At a Cooley virtual town hall last week, former FCC Commissioner
Robert McDowell, co-chair of Cooley's global communications
practice, talked to Representative Greg Walden (OR-2) about a range
of legislative and regulatory issues that the telecommunications,
media and technology sectors are facing today. Representative
Walden highlighted ongoing legislative efforts to ensure the health
and connectivity of Americans during the COVID-19 crisis and the
need for renewed efforts on the Section 230 liability shield,
infrastructure security and federal privacy legislation. The
interview, available online, is summarized below.
Government COVID-19 response
Representative Walden was pleased with how Washington has come
together despite partisan political headwinds to come up with
effective solutions for helping Americans fight the coronavirus and
its economic impacts. Although he expressed satisfaction with
COVID-related relief programs like the Paycheck Protection
