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Executive Summary: August 4, 2000
Executive Summary
Campaigns
GOP Platform Addresses Online Privacy, Taxes
Republican leaders were at loggerheads over how to treat online privacy and Internet taxes in their platform being fine-tuned for the convention in Philadelphia this week, but ultimately included them. Within the new economy plank that leads the GOP's policy agenda, Republicans support a three-year extension of the current three-year moratorium on Internet taxes, and a call for the government to take responsibility for protecting personal privacy, which pleased some members of the high-tech community.
Lobbying
Washington State Delegates Show Their Hometown Colors
Washington state delegation leaders handed out T-shirts supplied by Microsoft that plug the company's "Freedom to Innovate Network" at the Republican convention in Philadelphia. State GOP Chairman Don Benton said the delegates are being encouraged to wear the shirts on the convention floor to show their support for Microsoft in the government's antitrust case. The delegates also waved computer-shaped placards supporting Microsoft on the convention floor.
Campaigns
Dems Snap Back On The Web
Democrats who are providing the party's official reaction to the Republican convention created a Web site to make their point, called "IKnowWhatYouDidInTexas.com." The Web site, paid for by the Democratic National Committee, aims to provide critique on Republican presidential candidate George W. Bush's record as governor in Texas and vice presidential candidate Dick Cheney's voting record in Congress. The site focuses on issues such as guns, healthcare and tax policy.
Cyber Security
White House Dives Into Cybercrime Debate
The Clinton administration formally waded into the cybercrime debate this week by forwarding a proposal to Capitol Hill that calls for enhancing law enforcement's ability to conduct wiretaps while creating new privacy protections. Justice Department officials sent the "Enhancement of Privacy and Public Safety in Cyberspace Act" to House and Senate leaders on Monday, spelling out the details of a proposal first outlined by White House Chief of Staff John Podesta two weeks ago. The 19-page proposal combines new authority for law enforcers to conduct wiretaps across state lines with additional privacy protections for certain types of electronic communication, including e-mail.
White House
WH Announces Export Changes
The White House announced that it is loosening computer export controls for the second time this year and may eliminate its differential treatment of military and civilian end users for a group of about 50 countries including Russia and China. The Clinton administration stuck to the same system for imposing export controls. The current system divides countries into four categories based on their national security risk, with Tier Four nations, such as Iraq facing the stiffest restrictions, and Tier One the least, and sets limits based on the performance power of computers measured in MTOPs (millions of theoretical operations per second).
Internet Access
Rural Areas Still At Risk Of Losing Out On Broadband
High-speed Internet services are being deployed "in a reasonable and timely fashion," but rural and low-income populations remain at risk of being left behind, the Federal Communications Commission concluded this week. "The goal is to move to a place where broadband is so ubiquitous it is like turning on the tap," said FCC Chairman William Kennard. The FCC's full report on broadband deployment should be released later this month. There were 2.8 million high-speed Internet subscribers at the end of 1999, more than triple the amount at the end of 1998. Of the subscribers, 1.8 million of them were residential and small business customers, according to the congressionally mandated study of broadband deployment.
E-commerce
Lawmaker Aims To Prevent Cell Phone Spam
Rep. Rush Holt, D-NJ, is seeking to make it illegal to send unsolicited e-mail, or spam, to cellular phones in legislation he plans to introduce "very soon." The bill is a work in progress, but it is expected to be introduced after Congress' August break. Holt plans to base the legislation on previous efforts that address unsolicited phone, fax and e-mail solicitations, such as Rep. Heather Wilson's, R-NM, spam legislation that the House overwhelmingly approved in July.
Trade
Europeans Raise Concerns With U.S. Tech Policies
There are barriers to access the U.S. telecommunications market and U.S. laws that could hamper the ability of foreign companies to conduct electronic commerce, the European Commission said in a report. "The commission has identified a number of U.S. laws and policies on Internet and electronic commerce which could impact negatively on the business of European companies," the commission, a branch of the European Union, said in its 16th annual report outlining obstacles to trade and investment in the United States. Also, the European Commission took the first step in filing an antitrust case against Microsoft for allegedly abusing its dominant position in the personal computer software market and leveraging it into the market for server software.
Business
EU Hollers At Hollings
The European Public Telecommunications Network Operators' Association, an industry association representing 45 European telecom firms, backed European Union efforts to stop U.S. legislation that would restrict overseas companies entering the U.S. market. The European Commission this week launched its own attack on the measure, S. 2793, proposed by U.S. Sen. Ernest Hollings, D-SC, which could block Deutsche Telekom takeover of U.S. cell phone firm VoiceStream Wireless. The legislation would bar foreign government-owned firms from owning U.S. companies and has petitioned the Federal Communications Commission with 29 other senators on the issue.
Campaigns
Industry Questions Government's Net Understanding
A recent study conducted by the University of Pennsylvania show that only half of all congressional candidates have an online presence. And as of July 27, 46 percent of the 1,295 Senate and House candidates running in this year's election still do not have Web sites, according to the study conducted by the university's Annenberg School of Public Policy.
- by Sharon McLoone
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