Representatives Launch Virtual Reality Caucus

A group of legislators has formed a new "reality" caucus focused on the new realities of AR, VR and MR.

Reps. Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.), Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.), Bill Flores (R-Texas), Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) and Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) have teamed up to launch the Congressional Caucus on Virtual, Augmented and Mixed Reality Technologies.

"As these technologies continue to advance and grow, this ‘Reality Caucus’ will work to foster information sharing between Congress and our nation’s world-leading technology industry," the legislators said in a joint statement. "These technologies have shown tremendous potential for innovation in the fields of entertainment, education and healthcare. As these technologies develop, questions will inevitably rise in privacy, intellectual property and other areas. This is an opportunity to educate our colleagues and others to ensure Congress is doing all it can to encourage – rather than hinder – these enterprising fields."

The creation of the caucus comes less than a week after NCTA: The Internet & Television Association, held a half-day conference for legislators and other policymakers shining a spotlight on those technologies and the broadband networks that make them possible.

An NCTA spokesperson confirmed that both Clarke and Lieu attended its Near Future conference spotlighting VR and AR, among other technologies.

John Eggerton

Contributing editor John Eggerton has been an editor and/or writer on media regulation, legislation and policy for over four decades, including covering the FCC, FTC, Congress, the major media trade associations, and the federal courts. In addition to Multichannel News and Broadcasting + Cable, his work has appeared in Radio World, TV Technology, TV Fax, This Week in Consumer Electronics, Variety and the Encyclopedia Britannica.