This Week in Techdirt History: November 23rd – 29th
News Context
At a glance
- This retrospective demonstrates how many of the tech battles we fight today have been ongoing for years, even decades.
Five Years Ago (2020)
- Portland, Maine: Passed a facial recognition ban with a provision allowing the city to fire employees violating it.
- Seattle, WA: A police detective perhaps violated local laws by using Clearview facial recognition technology.
- FBI: Accused of manufacturing terrorist schemes and seeking intrusive phone searches without proper justification.
- Nintendo: Attempted to suppress creative uses of the game Animal Crossing.
- Cyberpunk 2077 Developers: Added a mode to help streamers avoid DMCA notices.
- Comcast: Expanded data usage caps during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ten Years Ago (2015)
- Comcast: Tested net neutrality by allowing its own streaming service to bypass usage caps and announced price hikes and misleading fees.
- The Telegraph: published a criticized article defending encryption, written by David Cameron’s former speechwriter.
- Dianne Feinstein: Shifted her stance on cybersecurity, advocating for encryption backdoors after previously expressing concerns.
Detailed Comcast Actions (2015)
| Action | Description |
|---|---|
| net Neutrality Test | Comcast allowed its own streaming service to bypass data usage caps, raising concerns about preferential treatment. |
| Price Hikes & Fees | Comcast announced price increases and introduced new, potentially misleading fees for its services. |