Innovation, Data, and Commerce

Washington D.C. — House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) delivered the following opening remarks at today’s Innovation, Data, and Commerce Subcommittee hearing titled “Preserving Americans’ Access to AM Radio."  SAVE AM RADIO “I appreciate the witnesses being here to provide their perspectives on the important legislation being discussed to preserve the American people’s access to AM radio. “This committee is at the forefront of advancing legislation that will strengthen American leadership in cutting-edge technologies. “At the same time, as we make the transition to these new technologies, it is vital that we’re mindful of unintended consequences and how these kinds of transitions can impact our communities. “Communities across the country are now beginning to feel the impact of some automakers deciding to permanently remove AM radio from new vehicle models. “At a hearing last year, this Committee discussed how important access to AM radio continues to be for many of our constituents. “For the people of Eastern Washington, it's how they hear the news in their communities, listen to sports, and receive critical information during emergencies. “In some parts of my district, people have limited access to FM radio and broadband, so AM radio is the only source of information. “Eastern Washington is far from unique when it comes to our reliance on AM radio. “Many members of this committee have constituents who find themselves in similar situations. “That’s why it’s concerning that some auto manufacturers have taken steps to remove AM radios from new vehicle models while disregarding for the impact. “This decision would affect tens of millions of Americans—some estimates show that more than 45 million Americans tune into AM radio each month.” PRESERVING OPPORTUNITY FOR SMALL AND INDEPENDENT BROADCASTERS “AM radio is unique—not only is it free to consumers but, in comparison to alternatives, it can be transmitted over long distances with relatively low power. “It also provides an existence for small broadcasters, especially religious and minority broadcasters, that are highly valued by many Americans, myself included. Removing AM radios from vehicles puts their future at risk. “I know some people are quick to dismiss this issue by saying there are plenty of outlets for such content. “But while people in some parts of the country have been able to take advantage of alternative options in vehicles for accessing AM radio, like streaming services or satellite radio, these options are still unavailable in many places.” VITAL IN EMERGENCIES “We also know from our hearing last year that AM is especially resilient and dependable in emergencies. “It is a core piece of our National Public Warning System—a system used by national, state, and local authorities to communicate life-saving information. “Members up and down the dais, across both sides of the aisle, have had first-hand experiences dealing with natural disasters in their states, including wildfires, floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, even earthquakes. “And while other forms of communication have failed during these incidents, AM radio has often remained resilient, operational and has been a calming voice in the storm when on the go. “Just this week, it was reported that, when tornadoes swept across the Midwest, many people were receiving critical emergency updates via AM radio in their cars.” TIME TO MOVE FORWARD “We're at a moment where we as the representatives of the people are being forced to intervene on behalf of them, because their concerns continue to be ignored by corporations making consumer vehicles. “I do not consider a mandate on manufacturers to continue including AM radio in vehicles lightly. “But the reality is that automakers have been aware of these bipartisan, bicameral concerns for a long time, and have yet to adequately address them with any private sector solutions. “It’s disappointing, and ultimately, it’s why we’re here today having this discussion. “Whether they’re tuning in for local news, agricultural and weather reports, information during an emergency, or to listen to their favorite talk radio personality, AM radio continues to be a trusted way for Americans to stay connected. “AM radio fosters a sense of local identity, connecting people through regional programming that reflects the unique perspectives and traditions of their communities. “It’s closer to the people, telling the stories and sharing the perspectives that the national news doesn’t cover and sometimes ignores, and it plays a crucial role in ensuring local government accountability. “I look forward to moving past this issue and getting back to working in a bipartisan manner on other key issues for the future of vehicles in this country, like Autonomous vehicle legislation, so that America remains the leader in automotive innovation, not China. “I look forward to a productive discussion today. “As we discuss how to navigate our increasingly digital world, let us not forget the enduring and necessary role AM radio continues to play for people across the country.” 

