Tech Week in Review: CA Broadband, Reporting Cyberattacks, Antitrust, Surveillance, Apple’s Remote Work, Netflix Gaming

CA to Spend $6B on Broadband:

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed a bill (SB 156) last week committing the state to spending $6 billion over the next three years on expanding broadband access, particularly in underserved and rural communities.

Over half of the funding, $3.25 billion, will go toward middle-mile infrastructure, linking internet providers with local access points like schools and hospitals. Another $2 billion will go toward last-mile projects bringing high-speed internet to underserved households, with at least half of that sum going to rural counties.

The measure drew bipartisan support in both legislative chambers, with many lawmakers expressing concern about the wide disparities in broadband access revealed by the COVID-19 pandemic. (SACRAMENTO BEE, STATE NET)

Proposed Federal Legislation Would Require Reporting of Cyberattacks:

Spurred by the recent cyberattacks on SolarWinds and Colonial Pipeline, leaders of the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee have introduced legislation requiring federal agencies, contractors and critical infrastructure companies to notify the Department of Homeland Security of breaches of their systems. Federal law doesn’t currently require companies to disclose such attacks. (CNBC)

Biden’ Nominee for DOJ Antitrust Chief Another Shot Across Bow for Big Tech:

President Biden announced last week that he will nominate Google critic Jonathan Kanter to head up the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division. The nomination follows the president’s selection of Big Tech critic Lina Kahn to lead the Federal Trade Commission. (CNBC)

Activists’, Journalists’ Phones Targeted by Surveillance Software:

Citizen Lab, a Canadian security organization based at the University of Toronto, found evidence of the installation or attempted installation of Pegasus, surveillance software made by Israeli cybersecurity company NSO, on the phones of 37 activists, journalists and businesspeople. Pegasus can be installed on a target’s phone without their ever having to click on a website link or open up a document, and it can capture emails, text messages, photos, videos, record phone calls or secretly make recordings using the phone’s camera and microphone. (CNET)

Apple Delays Workers’ Return to Office by Month or More:

With COVID-19 variants spreading across the nation, Apple is delaying its employees’ return to the workplace to October at the earliest. CEO Tim Cook said last month that employees would be returning to the office three days a week starting in September. (CNBC)

Netflix Moving into Video Games:

Netflix announced last week that it plans to start offering video games to existing subscribers at no additional cost. It will be the biggest shift for the company since it began offering video streaming in 2007 and original programming in 2012. (AP, CNET)

-- Compiled by KOREY CLARK