Page 24 - ARUBA TODAY

A24 TECHNOLOGY
Monday 4 February 2019

Tech companies, states spar with govt over net neutrality

By MARCY GORDON and in nature and function from
TALI ARBEL phone service, Johnson
AP Business Writers maintained. It therefore
WASHINGTON (AP) — Tech should be regulated as an
companies and nearly two information service and not
dozen U.S. states clashed subject to the utility-style
with the government in oversight of phone compa-
federal court Friday over nies, he said.
the repeal of net neutrality, The politically charged is-
a set of Obama-era rules sue has emerged from
aimed at preventing big its origins as an engineer-
internet providers from dis- ing challenge to become
criminating against certain an anti-monopoly rallying
technology and services. point and even a focus for
Judges challenged argu- “resistance” to the Trump
ments made by both sides administration.
in the faceoff in an appeals Once Trump took office,
court in Washington. net neutrality became one
Lawyers for the states and of his first targets as part of
the companies tried to per- broader government de-
suade the three-judge pan- In this Thursday, Dec. 14, 2017, file photo, a person with a smartphone enters the Federal regulation. The FCC chair-
el to restore the net neutral- Communications Commission building in Washington. man he appointed, Ajit Pai,
ity regime, set in 2015 during The Associated Press made rolling back net neu-
the Obama administration apps of their choosing, or era law that established ers such as AT&T, Verizon trality a top priority.
and repealed in Decem- charging Netflix and oth- the FCC. and Comcast, argued On the other side, support
ber 2017 at the direction er video services extra to The FCC wrongly classified to keep net neutrality re- for net neutrality comes
of a regulator appointed reach viewers faster. the internet as an informa- pealed. from many of the same
by President Donald Trump. The practice of slowing tion service rather than a Thomas Johnson, the FCC’s people who also are criti-
The companies challeng- down transmission is known telecoms service, using general counsel, said the cal of the data-vacuum-
ing the FCC action include as “throttling.” that as a rationale for not agency’s “light-touch” ing tech giants that ben-
Mozilla, developer of the The action by the Federal cracking down on miscon- regulatory scheme, requir- efit from it. Politicians have
Firefox web browser, and Communications Commis- duct by big internet pro- ing the internet providers glommed on to the cause
Vimeo, a video-sharing site. sion rolling back the neu- viders, Michalopoulos said, to disclose their practices to appear consumer-
The net neutrality rules trality rules “is a stab in the who represents Mozilla and and operations, provides friendly.
had banned cable, wire- heart of the Communica- the other companies in the adequate safeguards. The The Democratic takeover
less and other broadband tions Act,” said attorney case. internet — used more ex- of the House in November’s
providers from blocking or Pantelis Michalopoulos, Government lawyers, as tensively to transmit infor- midterm elections could re-
slowing down websites and referring to the Depression- well as big internet provid- mation — is different both vive efforts to enshrine net

Pass It On: Work-life advice from Twitter curation director

By BARBARA ORTUTAY So that means that my Q: What advice would A lot of value can often be
AP Technology Writer days get quite elongated. you give your younger self obtained from expanding
NEW YORK (AP) — Joanna Q: What have you learned about managing people? your network even by just
Geary started off as a jour- about problem-solving A: You are never, ever go- a little.
nalist in the U.K. and now over the years? ing to have all the answers. Q: What do you do for
lives in New York, where she A: The greater the diversity Most answers are going to work-life balance?
is currently Twitter’s direc- of skills, background and come from your team, and A: I enjoy the time I spend
tor of curation. In that role, personalities in the room, your job is to try and cre- with my husband, family
she’s in charge of showing the more likely it is you’ll ate an environment where and close friends.
users everything from the come up with the best so- they are recognized and Moving to another country
day’s biggest news events lution and the best way to rewarded for putting them has made me value the
to quirky trends. implement it. forward. time I get to spend with
Geary, 38, spoke with The Q: How much do you pay Also, however hard you try, them much, much more.
Associated Press recently attention to your competi- you will mess up. The most I’m also a massive podcast
about managing people tion? important thing is how you fan, so will often use my
in different time zones and A: I keep pretty well in- deal with that. commute home as time to
managing a work-life bal- formed about what’s go- Q: What advice do you listen and decompress.
ance. Questions and an- ing on in our industry, but I have on how small busi- But you’re also talking to
swers have been edited try not to focus too much ness owners and others someone who back in the
for brevity and clarity. In this undated image on competitor watching. can use Twitter? U.K. used her free time to
the
by
Twitter
provided
Q: What does your day-to- company’s director of I’ve been in that position A: Start small and follow start London’s biggest
day work look like? curation Joanna Geary poses before and it can be all too people that you know or monthly meetup of tech-
A: I have direct reports in for a photo. easy to turn yourself into a are just one or two people nologists and journalists.
London, in Toronto, in New The Associated Press hostage to other people’s removed from people you Technology and journal-
York, in San Francisco, in working away from peo- strategies rather than dou- know. ism have always been an
Tokyo and in Sydney (and ple, it’s really important to bling down on understand- Learn to connect and interest beyond a job, so I
indirect reports) in Mexico have structured time to ing your unique value and have conversations with wholly admit the line can
and Brazil. When you’re see people. trying to enhance that. them. be blurred.q