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The title is a bit misleading! It suggests that this post is about a connection. There is a little bit of one, to be sure, and more of an argument could be made for a concrete one between surveillance capitalism and the FCC. But that is not what this post is about. Simply, I want to point out two different issues.

The first is about the work of Shoshana Zuboff of Harvard Business School, who wrote a must-read piece for The New York Times this week: "The Coup We Are Not Talking About." If you have not read it, you should. It frames the issues brilliantly. If you are not familiar with the concept of surveillance capitalism that she coined, then you must read this piece. As someone who has trucked in internet policy now for 20 years, I propose that one cannot grasp the context of the issues we face in this arena without the insights that she offers.

The second note I want to strike is to put a vote of support in for President Biden’s naming of Jessica Rosenworcel as acting chair of the FCC. Excellent choice, and I hope and expect that the Biden administration will bring her name in short order to Congress for confirmation as chair. Everything about Acting Chair Rosenworcel’s record and statements is right on the mark for what must be done in telecommunications to place the United States in a better position domestically and globally. It begins with a bold plan for broadband deployment nationally. Having already addressed this issue in the “I’m Back!” from campaigning post, I won’t repeat myself. Here I am suggesting that the Biden administration steers full speed ahead with this direction and get something accomplished on a front that will make a very big difference to rural communities all across America.

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