A massive COVID aid package contains billions for technology programs. A follow on bill may contain more than $100 billion for other programs. A Democratic bill to revamp election law and policy would bolster election cybersecurity. Democrats in Congress may pass their $1.9 trillion COVID-19 package as soon as today, fulfilling one of President … Continue reading American Rescue Plan and For The People Act
OK and WA could join CA and VA in enacting privacy bills, possibly adding to the motivation in Washington to enact a national privacy statute. In two state legislatures, one chamber sent a comprehensive privacy bill to the other, signaling the possibility the United States (U.S.) may soon have four state privacy laws companies will … Continue reading Two State Privacy Bills Advance
An AI commission calls on a massive restricting of the U.S. government, particularly funding, to best the PRC in the race to AI-supremacy. The Congressionally created National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence (NSCAI) has completed its work and has submitted its final report recommendations to Congress on how the United States (U.S.) should change U.S. … Continue reading AI Commission Hands In Final Report
I will switching to a new platform soon. In the near future, I will be using The Wavelength as my primary means of sharing my output on technology, politics, and policy. So, please sign up if you would like to receive my newsletter. As of now, I plan on publishing with the same frequency. Thanks … Continue reading News-The Wavelength
The EU builds on its Green Deal and Digital Strategy in mapping out how to remake its trade policies. The European Commission (EC) has released a detailed update of its trade policy, that includes a complex set of interlocking near-term and medium-term actions to place the European Union on better footing visa vis other nations … Continue reading New EU Trade Policy
The Biden Administration orders an assessment of key U.S. supply chains, including policy changes. The White House is also seeking funding to help ease the semi-conductor shortage. As rumored, President Joe Biden signed an executive order on United States (U.S.) supply chains. Executive Order (EO) 14017, “America’s Supply Chains” directs the new administration to undertake … Continue reading White House Issues Supply Chain EO and Asks Congress For $37 Billion To Help Production of Semi-Conductors
After its report on the anti-competitive activities of Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google, the subcommittee is looking to turn its recommendations into law. Picking up where it left off in the last Congress, a House subcommittee renewed its focus on antitrust and anti-competitive behavior in the technology field with an eye to turning its massive … Continue reading House Judiciary Starts To Look At Antitrust Legislation
Further Reading “The Long Hack: How China Exploited a U.S. Tech Supplier” By Jordan Robertson and Michael Riley — Bloomberg. This piece argues that the United States (U.S.) government knew of vulnerabilities in Super Micro Computer Inc.’s products used by the People’s Republic of China (PRC) but chose to keep them secret. This article follows … Continue reading Further Reading, Other Developments, and Coming Events (22, 23, 24, and 25 February 2021)
A key House committee begins its inquiry into misinformation, which implicates Section 230 legal protections. One House committee picked up its inquiry into lies, misinformation, disinformation, extremism, terrorism, and online media. The House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Communications and Technology Subcommittee held a hearing titled “Fanning the Flames: Disinformation and Extremism in the Media” with … Continue reading An Online Misinformation Hearing Splits Along Predictable Lines
Australia passes its code that requires Google and Facebook to strike deals with the nation’s news media to correct the imbalance in bargaining power. This happened only after Facebook pulled the plug on its News feature and provisions in the bill were loosened as part of a compromise. After imposing a news ban in Australia, Facebook … Continue reading Let’s Make A Deal: Facebook and Australia
Michael Kans 