Overnight Tech: FCC chief gives states more control over internet subsidies | Dems urge Trump to veto bill blocking online privacy rules | House boosts its mobile security

FCC CHIEF TAKES AIM AT INTERNET SUBSIDY PROGRAM: The chairman of the Federal Communications Commission is moving to allow states to decide which companies can participate in a program to provide subsidized internet to low-income households.

On Wednesday, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said he would allow states to determine eligibility for the Lifeline program, saying they should have responsibility.

“[A]s we implement the Lifeline program — as with any program we administer — we must follow the law,” Pai said in a statement. “And the law here is clear: Congress gave state governments, not the FCC, the primary responsibility for approving which companies can participate in the Lifeline program under Section 214 of the Communications Act.”

Pai also noted that twelve states are already challenging the FCC’s role in picking which companies can take part in Lifeline. He said he would drop the FCC’s defense.

The chairman said that it would “waste of judicial and administrative resources to defend the FCC’s unlawful action in court,” noting the “FCC will soon begin a proceeding to eliminate the new federal designation process.”

{mosads}The move comes after Pai, earlier this year, decided to cut nine providers from the Lifeline program, sparking criticism from Democrats and consumer groups.

Pai also said Wednesday he believed the FCC should not approve any pending Lifeline Broadband Provider applications for internet companies seeking to be part of the program.

His latest moves sparked fresh criticism from Democrats.

“While today’s announcement is not surprising, it is nonetheless deeply disappointing,” said FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn, the sole Democrat on the commission, in a statement Wednesday.

“Chairman Pai’s statement confirms that under this Administration low-income Americans will have less choice for Lifeline broadband, and potential providers who want to serve low-income Americans will face greater barriers to entry and regulatory uncertainty,” Clyburn said.

Read more here.

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HOUSE TO BEEF UP MOBILE CYBERSECURITY: The House of Representatives will begin protecting the mobile devices of members of Congress and staff from cyber threats, the Office of the Chief Administrative Officer confirmed on Wednesday, through a new contract with Lookout Mobile. “The new application, which identifies threats such as unsecured Wi Fi and malicious apps, is one of many ongoing initiatives that help the House protect its data, but it still requires vigilance,” said John Ramsey, chief information security officer (CISO) for the House, via email.

The mobile security contract got high marks from Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.). The Democratic lawmaker — who famously participated in a “60 Minutes” demonstration in which he allowed hackers in Germany to turn his cellphone into a listening device — had pushed the House Administration Committee this year to increase mobile security training for members and staff.

Read more here.

WHEELER BLASTS GOP OVER BROADBAND PRIVACY: Former FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler lashed out at Congressional Republicans on Wednesday for passing a bill that would block an internet privacy rule passed under Wheeler’s leadership last year. In an op-ed for the New York Times, Wheeler called the bill a “significant blow against online privacy protection.”

“The bill is an effort by the F.C.C.’s new Republican majority and congressional Republicans to overturn a simple but vitally important concept — namely that the information that goes over a network belongs to you as the consumer, not to the network hired to carry it,” Wheeler wrote. “It’s an old idea: For decades, in both Republican and Democratic administrations, federal rules have protected the privacy of the information in a telephone call. In 2016, the F.C.C., which I led as chairman under President Barack Obama, extended those same protections to the internet.”

AMAZON HOLDS OUT IN BREITBART BOYCOTT: Activist group Sleeping Giants has spent the last four months trying to get major companies to pull their advertisements from Breitbart, many of which didn’t know that their ads were appearing on the website. Most companies Sleeping Giants spoke to agreed to pull their advertisements for the site, however Amazon isn’t budging, reports The Daily Beast. The company hasn’t responded to any of the groups inquiries or messages and not given a position on their advertisements appearing on the right wing news website.

HOUSE DEMS CALL ON TRUMP TO VETO PRIVACY BILL: Democratic Reps. Michael Capuano (Mass.) and Mike Doyle (Pa.) launched a petition Wednesday to block congressional action that would get rid of consumer broadband privacy protections. The petition — hosted on WhiteHouse.gov — asks the government not to “let Internet providers spy and sell our online data.” and to “please keep the FCC’s Privacy Rules” in place.

The House on Tuesday passed a resolution under the Congressional Review Act — a maneuver to eliminate some regulations with just a simple majority — to get rid of the Federal Communications Commission broadband privacy rules. The Senate passed the CRA resolution earlier in the week, and it’s now headed to the White House. President Trump is expected to sign the resolution, and the White House gave its support on Tuesday. During the White House daily briefing, though, press secretary Sean Spicer declined to comment on the resolution, directing reporters to the White House website.

Read more here.

ON TAP:

The Computer & Communications Association holds a panel on internet competition at 12:15 p.m.

The American Enterprise Institute hosts Sens. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) for a discussion on the Internet of Things at 3 p.m.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:

Reuters: GOP effort to undo privacy rules sparks interest in proxy servers

House passes bill undoing Obama internet privacy rule

Lawmakers sound alarm on space security

Dem lawmakers push for FCC to tackle major cellphone security flaw

Optimism rising for infrastructure deal

The Washington Post has the details on the newly announced Samsung Galaxy S8