OTI Legislative and Regulatory Filings 2022
Legislative and Regulatory Filings
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Jan. 10, 2022
Note: This page will be regularly updated as we file comments, sign on to coalition letters, and complete other legislative and/or regulatory filings.
December
- OTI Urges Biden Administration to Prevent Federal Surveillance and Investigative Aid From Being Used to Investigate and Prosecute Abortions
- OTI and a broad coalition of 54 civil and human rights, civil liberties, and reproductive rights organizations led by the Center for Democracy & Technology published a letter urging the Biden Administration to ensure that the support that federal law enforcement agencies provide to state and local police is not used to investigate and prosecute abortions.
- Coalition Letter to Speaker Pelosi Calling for ADPPA Vote
- OTI joined more than 20 public interest, labor, consumer advocacy, and civil rights groups in a letter urging Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) to move the American Data Privacy and Protection Act (ADPPA) to a vote by the full House of Representatives.
- Over 100 Organizations Urge FCC To Address MDU And CAI Inaccuracies In National Broadband Map
- OTI and more than 100 other organizations joined EducationSuperHighway and the Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband (SHLB) Coalition in urging the Federal Communications Commission to ensure that multi-dwelling units and community anchor institutions are correctly designated in the new FCC broadband maps.
- OTI Joins 16 Other Public and Consumer Interest Representatives in Urging the FCC To Extend the Comment Deadline for the Broadband Label Proceeding
- OTI and 16 other public and consumer interest representatives urged the FCC to grant a 60-day extension of the deadlines to comment in the “Empowering Broadband Consumers Through Transparency” proceeding on broadband labels.
November
- Groups Urge FCC to Make Internet Billing Transparent and Fair with Broadband Label
- OTI and a coalition of 30 other groups sent a letter to the FCC, calling on the agency to help consumers avoid "junk fees" by creating a broadband consumer label that is "clear and easily accessible."
- OTI Submits Comments to PCLOB Regarding Reforms to FISA Section 702
- OTI filed comments with the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board (PCLOB) regarding the surveillance operated under Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act in response to the PCLOB's call for stakeholder comments, and ahead of the potential congressional debate surrounding Section 702 authorities and their reauthorization in 2023.
- OTI Urges FTC To Curtail Unfair and Deceptive Practices by Commercial Entities
- OTI filed comments urging the FTC to use the full extent of its rulemaking authority to curtail the unfair and deceptive practices in which many commercial entities engage.
- OTI and 17 Other Groups Highlight Issues with Government’s Use of Commercially Available Data To Evade Legal Requirements
- OTI joined 17 other groups in filing comments to highlight the government’s worrisome use of commercially available data to evade legal requirements set forth in the Fourth Amendment and various privacy laws enacted by Congress.
- More Than 90 Human Rights and LGBTQ Groups Sign Letter Opposing KOSA
- OTI joined more than 90 other organizations in sending an open letter to Senator Chuck Schumer, Senator Maria Cantwell, and Senator Roger Wicker about our opposition to the Kid's Online Safety Act, which would "threaten the privacy, safety, and access to information rights of young people and adults alike."
- OTI Joins 43 Civil Society Organizations in Urging Congress To Include the Leahy-Lee Amendment in Its Final Spending Bill
- OTI joined 43 civil society organizations in sending a letter to Congress urging for inclusion of the Leahy-Lee Amendment (crafted to amend the 2020 USA FREEDOM Act, but also known as the FISA Amici Curiae Reform Act of 2022) in any final spending bill this Congress. The Leahy-Lee amendment protects domestic media, religious, political, and other sensitive surveillance targets by involving the already existing FISA Court amici when the government seeks to use FISA to spy on them. This fix has been an OTI surveillance reform priority. Without amici involvement, the FISA Court only hears from the government, even though its decisions can affect the privacy of millions of Americans.
October
- Leadership Conference and Democracy Groups Urge Social Media Platforms to Address Voter Disinformation Ahead of Midterms
- OTI joined 11 other groups in sending a letter to the CEOs of seven major social media platforms, urging them to take immediate steps to curb the spread of disinformation and misinformation surrounding the 2022 midterms and future elections.
- Almost 250 Groups Send Letter to Congress Supporting Gigi Sohn
- OTI and roughly 250 other groups urged Congress to bring to the floor the confirmation vote of Gigi Sohn for the Federal Communications Commission before Congress adjourns.
- OTI and the Broadband Connects America Coalition Urge FCC to Guide Consumers on How to Challenge Broadband Data Collection Maps
- OTI and 11 other groups came together to ask the FCC to offer guidance to consumers looking to challenge the availability of broadband as depicted by the maps created through the Broadband Data Collection Program.
September
- Testimony to the D.C. Council in Support of the Stop Discrimination by Algorithms Act
- Spandana Singh testified on behalf of OTI before the D.C. Council's Committee on Government Operations and Facilities in support of the Stop Discrimination by Algorithms Act introduced by D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine, noting that the SDAA “will ensure that organizations are using algorithmic systems to augment and improve the lives of District residents and not fail the District’s most vulnerable communities.”
August
- OTI Supports ADPPA, Urges House Vote on Badly Needed Privacy Legislation
- OTI led more than 45 other groups in urging U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to hold a vote on the American Data Privacy and Protection Act, a piece of comprehensive federal privacy and civil rights legislation that, if signed into law, will create real and lasting protections for the personal data of hundreds of millions of consumers in America.
