Overnight Technology: Calls grow for FCC to pause vote on Web rules

THE LEDE: The two Republicans on the Federal Communications Commission are united in calling for Chairman Tom Wheeler to pause a vote on Internet rules scheduled for next month in order to give Congress time to work out a legislative fix. They are aware, however, of no plans to delay. And Wheeler’s office has vowed to go ahead with a vote. "That [legislative] process, to the extent it is fluid, is one that the agency would do well to give some breathing room," GOP commissioner Ajit Pai said, echoing a call from his colleague Michael O’Rielly a day earlier. "To take a pause from the February vote, since there is no immediate emergency that needs to be solved in this industry, and let the legislative process play out," he added, in an interview for C-SPAN's "The Communicators." Wheeler plans to circulate rules governing net neutrality on Feb. 5 with a vote scheduled later that month. His plan, which has not been released, is expected to reclassify broadband Internet under Title II of the Communications Act, the authority the FCC uses to regulate traditional telephones. Congressional Republicans have recently pivoted away from their complete opposition to net neutrality and floated legislation that would put in place many of the rules that net neutrality advocates have supported. But the proposal would also limit the FCC's authority, specifically limiting its ability to reclassify broadband. Pai continued, however, to question the need for regulations enforcing net neutrality, the idea that all Internet traffic should be treated equally. He again called it a "solution in search of a problem." Verizon exec clarifies himself: Verizon is taking pains to clarify that it believes that reclassifying broadband Internet would hurt long-term investment. Verizon's chief financial officer Fran Shammo said Thursday that reclassification "will jeopardize our investment and the development of innovation in broadband Internet." Shammo asserted he was misquoted back in December when he suggested that a change would not influence how the company invests. Shammo on Thursday asserted he was talking about short-term investment in 2015. "If this piece of Title II was to pass, I can absolutely assure you it would certainly change the way we then view our investment in our networks," he said during an earnings call, which the company later featured in a blog post. CTIA releases anti-Title II video: The wireless industry is out with a new video outlining fears about how the FCC’s expected move to impose tough, utility-style rules on mobile Internet could hurt consumers. DOJ pressured on radar tech tracking: Leaders of the Senate Judiciary Committee are warning Attorney General Eric Holder about authorities’ reported use of radar to detect movement within a building. Earlier this week, USA Today reported that at least 50 law enforcement agencies have equipped devices that allow them to "see" through walls. Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and top Democrat Sen. Patrick Leahy (Vt.) told Holder in a letter on Thursday that the practice "presents privacy concerns of the highest order." Along with similar reports about the government’s use of Stingray devices — which mimic cellphone towers in order to track people’s phones — the new report "raises questions about whether the Justice Department is doing enough to ensure that — prior to these technologies’ first use — law enforcement officials address their privacy implications, seek appropriate legal process, and fully inform the courts and Congress about how they work," the two senators wrote. "There is also a question as to how many other new technologies are being used by law enforcement agencies that raise similar privacy concerns." Obama on China’s so-called great firewall: China's policy of limiting access to some parts of the Internet is not going to be as sustainable as trusting 'people to communicate freely," President Obama said in an interview with a YouTube personality on Thursday. "We consistently, wherever we go, insist that issues like free speech and a free and open Internet — we think that that is part of who we are as a people," he said. "We think that that has value not just in America but everywhere. We obviously can't make laws in China. But what we can do is let them know and shine a spotlight on some of those practices." New patent-quality position announced: Michelle Lee, who leads the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, announced she is creating a new executive position aimed at improving the quality of patents that it issues. Valencia Martin Wallace — the current deputy commissioner for patent operations — will take the new position as deputy commissioner for patent quality. The position is part of a broader push to increase patent quality. Anti-merger group hires lobbyist: The Glover Park Group is lobbying for a coalition formed in December to oppose the proposed $45 billion merger of Comcast and Time Warner Cable. The lobbying group was hired by the Stop Mega-Comcast Coalition, which includes companies and groups like Dish, Engine and Public Knowledge. R Street adds Godwin: Mike Godwin is taking the reins as the director of innovation policy and general counsel at the R Street Institute, a think tank that pushes for free markets. Godwin previously spent time at Internews, an international nonprofit, as well as the Wikimedia Foundation and the Electronic Frontier Foundation. At Wikimedia, he helped direct Wikipedia’s opposition to proposed copyright laws SOPA and PIPA. ON TAP: At noon, Rep. Louis Gohmert (R-Texas) will join FCC commissioner Ajit Pai in Texas at an event to highlight efforts to connect Americans when they dial 911 for help. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Lawmakers in both parties are pushing to require that police have a warrant before tracking people’s locations via their cellphones and other GPS devices. Patent reform's absence from President Obama's State of the Union address Tuesday night does not reflect a change in priorities for the administration, according to the acting head of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Alumni from President Obama’s reelection campaign are getting together with a Washington hub for tech startups. Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) is taking charge of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology and the Law, committee leaders announced on Thursday. Amazon.com is building a wind farm in Indiana to offset the power used by its data centers. Please send tips and comments to Julian Hattem, jhattem@thehill.com and Mario Trujillo, mtrujillo@thehill.com Follow us on Twitter: @HilliconValley, @jmhattem