The Senate confirmed FTC nominee Alvaro Bedoya 51-50 Wednesday, restoring Chair Lina Khan’s Democratic majority at the commission. The Senate Commerce Committee voted unanimously during a hearing in support of a proposal that would end the agency’s practice of so-called “zombie voting,” a tactic Democratic Commissioner Rohit Chopra used after he left the agency (see 2112030042).
Karl Herchenroeder
Karl Herchenroeder, Associate Editor, is a technology policy journalist for publications including Communications Daily. Born in Rockville, Maryland, he joined the Warren Communications News staff in 2018. He began his journalism career in 2012 at the Aspen Times in Aspen, Colorado, where he covered city government. After that, he covered the nuclear industry for ExchangeMonitor in Washington. You can follow Herchenroeder on Twitter: @karlherk
Senate Commerce Committee Chair Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., is hoping for a Wednesday vote on confirmation of Alvaro Bedoya to the FTC (see 2205050050), she told us Tuesday. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., filed cloture on the nomination Monday, and it will ripen Wednesday. “I would hope” for a vote Wednesday, Cantwell said. “I think everybody’s here. I think everybody’s back in town. Every day, you just don’t know what’s going to happen.” The Bedoya vote has been delayed for weeks due to repeated COVID-19-related absences in the Democratic caucus. Schumer originally filed cloture in April before withdrawing the motion.
A 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel debated whether social media platforms more closely align with common carriers or with newspapers and broadcasters in a case that could have major implications for internet speech (see 2204040039). Judges were skeptical of arguments from both the tech industry and Texas during oral argument Monday in New Orleans.
It’s “reprehensible” that FTC Chair Lina Khan and her allies have attacked agency staff as “lazy and corrupt,” and it shows in the agency’s “terrible” employee survey results, Commissioner Christine Wilson said Friday at a Free State Foundation conference.
The California Assembly’s Judiciary Committee unanimously passed legislation Tuesday to make social media platforms liable for addiction- and design-related harm to children. AB-2408 would impose penalties on major social media platforms for negligent design.
A looser content moderation approach at Twitter under Elon Musk's ownership risks turning it into a fringe, extremist platform like 4chan, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., told us Thursday. “I’m concerned with what he’s rumored or said to believe” in terms of moderation, said Nadler: “That means you’re going to have all this disinformation on Twitter that wouldn’t have been previously allowed. That would concern me.” The Judiciary Committee will have to “wait and see” whether action is necessary, he said.
Profit incentives for streaming services are “very much out of sync” with those of artists, DOJ Antitrust Division Chief Jonathan Kanter said Wednesday: Enforcers will take it into account during its merger guideline review with the FTC (see 2204220056). He and FTC Chair Lina Khan heard from several musicians, content creators and consumer advocates about the effects of consolidation in media and entertainment during the third listening session. The FTC is taking note of the “significant transformation” in the media and entertainment sector over the past decade, Khan said.
Pandemic-related Senate absences could mean further delay in Democrats' bid to confirm FTC nominee Alvaro Bedoya to the FTC, but Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Senate Commerce Committee Chair Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., said Tuesday they’re determined to move forward. Three Democratic senators, meanwhile, still hadn’t committed Tuesday to supporting or opposing FCC nominee Gigi Sohn. The lack of unified Democratic Senate support for Sohn means the nominee’s confirmation prospects remain murky since all 50 caucus members will need to vote to overcome what’s expected to be unified GOP opposition.
Elon Musk will buy Twitter for $44 billion and take it private (see 2204210038), the company announced Monday to Republican cheers and Democratic concerns. Unanimously approved by Twitter’s board, the deal is expected to close this year, the company said. Stockholders will receive $54.20 cash for each share of Twitter common stock, a 38% premium to Twitter's closing stock price April 1, the company said. Musk disclosed his 9% stake in Twitter on March 31. Stock dropped 5.66% Monday, closing at $51.70.
The FTC appears to be taking too broad of an approach to its potential privacy rulemaking (see 2204180049), Commissioner Noah Phillips told us Monday. He spoke at a George Mason University event the day after Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., announced the Senate plans to confirm Alvaro Bedoya as fifth commissioner this week.