June
- Civil Rights Groups Reinforce Legislators' Demand for Google to Stop Endangering Abortion Seekers
- OTI and more than 40 other groups called on Google to stop unnecessarily collecting and retaining consumer location data, as these practices may endanger people seeking abortions in many parts of the U.S. if Roe v. Wade is overturned.
May
- OTI Urges Social Media Platform CEOs To Prevent the Spread of Election Disinformation
- OTI joined more than 100 other groups in calling on social media platform CEOs to protect the integrity of the 2022 midterm elections and public confidence in U.S. democracy by taking steps to combat election disinformation.
- OTI Supports a Comprehensive Consumer Privacy Law that Safeguards Civil Rights Online
- OTI and more than 50 other groups sent a letter urging Congress to pass comprehensive consumer privacy legislation during this session that prohibits data-driven discrimination and ensures that everyone has the right to equal opportunity on the internet.
April
- Civil Liberties Groups Urge Social Media Platforms to Better Protect Free Flow of Information in Crisis Zones
- OTI joined 30 other groups in calling on internet platforms to ensure that their content policies are applied consistently and transparently, and that they stay committed to human rights around the world, even after the media spotlight shifts.
- OTI Urges DOJ and FTC to Strengthen Antitrust Enforcement
- OTI filed comments urging the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission to strengthen antitrust enforcement, arguing that lax enforcement in the telecommunications sector has contributed to the unaffordable cost of internet service and exacerbated the digital divide.
March
- OTI Issues Recommendations to FCC on Broadband Nutrition Labels
- OTI sent recommendations to the Federal Communications Commission on consumer broadband labels, urging the agency not only to create labels that are transparent, simple, and competition-friendly, but also to update the contents and format of the 2016 label for current consumer needs.
- OTI's Joshua Stager Testifies at FCC Broadband Consumer Labels Virtual Public Hearing
- Joshua Stager, deputy director for broadband and competition policy at New America's Open Technology Institute, testified on how consumer broadband labels will enhance transparency in the broadband market at the Federal Communications Commission's Broadband Consumer Labels Virtual Public Hearing on March 11.
- Coalition Says State-Level Data Critical To Connecting Millions Of Low-Income Apartment Units That Lack Home Broadband
- OTI joined EducationSuperHighway and more than 25 other groups in petitioning Secretary Gina Raimondo and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration to urge states to supplement new Federal Communications Commission maps with data to enable an accurate count of apartment units without access to reliable broadband, as knowing this figure will help inform our efforts to narrow the digital divide.
- OTI Joins Allies in Support of the FCC's Decision to Open the 5.9 GHz Band for Public Use
- OTI and 10 other groups sent a letter to leaders of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, noting that despite the DOT's objections, the FCC's decision to open the 5.9 GHz band for public use "is based on sound science and engineering and will best serve both the broadband and automotive safety needs of the country."
February
- OTI Supports Accurate, Accessible Outreach Materials for Affordable Connectivity Program
- OTI wrote and submitted a letter alongside several other civic organizations requesting the Federal Communications Commission commit resources and energy to ensure communities beyond English speakers are made aware of the opportunity provided by the Affordable Connectivity Program.
- OTI Issues Recommendations on NTIA's Broadband Infrastructure Funding
- OTI filed comments to guide the National Telecommunications and Information Administration in successfully disbursing funds from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), urging the NTIA to ensure its administration of the program results in the equitable deployment of broadband and improved access to affordable, quality broadband service.
- Experts Challenge Govt's Anti-Encryption Campaign
- OTI and more than 50 other activism groups for cybersecurity and human rights called on the UK Home Office to abandon its plan to force technology companies to remove the privacy and security of encrypted services such as WhatsApp and Signal as part of its Online Safety Bill.
- OTI Strongly Opposes Reintroduced EARN IT Act
- OTI joined more than 60 other groups in sending a letter urging Congress to oppose the reintroduced EARN IT Act, which "would have devastating consequences for everyone’s ability to share and access information online, and to do so in a secure manner."
- OTI Joins CDT in Amicus Brief Challenging Government Surveillance in Jewel vs. NSA
- OTI joined the Center for Democracy and Technology on an amicus brief asking the Supreme Court to review the Jewel v. National Security Agency case following its dismissal by the lower courts.
January
- OTI Urges Congress To Hold Digital Platforms Accountable
- OTI and Ranking Digital Rights joined Public Citizen and 24 other civil society organizations in sending a letter to congressional leaders, urging them to hold digital platforms like Facebook accountable for serious harms to our children, marginalized communities, and democracy.
- OTI Responds to the OSTP's RFI on Public and Private Sector Uses of AI-Based Biometric Technologies
- OTI submitted comments to the Office of Science and Technology Policy in response to the OSTP's request for information on AI-based biometric technologies, explaining how private and public sector entities are increasingly developing and deploying the tech, posing numerous threats to privacy, civil rights, and fundamental freedoms.
- OTI Signs Letter Urging Senate Commerce Committee To Confirm Alvaro Bedoya as an FTC Commissioner
- OTI and Ranking Digital Rights worked with Common Sense, Fairplay and 15 other groups to submit a letter to the Senate Commerce Committee, urging them to vote in favor of confirming Alvaro Bedoya to the Federal Trade Commission.