Overnight Tech: Bill protecting online reviews heads to Obama | New addition to FCC transition team | Record Cyber Monday

BILL PROTECTING ONLINE REVIEWS ON WAY TO WHITE HOUSE: The Senate unanimously passed a bill on Tuesday that would bar companies from fining or pursuing lawsuits against consumers who post negative reviews of them on websites such as Yelp.

In September, the House also unanimously passed the measure prohibiting non-disparagement clauses that some institutions included in their online terms of service.

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The bill now heads to President Obama’s desk.

“By ending gag clauses, this legislation supports consumer rights and the integrity of critical feedback about products and services sold online,” Senate Commerce Chairman John Thune (R-S.D.) said in a statement, praising the bipartisan effort to move forward on the bill. Thune had sponsored the legislation in the Senate alongside Sens. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) and Jerry Moran (R-Kan.).

“Too many companies are burying non-disparagement clauses in fine print and going after consumers when they post negative feedback online,” Rep. Leonard Lance (R-N.J.), who sponsored the bill in the House, said in a statement. “This will now end.”

The Internet Association, a trade group whose members include major internet companies such as Twitter, Facebook and Yelp, applauded the move.

Read more here: http://bit.ly/2gDAwc8

Please send your tips, comments and College Football Playoff committee reactions to Ali Breland (abreland@digital-release.digital-release.thehill.com) and follow us on Twitter: @alibreland and @HilliconValley.

NEW ADDITION TO THE TRUMP FCC TRANSITION: President-elect Donald Trump is tapping another critic of net neutrality to help with the transition at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The Trump transition team announced on Tuesday that Roslyn Layton will join the FCC landing team. Layton will work alongside Jeffrey Eisenach and Mark Jamison.

Layton, like her two colleagues, has served as a visiting fellow at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), a conservative think tank. The three are all critics of the agency’s controversial net neutrality rules, which require internet service providers to treat all web traffic the same.

Read more here: http://bit.ly/2gTdf6G 

DELAYING WARRANT CHANGES: Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del) intends to call for a voice vote by unanimous consent from the Senate floor to pass a bill delaying controversial changes to the government’s hacking powers, a member of Coons’s staff said. Investigators could apply to hack five or more computers with a single warrant application if the changes take effect Thursday, as planned. The changes are to Rule 41 of the Federal Criminal Procedure, describing how evidence must be collected. The changes would also allow investigators to apply for a warrant in any court, regardless of jurisdiction, to hack a computer that takes technologic means to hide its location. 

Read more here: http://bit.ly/2fOdQEX

CYBER MONDAY HITS NEW RECORD: The internet’s big shopping day hit a record $3.45 billion in sales yesterday, Bloomberg reports, (Check out their nifty graphic comparing sales to past years). Top sellers this year include, the iPhone and Sony’s Playstation 4. Since Nov. 1, consumers have spent almost $40 billion holiday shopping online.

UBER IN EUROPE: Uber defended itself in Europe’s highest court Tuesday, reports Reuters. The company has received scrutiny from taxi companies for what they say are unfair advantages like avoiding local licensing, insurance and safety rules. Uber defended itself saying that it provides consumers an easy way to get around that causes less pollution. If the court rules against Uber, it could face more stringent regulations in areas like licensing, insurance and safety.

SAMSUNG LOOKS TO TURN THINGS AROUND: After a rough couple months marred by recalls of products like the Galaxy Note S7, which kept catching on fire, Samsung announced steps to quell the company’s bleeding. The company will boost dividends and review its corporate structure, AP reported on Tuesday. Samsung is strengthening corporate governance procedures in its board. The company reported a third quarter earnings dip in October after negative press from the recalls.

ON TAP: 

The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation is holding a lunch briefing on smart manufacturing in the Russell Senate Office Building at 12:00 p.m. on Wednesday.

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), subcommittee chairman in the Commerce, Energy and Transportation Committee, is holding a hearing on artificial intelligence at 2:30 p.m.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:

After suffering a ransomware hack, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation agency says it won’t pony up.

Queen Elizabeth signed a bill into law granting British authorities new surveillance powers.

The Internet Archive is backing up its record of the internet to Canada to keep it out of Trump’s hands.