Washington D.C. — House Energy and Commerce Innovation, Data, and Commerce Subcommittee Chair Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) delivered the following opening remarks at today’s subcommittee legislative hearing titled “Preserving Americans’ Access to AM Radio." ACCESS TO AM RADIO IN EMERGENCY SITUATIONS   “Every one of us here, both the witnesses and Members on this dais, should agree there is a distinct importance of having a robust and widely accessible communications infrastructure to alert Americans and ensure public safety in the event of emergencies and natural disasters.  “Our citizens should have quick access to critical information, which helps them make timely and potentially lifesaving decisions to evacuate, stay in place, seek shelter, or contact first responders.  “The Emergency Alert System plays a crucial role in this infrastructure, as it can be used across our nation to disseminate this important emergency information.  “I’ve long been a champion for improving these public alerts to ensure they reach everyone, as I was the sponsor of the Integrated Public Alert Warning System Modernization Act, which was enacted into law and authorized an update to these systems to incorporate multiple communications technologies both presently and in the future. “The system’s requirements also meant alerts needed to go to the largest portion of affected population feasible, including those with access and functional needs, individuals with disabilities, and those in rural and remote areas. States like Florida rely on this system during hurricanes to alert people to dangers related to such powerful storms. RELIABLE WAY TO ACCESS DIVERSE VOICES “I believe this is where AM Radio can become so important and will continue to be into the future. “According to Nielsen Media Research, radio broadcasting still has the highest reach of any medium, capable of reaching 91% of American adults, with most of the listening taking place outside of the home. “We know that AM radio signals can cover a larger geographic area, especially when other networks fail. “Furthermore, people in my district and elsewhere in the most diverse of settings enjoy the differing viewpoints and local perspectives that AM Radio offers. “I know in my district in Citrus and Hernando Counties in Florida, I hear from constituents on a regular basis how much they enjoy listening to local news on AM Radio, as well as particularly the conservative and Christian radio stations that are in the Tampa Bay area. “So, when we heard that reports that certain automobile manufacturers were exploring the idea of getting rid of this option for American consumers, many here in Congress (including myself) expressed concerns – I believe we should maintain as many available options for Americans as possible. PRESERVING AM RADIO FOR AMERICANS “This is why we are here to discuss the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act. “This legislation will require the Department of Transportation to work with the FCC to issue a nationwide standard to ensure that new vehicles have access to AM Radio stations. Now, generally speaking, I do have concerns about broad government mandates, and I hope we can have a robust and constructive discussion from each of our witnesses to ensure that we get this right, and that we are not inadvertently hampering innovation both now and in the future. “We must also ensure we don’t cause undue cost burdens onto our constituents. “Nevertheless, Americans deserve to have the highest number of options for how they receive information in their homes and in their cars.” 

Americans Support a National Data Privacy Standard The American Privacy Rights Act puts people in control of their own data, gives Americans enforceable data privacy rights, and eliminates the patchwork of state laws. Americans overwhelmingly support stronger data privacy protections, which would protect people, especially children, from Big Tech and other companies who are exploiting our personal information to target and manipulate us. On Wednesday, April 17, the House Energy and Commerce Committee held a legislative hearing to discuss the bipartisan, bicameral data privacy legislation along with other proposals to protect kids online. As Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) said , “ Right now, the average American spends nearly seven hours online a day, with two and a half hours of that time being spent on social media platforms. “The consequences range from increased suicide rates and depression, to increased polarization and loss of trust in our institutions. All the while, these companies are collecting nearly every data point imaginable which they use to then control what we see and when we see it.” [...] “Many companies are using their control over our data to erode people’s agency, their rights, and their identity. It’s time for that status quo to change.”   [...] “Congress has been trying to develop and pass comprehensive data privacy and security legislation for decades. With the American Privacy Rights Act, we are at a unique moment in history where we finally have the opportunity to imagine the internet as a force for prosperity and good.”   Every witness at our hearing agreed: This is Congress’s best chance to establish comprehensive data privacy protections. Watch:   Kara Frederick, Director of the Tech Policy Center at the Heritage Foundation , said, “I firmly believe the issue before us, data privacy, is the lynchpin upon which every piece of tech policy legislation will hinge.” [...] “Nowadays, when you give your kid a smartphone, you are not giving your kid access to the world, you are giving the world access to your kid.”   A key focus of the hearing was how the algorithms developed by these companies are designed to hold our attention, a feature that has been particularly harmful to kids. We have all heard countless stories of children being targeted with content that can lead to dangerous, life-threatening behaviors, which is why parents across the country overwhelmingly support stronger online protections for their children. Last week, members heard from Ava Smithing , who experienced first-hand the way that a large-scale collection of data can tailor algorithms to exploit kids’ vulnerabilities.  Watch Ava talk about the need for data minimization in order to protect kids online: Rep. Jeff Duncan (R-SC) asked the witnesses “Who is the greatest threats to Americans’ data security?” They answered that the top threats are individuals who are using data to scam and steal from Americans, foreign adversaries, like the Chinese Communist Party, and Big Tech companies.  Rep. Tim Walberg (R-MI) asked Kara Frederick about creating specific privacy protections for children. She replied that “children's consciences are not properly formed before these companies are going at them.”  Rep. John James (R-MI) and Witness Katherine Kuehn of the National Technology Security Coalition also talked about how important the American Privacy Rights Act is for seniors.

