FCC Reviews ABC Licenses After Kimmel Jokes; EU Finds Meta Not Doing Enough to Keep Kids From Facebook and Instagram; OpenAI Models Now on Amazon Web Services; Supremes Look Split over ‘Geofence’ Search Warrants

For decades, radio and TV stations have worked hard to avoid violating FCC rules, wanting to avoid fines, or the most serious penalty…cancellation of station licenses. Now, the FCC under this Trump administration seems to have become a tool of vengeance for the president…as is also true of the Department of Justice. That department just filed what looks like a very thin and really frivolous indictment of James Comey for a picture of sea shells spelling out 86 47. You are probably all aware of that Now, arstechnica.com reports that The FCC is reviewing licenses of ABC TV stations over jokes Jimmy Kimmel told that offended and enraged Donald Trump and his wife Melania. In one, Kimmel called Melania an ‘expectant widow.’ It is notable that none of the ABC stations’ licenses are even up for renewal until 2028, and that the legal process for revoking licenses is so difficult that it’s been described as nearly impossible. But the FCC today issued an order instructing ABC owner Disney to file early license renewal applications for all of its licensed TV stations by May 28. An ABC probe could examine DEI, Kimmel’s comedy, and other shows. Carr threatened ABC station licenses in September 2025, alleging at the time that airing Kimmel’s show might violate the rarely enforced news distortion policy. A group of former FCC chairs and commissioners asked a federal appeals court to compel the FCC to respond to a November 2025 petition to repeal the agency’s 1960s-era news distortion policy. It is such nonsense for this FCC to apply this to what is widely known as a comedy show, and not a news broadcast. 

The European Commission has found that Meta is breaching Europe’s Digital Services act  rules by failing to prevent children under 13 from using Facebook and Instagram, According to theverge.com, this is a preliminary ruling, but after a 2 year investigation, the Commission found that Meta hasn’t put into place adequate measures to keep kids under 13 from creating accounts on Facebook and Instagram. Minors can simply enter a false birth date when signing up for Facebook and Instagram to falsely declare they’re over 13 years old — the minimum age outlined in Meta’s own terms and conditions — with no effective controls to verify their real age. If Meta doesn’t take corrective action, they could be slammed with fines of up to $12 billion.

Well, that didn’t take long. No sooner did OpenAI cut an amended deal with Microsoft to use other tech companies’ servers, their models have appeared on Amazon Web Services! CNBC.com says A new service called Amazon Bedrock Managed Agents powered by OpenAI will enable the construction of sophisticated customized agents that incorporate memory of previous interactions….this according to both companies. As we previously reported, Microsoft will continue to have non-exclusive licenses to all of OpenAI products through 2032. 

The US Supreme Court heard arguments this week in a case dealing with the government’s use of so-called “geofence” search warrants. Law enforcement and federal agents use these warrants to compel tech companies, like Google, to turn over information about which of its billions of users were in a certain place and time based on their phone’s location. TechCrunch.com reports that those opposed…virtually all civil liberties advocates have argued that geofence warrants are inherently overbroad and unconstitutional as they return information about people who are nearby yet have no connection to an alleged incident. My own view is that they are both over broad and void for vagueness…as they don’t name persons or premises with specificity…as and old judge taught me in law school. Some of the more justices seem ok with casting such a wide net, so it could be that they will allow further erosion of the 4th Amendment…which is pretty much like a lace doily already. Google has moved to store location data on peoples’ devices instead of their servers. Apple already does keep much personal info in a secure enclave on the user’s phone. Just be aware if this case is upheld, you could be grabbed as an innocent bystander who was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

I’m Clark Reid and you’re ‘Technified’ for now.