Rockefeller Remarks on ICANN’s Expansion of Top Level Domains

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today’s hearing is about the future of the Internet. Starting in January, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, commonly referred to as ICANN, is planning to allow organizations and companies to apply for any generic or brand-specific top level domain name they wish. This means that hundreds—if not thousands—of new names are going to join the familiar world of “dot com,” “dot net,” and “dot org.” Get used to “dot hotels” or “dot auto” or “dot movie,” a surge of new names and addresses that create opportunities but could also create a lot of confusion.

Rockefeller Statement on Committee Approval of FTC, FCC Nominations

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Chairman John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV issued the following statement today after the Commerce Committee voted in favor of sending key Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Federal Communications Commission (FCC) nominations to the full Senate for its consideration:

Rockefeller Remarks on FCC Nominations

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Good afternoon. Welcome and congratulations to you both. Being a Commissioner at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is one of the most difficult jobs in Washington. Everyone in this room knows about the wide-ranging authority the FCC has over everything from broadband to cell phones to television content to public safety communications.

ICYMI: Rockefeller Column in the Washington Post – A New Line of Defense in Cybersecurity, with Help from the SEC

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Chairman John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV and former Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff today authored an op-ed in the Washington Post on the urgent need to shore up the Nation’s cyber defenses. Rockefeller is a leading advocate for cybersecurity legislation in the Senate and supports Leader Reid’s latest plans to bring a bill to the Senate floor early next year.

Chairman Rockefeller Remarks on Tourism in America: Moving Our Economy Forward

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Thanks to all of our witnesses for participating in this important discussion about travel and how it affects our economy. I want to start by complimenting Senator Klobuchar for her focus on this issue. The timing couldn’t be better. With the launch of Brand USA, a public-private partnership that is marketing travel to America, our country will finally start aggressively competing for international travelers. The goal is to create and support jobs that will boost the U.S. economy at a time when our country so desperately needs visitors and the revenue they bring. This will result in more international travelers coming to places like West Virginia and Minnesota and everywhere in between.

Rockefeller Commends FCC Action to Reform Universal Service Fund

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Chairman John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV today commended the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) vote to approve plans that will reform the Universal Service Fund to refocus the system on America’s communications challenges of the current digital age:

Rockefeller Questions Alarming Plans by VISA, MasterCard to Use Consumers’ Personal Information for Targeted Advertisements

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Chairman John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV today asked Visa and MasterCard to provide the Commerce Committee with more information about the companies’ plans to use customer purchasing habits to target behavioral advertisements on the Internet. A recent Wall Street Journal article reported on the planned marketing initiatives and some of the potential privacy implications for the credit card companies’ customers.