OVERNIGHT TECH: Zuckerberg lobbies on immigration

In a meeting with Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Zuckerberg discussed immigration as well as Leahy’s bill to require police to obtain a warrant to access private online content.

Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) pressed Zuckerberg over the company’s privacy polices.

{mosads}Although the meetings might not bridge the differences over immigration legislation, the trip could help Zuckerberg build relationships that could prove valuable the next time Facebook finds itself in congressional crosshairs. 

EFF hits MPAA: The content industry is “unapologetically” asking for more when calling for Google and other search engines to take further steps to prevent online piracy, the Electronic Frontier Foundation said in a blog post Thursday.  

On Wednesday, both the Motion Picture Association of America and the Recording Industry Association of America criticized Google, encouraging the company to work on voluntary agreements with the content industry. The MPAA is not satisfied with Google’s voluntary efforts to demote search links for sites with pirated content, a move the content industry “pushed for,” the blog post said. 

“The industry unapologetically asks for more,” it said.  

The Internet advocacy group also criticized Wednesday’s House hearing on copyright issues, saying it “represented only one side of the debate” surrounding online piracy.  

“There were no representatives of Internet users or even of the search engines that could be charged with implementing these agreements,” it said.

Online tracking study: U.S. Internet users are more comfortable with online tracking when they know what’s going on — and are prepared to walk away from online companies that aren’t transparent about their data collection policies, according to a study from privacy firm TRUSTe. 

The study of more than 1,000 adult Internet users in the U.S. found “only 26 percent are willing to let advertisers use online browsing to show them targeted ads for free content and services,” and one-third of those surveyed have stopped doing business with a company or using its website due to privacy concerns.”

At the same time, 62 percent of users are more likely to do business with companies that let them opt out of online tracking. 

“Online companies that don’t clearly explain what’s happening with customer data or fully inform users of their choices contribute to a climate of fear,” Chris Babel, TRUSTe CEO, said. Instead, companies should respond to consumer choice, he said.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

Radios for federal firefighters and police officers failed during Monday’s mass shooting at Washington’s Navy Yard, according to union representatives for first responders.

The House Intelligence Committee is firing back at lawmakers who have accused the panel of withholding access to information about the National Security Agency’s surveillance programs from other members of Congress.

The federal government is behind on putting new climate and science satellites into space, which could leave the country with a gap lasting up to three years.

A group of privacy advocates, human rights groups and tech companies has asked 21 countries to release information on surveillance requests and allow the companies receiving those requests to do the same.

Rep. John Yarmuth (D-Ky.) was appointed to the powerful House Energy and Commerce Committee on Wednesday, replacing Ed Markey (D-Mass.), who joined the Senate in July.

The MPAA hired a vice president for Internet technology who will be based in Silicon Valley.

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