Congresswoman: US rep charged with lying to feds is 'honest'
A Democratic congresswoman from California testified Wednesday that a Republican colleague from Nebraska who is charged with lying to the FBI over an illegal $30,000 campaign donation from a Nigerian-born billionaire is honest and honorable. U.S. Rep. Anna Eshoo, who represents the Silicon Valley area, said she got to know U.S. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry when they worked together on issues pertaining to the persecution of Christians in the Middle East. “I think he brings honor to what he does,” Eshoo said.
news.yahoo.comFacebook's suggestion to reform internet law is a 'masterful distraction,' says Silicon Valley congresswoman
Rep. Anna Eshoo, a California Democrat whose district includes Silicon Valley, called Zuckerberg's proposal a "masterful distraction" during a virtual press conference Wednesday. Eshoo sits on the Energy and Commerce Committee and will have the opportunity to question Zuckerberg on Thursday. But tech advocates say even seemingly small changes could disrupt services that all internet users have come to rely on. The law essentially shuttered parts of the internet and sex work advocates have claimed it has made the industry less safe. "Pretending the internet is only Facebook, Twitter and Google will lead to laws that ensure that's the result."
cnbc.comDemocrats ask cable and streaming providers about their role in spreading misinformation ahead of Capitol riot
Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Calif., speaks during a rally in the Capitol Building to call on the Senate to vote on House Democrats' prescription drugs and health care package on Wednesday, May 15, 2019. Lawmakers are looking beyond the social media companies when it comes to cracking down on misinformation. Reps. Anna Eshoo, D-Calif., and Jerry McNerney, D-Calif., sent letters to top executives at AT&T, Verizon, Roku, Amazon, Apple, Comcast, Charter, Dish, Cox, Altice, Google parent Alphabet, and Disney-owned Hulu on Monday, urging them to address misinformation on their services. Eshoo and McNerney identified Fox News, Newsmax and One America News Network as channels that aired misinformation in the lead-up to the riot and that have spread false information about Covid-19. Representatives for the companies named in this article did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the letters.
cnbc.comDems push election-season health care bill toward House OK
The campaign-season bill seemed certain to move through the House along partisan lines. It has no chance of passing the Republican-led Senate, but the day's House showdown underscored that health care looms as a major battleground in this year's elections. Democrats were poised to use House GOP votes against the measure in campaign ads for this fall's elections. If there's one word for this, cruel," Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Calif., said of GOP efforts to scuttle the health care law. The White House filed papers with the Supreme Court last week supporting an effort by GOP-led states to have the entire Obamacare" statute declared unconstitutional.
Democratic bills aim at cracking down on targeted political ads on Facebook and Google
Two new Democratic proposals aim to crack down on the ways political campaigns can target narrow groups of voters on platforms like Facebook and Google. The latest to be announced comes from Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Calif., whose "Banning Microtargeted Political Ads Act" would place limits on how narrowly political campaigns could target their messages online. Sophisticated targeting tools are part of what has made digital platforms like Facebook and Google become valuable tools for political advertisers. The bills are likely to draw scrutiny as several conservatives have previously criticized tech platform's stricter targeting policies. The bill, introduced in October 2017, would require platforms to maintain stringent records of political advertising spend and take steps to prevent foreign actors from buying political ads.
cnbc.comSenior scientist says administration ignored virus warnings
In this image provided by Public Health Emergency, a department of Health and Human Services, Rick Bright is shown in his official photo from April 27, 2017, in Washington. He said the Trump administration wanted to “flood” hot spots in New York and New Jersey with the drug. According HHS, Bright has not reported to his new post. The complaint said that when Bright tried to press the issue about masks with superiors at HHS, he was ignored or rebuffed. Last month, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned doctors against prescribing the drug except in hospitals and research studies.
Lawmakers kick the can down the road on discussing the most contentious issues of privacy legislation
First is preemption: the question of whether a federal law should override state laws, which Republicans tend to favor to create consistency for businesses. These issues could prolong the debate over a federal law, leaving tech companies with greater uncertainty around how they'll need to change their businesses to comply with a growing set of state privacy laws. Stronger than CaliforniaWhen it comes to the most divisive issues around digital privacy law, some lawmakers are opting to push them off. The thinking goes: Make a strong enough bill and those issues will be easier to resolve. "Are there areas where states can fill gaps and go beyond what a federal bill would be?
cnbc.comTwo Silicon Valley congresswomen propose a new federal agency to enforce online privacy rights
Two congresswomen from Silicon Valley introduced a new online privacy bill Tuesday that proposes creating a federal enforcement agency to protect privacy rights. Democratic Reps. Anna Eshoo and Zoe Lofgren announced the Online Privacy Act as Congress has struggled to agree on specifics of privacy legislation which both sides largely agree is warranted. Eshoo and Lofgren's new bill proposes the creation of the Digital Privacy Agency (DPA) that would have the power to enforce privacy rights for users and make sure companies follow the law. It also requires opt-in consent for users' data to be used for machine learning or artificial intelligence algorithms. The pair thought, "if the representatives in Silicon Valley took a strong stand for privacy rights, then it would be meaningful for the rest of Congress.
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