Jenkins (R-KS)
Jenkins (R-WV)
Johnson (R-LA)
Johnson (R-OH)
Johnson (R-TX)
Jordan (R-OH)
Joyce (R-OH)
Katko (R-NY)
Kelly (R-MS)
Kelly (R-PA)
King (R-IA)
King (R-NY)
Kinzinger (R-IL)
Knight (R-CA)
Kustoff (R-TN)
Labrador (R-ID)
LaHood (R-IL)
LaMalfa (R-CA)
Lamborn (R-CO)
Lance (R-NJ)
Latta (R-OH)
Lewis (R-MN)
LoBiondo (R-NJ)
Long (R-MO)
Loudermilk (R-GA)
Love (R-UT)
Lucas (R-OK)
Luetkemeyer (R-MO)
MacArthur (R-NJ)
Marchant (R-TX)
Marshall (R-KA)
Massie (R-KY)
Mast (R-FL)
McCarthy (R-CA)
McCaul (R-TX)
McHenry (R-NC)
McKinley (R-WV)
McMorris Rodgers (R-WA)
McSally (R-AZ)
Meadows (R-NC)
Meehan (R-PA)
Messer (R-IN)
Mitchell (R-MI)
Moolenaar (R-MI)
Mooney (R-WV)
Mullin (R-OK)
Murphy (R-PA)
Newhouse (R-WA)
Noem (R-SD)
Nunes (R-CA)
Olson (R-TX)
Palazzo (R-MS)
Palmer (R-AL)
Paulsen (R-MN)
Pearce (R-NM)
Perry (R-PA)
Poe (R-TX)
Poliquin (R-ME)
Posey (R-FL)
Ratcliffe (R-TX)
Reed (R-NY)
Renacci (R-OH)
Rice (R-SC)
Roby (R-AL)
Roe (R-TN)
Rogers (R-AL)
Rogers (R-KY)
Rohrabacher (R-CA)
Rokita (R-IN)
Rooney (R-FL)
Roskam (R-IL)
Ross (R-FL)
Rothfus (R-PA)
Rouzer (R-NC)
Royce (R-CA)
Russell (R-OK)
Rutherford (R-FL)
Scalise (R-LA)
Schweikert (R-AZ)
Scott (R-GA)
Sensenbrenner (R-WI)
Sessions (R-TX)
Shimkus (R-IL)
Shuster (PA-IL)
Smith (R-MO)
Smith (R-NE)
Smith (R-NJ)
Smith (R-TX)
Smucker (R-PA)
Stewart (R-UT)
Stivers (R-OH)
Taylor (R-VA)
Tenney (R-NY)
Thompson (R-PA)
Thornberry (R-TX)
Tiberi (R-OH)
Tipton (R-CO)
Trott (R-MI)
Turner (R-OH)
Upton (R-MI)
Valadao (R-CA)
Wagner (R-MO)
Walberg (R-MI)
Walden (R-OR)
Walker (R-NC)
Walorski (R-IN)
Walters (R-CA)
Weber (R-TX)
Webster (R-FL)
Wenstrup (R-OH)
Westerman (R-AR)
Williams (R-TX)
Wilson (R-SC)
Wittman (R-VA)
Womack (R-AR)
Woodall (R-GA)
Yoho (R-FL)
Young (R-AK)
Young (R-IA)
Gang of Fifty →
Tip of the Hat to Trey Blalock of Firewall Consultants, and via Bruce Sterling's Tumblr. Thanks Bruce.