Washington, D.C. — House Energy and Commerce Committee (E&C) Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), E&C Subcommittee on Communications and Technology Chair Bob Latta (R-OH), E&C Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Chair Morgan Griffith (R-VA), E&C Subcommittee on Innovation, Data, and Commerce Chair Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), and House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, launched an investigation into grants made to an AI scientist at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).  The Chairs made requests for documents to UCLA, the National Science Foundation (NSF), and the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD).  BACKGROUND :  On November 1, 2023, a Newsweek investigation found that the federal government awarded at least $30 million in federal research grants led by Mr. Song-Chun Zhu, who is now “at the forefront of China's race to develop the most advanced artificial intelligence.”  The investigation further revealed the NSF and DOD continued funding Mr. Zhu even as he “set up a parallel institute near Wuhan, took a position at a Beijing university whose primary goal is to support Chinese military research, and joined a CCP ‘talent plan’ whose members are tasked with transferring knowledge and technology to China.”  In particular, Newsweek found that the project once led by Mr. Zhu received $1.2 million in two grants from the Office of Naval Research in 2021, the year following his departure to China.  KEY LETTER EXCERPT:   “Mr. Zhu has openly discussed how if China takes the lead in developing a ‘truly universal intelligence,’ then it will ‘become the winner of the international technology competition.’ He has also referred to the AI race as being equivalent in military importance to the race for the atomic bomb. In a period of intensifying geopolitical competition with the CCP, ceasing federal government support for Chinese AI development is a critical national security imperative.”  CLICK HERE to read the letter to UCLA Chancellor Gener Block.  CLICK HERE to read the letter to NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan.  CLICK HERE to read the letter to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. 

Washington D.C. — House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) and Innovation, Data, and Commerce Subcommittee Chair Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), on behalf of subcommittee Republicans, sent a letter to China-based e-commerce companies raising concerns over data privacy and security risks for American users, the counterfeit products flourishing on these platforms, and reports of horrific human rights abuses.   BACKGROUND:   China-based e-commerce marketplaces, like TikTok, TaoBao, Pinduoduo, Temu, Alibaba, AliExpress, and Shein, have recently increased in popularity in the U.S.  The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) requires that all Chinese tech companies allow the CCP to access all user information, raising serious data privacy and security concerns for Americans using these platforms .  These marketplaces commonly offer “knock off” versions of products, which often undermine intellectual property laws.  Furthermore, reports have alleged that some of the sellers on these platforms may have committed egregious human rights violations, including the use of forced labor and the selling of products, like wigs, that use hair from Uyghur women forced to shave their heads.  KEY LETTER EXCERPTS:   “The rise in popularity of apps and marketplaces like, TikTok, TaoBao, Pinduoduo, Temu, Alibaba, AliExpress, and Shein, has resulted in sharp public scrutiny regarding the business practices of these companies.”  […]  “Lax policies and practices are leaving American’s data at risk of theft, leading consumers to unknowingly purchase counterfeit goods. In addition to these lax policies and practices, it is important to ensure that supply chains are free of forced labor.”  The Chairs asked companies to respond to the following questions by January 12, 2024:   Please outline the steps taken to delete personal data when requested or ordered by a user, the parent of a user who is a minor, or others authorized to make such a request.  What protections do you have in place to prevent children from spending large amounts of money on your platform?  What data practices do you require of your third-parties?  What data practices do you require of your service providers?  Please individually confirm you are not collecting or compiling the following information:  Religious beliefs;  Political opinions;  Genetic data;  Biometric data;  Data concerning health;  Data concerning racial or ethnic origin;  Data about minors.  Similar to ByteDance, does your company have an internal CCP Committee?  Please document all meetings, communication, or interactions you—or any other senior company executives—have had with members of the Chinese government or the CCP while serving as officers.   