Overnight Tech: Dem raises security concerns with wireless auction bill

LEDE: The top Democrat on the Senate Commerce Committee says Chairman John Thune’s (R-S.D.) decision to pull his wireless spectrum reform bill from a markup was prudent in light of national security concerns driven by the attacks in Paris.

“I’m glad, Mr. Chairman, that you have decided to pull the draft bill from today’s markup,” said ranking member Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) on Wednesday. “It’ll give us some time that we need to consult stakeholders to try and find a consensus. A question that this committee always faces with respect to spectrum is how to strike the right balance between the needs of the federal government, homeland security and defense and the national security in this country and the non-federal spectrum users.”

{mosads}”And if you don’t think this is a hot topic right now with what’s just happened in Europe, then you’ve got another thing coming. And as a result, we must tread carefully and ensure that nothing we do inadvertently compromises those important steps that would jeopardize national security.”

The committee announced they were removing the bill from consideration in Wednesday’s markup last week, after they heard concerns from the administration and other lawmakers. It is said to concern the law’s mandate that the FCC auction off 50 megahertz of spectrum from 2024, as well as other provisions.

The bill would allow agencies like the Department of Defense to get paid to release some of its wireless spectrum to the private sector — something that is sure to raise security concerns.

THUNE SAYS IT WILL MOVE EVENTUALLY: The chairman admitted that it’s far from guaranteed that the spectrum bill sees floor action before the end of the year — but he didn’t rule it out. “That might be a heavier lift, because of everything that we have to do,” he said. “But it isn’t to say, that if we could get a big bipartisan vote both out of the committee and try to take it to the floor that it couldn’t become part of a larger package of bills or a vehicle that is moving. So we’ll look for those opportunities.”

What the bill lacks, however, is a companion bill in the House. An aide to the House Energy and Commerce Committee said that the panel was watching the developments in the Senate but hadn’t committed to a course of action yet.

WATCH A DRONE FLY AROUND A HILL COMMITTEE ROOM: A House Energy and Commerce spokesperson tells us that tomorrow’s hearing on the economic impact of drones will include a live drone demonstration.

GM WORKING ON PROJECT TO LET OUTSIDERS SPOT CYBER VULNERABILITIES: General Motors told members of Congress it plans to roll out a security program “very quickly” that could give incentive to outside researchers to sniff out hacking vulnerabilities in its cars.  A company executive on Wednesday said it wouldn’t exactly mirror a program that is already used by Tesla, which actually hands out money to outsiders who spot vulnerabilities. A Toyota executive who also testified said his company works with “white hat hackers” as well.

MICA TALKS TROUBLE WITH SCAMMERS: At a Wednesday hearing on the “Internet of cars,” Rep. John Mica (R-Fla.), who leads the Oversight subcommittee on Transportation, told a personal story about his home computer being taken over by Pakistani scammers who posed as Microsoft employees. After contacting authorities, Mica said law enforcement basically told him “you’re screwed.” His story was meant to illustrate how concerning a similar situation would be if it involved a person’s car.

FCC TAKES UP EMERGENCY ALERTS: At its open meeting Thursday, The Federal Communications Commission will vote to approve proposed rules meant to help improve wireless emergency alerts. The commission will also vote on two other items — one related to wireless hearing aids and another that deals with the availability of closed captioning for video programming.

INTERNET ASSOCIATION PRAISES, CRITIQUES DHS MOVE: The trade group praised the Department of Homeland Security for a proposed rule to extend the option period when student visa-holders with STEM degrees can stay in the U.S. after they graduate. But they also expressed concerns about some of the details of the rule. Read the whole letter here.

FACEBOOK DENIES ISIS NAME MIXUP: The social network said it had not accidently suspended the account of software developer Isis Anchalee because her first name is similar to the much-used acronym for the Islamic State. “This was an error made as part of a fake account reporting process and we’re sorry for the trouble it caused. It was not connected to the individual’s name and her account has already been restored,” a spokesperson told Reuters.

ON TAP:

At 8 a.m., The Senate Payments Innovation Caucus will hold a briefing in the Senate Russell Office building on the basics of the modern payment system.

At 10:15 a.m., the House Energy and Commerce Committee will hold a briefing on the economic impact of drones.

At 10:30 a.m., the FCC will hold its November open meeting.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:

Major vehicle manufacturers are telling Congress to keep its distance as the industry evolves to take advantage of the “Internet of cars.”

A Senate panel approved legislation Wednesday that would limit the ability of businesses to retaliate against customers who leave negative reviews online.

The United States has one of the largest shares of people who believe it is “very important” to have an Internet that is uncensored by the government, according to Pew Research.

The New York attorney general’s office has issued a subpoena to Yahoo as part of its probe of the daily fantasy sports industry, a source familiar with the matter confirmed on Wednesday morning.

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush pledged Wednesday that as president, he would make the military’s cybersecurity skills “superior to anything fielded against them.”

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