Top Stories

  • Attorney General William Barr said the Justice Department is seeking to determine whether liability protections enshrined in Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act are still necessary for tech companies, which he noted are no longer “underdog upstarts” and have become “titans of U.S. industry.” Barr said he does not want to make a decision yet on Section 230, which holds that platforms cannot be liable for hosted content, but hopes to incentivize companies to create a safer environment on their own. (CNBC)
  • John Rood, a Pentagon official who was heavily involved in changing the Defense Department’s opposition to a measure that would expand the U.S. government’s ability to block exports to Huawei Technologies Inc., is stepping down at the end of the month, according to a copy of his resignation letter, which said President Donald Trump requested his resignation. Rood was also responsible for certifying to Congress that Ukraine had made sufficient anti-corruption progress to be eligible for funds that were later withheld from the country. (Reuters
  • Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.), who leads the House Oversight Committee’s panel on economic and consumer policy, sent a letter to Amazon.com Inc. requesting details about how Ring partners with city governments and local law enforcement, citing a report that said that municipalities subsidize discounts for the home surveillance tool using taxpayer dollars and another alleging that Ring leverages its partnerships to shape public opinion. The subcommittee is asking for documents stretching back to 2013 regarding Ring’s cooperation with cities and law enforcement. (The Hill)

Special Report: The State of Consumer Trust

As the new decade begins, Morning Consult’s The State of Consumer Trust report is the first look at how today’s societal forces are shaping a new era of trust. Based on interviews with thousands of consumers, the report provides actionable intelligence into how companies can earn and deepen trust with customers.

Download the full report.

More from Morning Consult


Bloomberg Makes Gains With Black Voters Amid ‘Stop-and-Frisk’ Controversy


Voters Say Bloomberg’s a Better Billionaire Businessman Than Trump — but Just Barely


Public Option Support Drops When Buttigieg’s Retroactive Enrollment Included


How the Democratic Socialist Label Is Playing in the 2020 Presidential Race

Morning Consult