senate

The US Senate is holding a series of hearings on online advertising, behavioral targeting and privacy to determine whether they should consider legislation protecting consumers online in these areas. The Senate has turned to Google, Microsoft, the FTC, Facebook, privacy watchdogs and others for their opinions in the matter. Some, like Google, welcomed a “comprehensive privacy law that would establish a uniform framework for privacy and procedures to punish bad actors.”

The bipartisan Community Broadband Act, supported by some well-known US senators, was passed out the Senate Commerce Committee today and will proceed to the full Senate for a vote.

Google's proposed purchase of DoubleClick has drawn the scrutiny of privacy advocates, the Federal Trade Commission, and now a Senate Judiciary subcommittee.

The Internet Tax Freedom Extension Act of 2007 was introduced in the Senate yesterday and would extend the current ban on Internet access taxes for another four years.

There's most likely a balance between no regulation and too much regulation, and the current Democratic Congress is walking that line. No one would doubt the potential harm caused by "rogue" Web-dealers, but Sen. Patrick Leahy's (D-Vt.) tightening grip on Internet service providers should at least cause one to step back a bit to look at it.

The U.S. Senate has shot down a proposal that would have required some political bloggers to register as lobbyists or face prison time for up to 10 years. The Senate approved an amendment that removed the section that would have required some bloggers to be regulated.

The Net Neutrality debate is now front and center in the US Senate (well, when their not talking about Iraq) as Senators Olympia Snowe (R-ME) and Byron Dorgan (D-ND) introduce the Internet Freedom Preservation Act. Dorgan didn't stop with the floor of the Senate, he also took his case to YouTube.

When Republican Senator Mitch McConnell returned to Washington to get to work, he brought along Jon Henke to serve in a position in the US Senate.