A number of industry groups from the entertainment industry filed concerns with the FCC on Friday about what they see as the potential harmful impact the Commission’s set-top proposal could have on content creators. The groups, including the Motion Picture Association of America, the Recording Industry Association of America, SAG-AFTRA and several others, raised concerns about “the lack of guarantees for copyright holders in the current FCC proposal” and urged FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler to consider what they view as the potentially harmful results that content creators might suffer.
Consumer advocacy group the Digital Citizens Alliance also filed comments on the set-top NPRM last week, which among other things brought up what it says is consumers’ apprehensions around privacy.
“The FCC does not propose to adopt sufficient measures to protect navigation device hardware or software from unauthorized access obtained through hacking or device malfunction,” the alliance says in a statement. “Navigation devices have access to sensitive personal information about consumers’ preferred TV programs, consumption patterns and recent searches. When connected to a smart TV or other advanced device, navigation devices could be used to record and transmit audio, video, or images – literally becoming ‘eyes’ and ‘ears’ in consumers’ living rooms.”
Also adding to the pile was tech advocacy group CALinnovates that used its filing with the FCC to say that in light of the current innovation that already exists in the market, Commission intervention could actually harm innovation and competition in the set-top arena.
“Hence, the FCC needs to stand down on this pursuit,” CALinnovates Executive Director Mike Montgomery says. “The initial approach taken by the NRPM, paradoxically, seems rooted in – and will prolong – the outdated paradigmatic assumptions of ancient telecommunications wars: of a segmented, non-converging landscape where generational change was once measured in years or decades, rather than in months or even weeks.”
The group also submitted analysis that it says shows that one-size-fits-all tech mandates like the set-top box NPRM rarely if ever work in practice – and the result will be higher bills, more ads and less diversity and innovation on TV.
As previously reported in CED, the National Cable and Telecommunications Association raised concerns about the FCC’s set-top proposal last week citing what the trade group claims are legal vulnerabilities. More information on that is available here.
For news from groups that filed in support of the NPRM last week, see the article here.
Filed Under: Industry regulations
