This is Queen Street Analytics' weekly digest of regulatory developments, legislative discussions and other government-related news concerning ICT, cloud computing, digital infrastructure, social media platforms, digital privacy, AI, cybersecurity, blockchain, Web3 and cryptocurrencies. Once a week, we break down the most important updates in this space in under five minutes.

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Dates: 2026-02-15 to 2026-02-21

📋 In This Week's Newsletter

• 🏛️ This Week's Congressional Calendar
• 🇺🇸 Federal Government News
• 📚 What We're Reading This Week

This Week's Congressional Calendar

• House Science Subcommittee Hearing: Powering America's AI Future: The House Science, Space, and Technology Subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight will hold a hearing on February 24, 2026 regarding policy options to scale data center infrastructure supporting AI deployment. The session takes place at Rayburn House Office Building, Room 2318.
• Senate Meeting: Advancing STEM, Cybersecurity in Health Sector: On February 26, 2026, the Senate will convene in Dirksen Senate Office Building, Room 430 to consider bills related to modernizing STEM education, financial aid forms, home school graduation, organ transplant discrimination, and S.3315 to improve cybersecurity coordination between HHS and CISA in health and public health sectors.

Federal Government News

Federal Acquisition Regulation: Proposed Semiconductor Procurement Ban

The Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council published a proposed rule to implement section 5949 of the FY2023 National Defense Authorization Act, prohibiting executive agencies from procuring or obtaining semiconductor products or services from specified entities including SMIC, CXMT, and YMTC, effective December 23, 2027. Agencies will also be restricted from acquiring electronic products for critical systems that incorporate banned semiconductors. Offerors must certify supply chain compliance and notify contracting officers within 72 hours if prohibited components are identified during contract performance. Commercial products lacking alternatives receive a one-year exception until December 23, 2028. A regulatory impact analysis estimates total costs over a ten-year period at $1.86 billion (undiscounted public and government costs). Waivers are available under national security criteria, and the rule applies to micro-purchases and contracts for commercial items, IT, and telecom services.

Sources: www.federalregister.gov

FCC Issues Third Further Notice for Unlicensed Use of 6 GHz Band

The Federal Communications Commission released a Third Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking addressing unlicensed device operations in the 6 GHz band. Key proposals include permitting Automated Frequency Coordination systems to factor building entry loss when calculating power levels for indoor access points, and enabling low-power indoor access points on cruise ships. Public comment deadlines are March 23 (initial) and April 21 (reply), with estimated annual benefits of $35.6 million and expected one-time waiver cost savings of $4,800. The FCC seeks input on broader rule updates for 6 GHz unlicensed use to reflect technological changes since 2020, projecting the proposals to be cost neutral and not introduce additional interference to licensed operations.

Sources: www.federalregister.gov

FCC Privacy Act Matching Program for Lifeline and ACP in Indiana

The FCC announced a new computer matching program with the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration Division of Family Resources to verify participant eligibility for Lifeline and the Affordable Connectivity Program. The matching process will determine SNAP and Medicaid enrollment status using the National Verifier, aiming to reduce compliance costs for providers and improve subscriber service through more accurate verification. Written comments are due March 20, 2026; the program runs for 18 months. Eligibility data includes identifiers such as name, birthdate, and Social Security numbers, and records are matched against Indiana state-administered benefit files.

Sources: www.federalregister.gov

White House Hosts Roundtable on Combatting Illicit Drug Trafficking on Social Media Platforms

On February 18, 2026, Drug Czar Sara Carter convened a White House roundtable with social media company representatives including Meta, TikTok, X, YouTube, and Internet Works, as well as Trump Administration officials, focused on addressing illicit drug trafficking targeting children on online platforms. Participants shared operational best practices and committed to enhanced coordination between law enforcement agencies and platform operators to disrupt digital trafficking. The need for parental education and monitoring was raised as part of broader digital public safety strategies.

Sources: www.whitehouse.gov

U.S. Promotes AI Adoption at India AI Impact Summit

At the India AI Impact Summit 2026, the U.S. delegation led by Michael Kratsios of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy showcased American AI technologies as global standards, advancing sovereignty and international adoption. Initiatives announced include integrating partner nations' AI companies into U.S. AI stack via the National Champions Initiative, deploying the U.S. Tech Corps for technical support, and launching international financing for adoption. NIST introduced interoperability and security standards for agentic AI. The U.S. advocated strategic autonomy and rapid AI adoption, with proposed programs to overcome adoption barriers in healthcare, education, and infrastructure sectors.

Sources: www.whitehouse.gov

FCC Announces Correction to WRC-15 Frequency Allocation Rules

The FCC published a correction to its January 14, 2026 final rule implementing the Final Acts of the World Radiocommunication Conference (Geneva, 2015) and related allocation updates, amending frequency allocation tables for consistency across pages 1418, 1421, and 1425. The corrected language preserves integrity of the affected allocation chart sections, effective February 13, 2026.

Sources: www.federalregister.gov

FCC Reforms Privacy Act Regulations

The Commerce Department released a final rule amending Privacy Act regulations at 15 CFR Part 4, updating position titles, system names and record numbers, and removing redundant language related to judicial review and criminal penalties. The new rule modifies references for system of records, notably updating 'Investigative and Inspection Records, COMMERCE/DEPT-12' to 'OIG Investigative Records, COMMERCE/OIG-1', and adds the Deputy General Counsel for Administration to the list of authorized officials. These updates intend to reduce regulatory complexity and promote clarity.

Sources: www.federalregister.gov

What We're Reading This Week

• New cybersecurity rules for US defense industry create barrier for some small suppliers: Reuters reports new federal cybersecurity requirements are impacting small defense suppliers' ability to comply and remain competitive.
• E&E News: US grid reliability watchdog to recommend data center rules: E&E News says the US grid reliability authority plans to propose rules governing data center operations.
• Global Energy Alliance seeking to raise $100 million by 2028 to digitise India's electric grids, CEO says: Global Energy Alliance aims to raise $100 million by 2028 for India's electric grid digitization.
• Data Centers and Your Power Bill: The New York Times assesses how expanding data centers are affecting consumer energy bills.

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