News

Facial-recognition company Clearview AI sought to recruit the New York Police Department to endorse its services to an anti-child abuse nonprofit.

WASHINGTON — On Thursday, Free Press called on the FCC to reinvent its Universal Service Fund policies to ensure affordable internet access for millions of people in need.

The Feb. 25–26 conference will gather activists, public servants, academics and other experts, including Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee and former FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn.

The bills could make it more difficult for companies to police hate and misinformation.

The telecom and broadband industries are seeking to block Gigi Sohn’s FCC confirmation — in part to prevent the agency from restoring Net Neutrality rules.

The further delay “only hurts the American public and deadlocks the FCC—which is precisely the point,” said Free Press Action VP Matt Wood.

Progressive tech advocates are frustrated by the delays, casting blame on the White House and Senate Democratic leadership for catering to Republicans who they say are raising disingenuous concerns.

Sohn is an impeccably qualified nominee. But Senator Wicker and the industry lobbyists he’s working with to block her confirmation don’t want the agency to function.

According to Free Press Action, those calling for Sohn’s swift confirmation include leading civil-rights, community-media, media-justice, workers-rights and consumer-advocacy groups.

Gigi Sohn and Alvaro Bedoya would give the Democrats majorities on the FCC and FTC respectively.