Can you provide a complete software bill of materials for all components and components of the components in the mobile app? Please include the developer information and country of origin for all listed components.  Where does your company store the signing key for iOS and Android applications? How is access to the signing keys managed, and who are the developers with access to the signing keys for the mobile application?  Please detail the data security and protections you have to prevent unauthorized access to such signing key.  How frequently is your mobile app or backend security tested? Are they tested by US personnel? To what security standard are they tested?  How frequently is user location data transmitted? Within how many feet is this location data measured?  What compliance procedures do you have in place to ensure compliance with the INFORM Consumers Act ?  We have heard employees of companies associated with the Chinese government, such as TikTok, disagree with notion that Uyghur people are facing a genocide in the Xinjian region of China. Do you agree that there is a genocide occurring in the Xinjiang region of China?  Are you aware of the PRC’s persecution of the Uyghur people, including the reports that Uyghur women’s heads have been shaved to be used for products that are shipped into the U.S.?  Are there products using natural hair that originate in the Xinjiang region available on your e-commerce marketplace?  Are there any other products that have originated from, or contain components or material that originated from the Xinjiang region?  Given the human rights abuses occurring in the Xinjiang region, do you require any additional steps or increased scrutiny for products coming from such region?   If yes, please explain.   Can you unequivocally state that your supply chain is free of forced labor?  What steps are you taking to ensure that your supply chain does not include forced labor?   CLICK HERE to read the full letter to TikTok.  CLICK HERE to read the full letter to Whaleco Inc.  CLICK HERE to read the full letter to Alibaba.  CLICK HERE to read the full letter to Shein. 

Letter comes after Eventbrite censored conservative event while permitting pro-Hamas events Washington, D.C. — House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), Subcommittee on Communications and Technology Chair Bob Latta (R-OH), Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Chair Morgan Griffith (R-VA), and Subcommittee on Innovation, Data, & Commerce Chair Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), along with Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee Ranking Member Ted Cruz (R-TX) today wrote Eventbrite President and CEO Julia Hartz. The letter raises concerns over Eventbrite’s enforcement practices. BACKGROUND :  On October 23, 2023, Eventbrite removed an event listing titled, “Protecting Women’s Sports with Riley Gaines,” from its platform.    This event was intended to be a public forum for participants, including female athletes, to express issues, experiences, and consequences of biological males competing in their competitions.  Eventbrite listed “Rahm 4 Palestine (GAZA): Talk & Dinner,” scheduled for October 27, featuring a headline speaker who, after the October 7 Israeli massacre, using his verified X account, publicly posted antisemitic messaging that was viewed more than 1 million times.  A sold-out conference scheduled for November 10 in Washington, D.C., “Palestine Center 2023 Annual Conference,” was promoted on Eventbrite.    In advertising this event, organizers referred to the country of Israel as “Israeli apartheid” under Eventbrite’s “About this event” tab.  KEY LETTER EXCERPTS :  “In the last few weeks, Eventbrite, it seems, has selectively enforced its terms of service by removing some events while allowing potentially violative events to remain on the site. We raise the issues below not to dictate or remove events and users from your marketplace, but to better understand your Community Guidelines enforcement process .”  […]  “We struggle to comprehend the rationale for removing this event, while other Eventbrite listings that seemingly violate several of Eventbrite’s Community Guidelines remain live, including some that feature speakers espousing allegiance to entities designated by the U.S. Government as foreign terrorist organizations.”  […]  “Because Gaines’s promotion of the widely held view to preserve women’s athletics starkly contrasts with events on Eventbrite featuring speakers sympathetic to mass murder, this leads us to wonder if pro-terrorist and antisemitic events and event speakers do not plainly violate Eventbrite’s prohibition of content that would ‘discriminate against, harass, disparage, threaten, incite violence against, or otherwise target individuals or groups based on their actual or perceived race, ethnicity, religion, national origin.’ We seek information on what metrics Eventbrite uses to enforce its Community Guidelines on selected issues such as women’s athletics versus terrorism and antisemitism .”    CLICK HERE to read the full letter.