Following in the footsteps of their West Coast neighbors, Washington state legislators have introduced legislation to regulate consumer data privacy and the government’s use of facial recognition software. The data privacy bill would give consumers the right to access and delete data collected about them, while the facial recognition legislation would regulate government use of the software.
The US government is increasingly using open-source software as a way to roll out advanced, highly secure technology in an economical manner. So chances are if you get hit by US munitions chances are the software is open source – which should make you feel better. Learn more:
As Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Lindsey Graham has continued his latest quest to undermine encryption with a hearing whose sole purpose seemed to be tomisleadingly arguethat encryption represents a "risk to public safety." The Defense Department has weighed in to say that's ridiculous. As you may recall, the DOJ and the FBI have been working overtime to demonize encryption and pretend -- against nearly all evidence -- that widespread, strong encryption somehow undermines its ability to stop criminals. Learn more in an interesting TechDirt article:
There is a lot to like about U.S. Sen. Cantwell’s newConsumer Online Privacy Rights Act(COPRA). It is an important step towards thecomprehensiveconsumer data privacy legislation that we need to protect us from corporations that place their profits ahead of our privacy. What is your opinion on this bill? We support it! Learn more in an informative EFF article:
IBM has spoken out against Australia’s controversial ‘anti-encryption’ laws, claiming they undermine previous work to strengthen the country’s defenses. The vendor giant has urged the federal government to review the Telecommunications (Assistance and Access) Act 2018, which passed last year and effectively compels technology companies to build ‘backdoors’ into their encrypted data. What is your opinion on these anti-encryption laws? Learn more:
A new bill introduced by Sens. Chris Coons and Mike Lee would prevent “abuse” of facial recognition technology by federal authorities. Learn more in this Security Today article:
Are you concerned that the collection of phone location data is compromising your privacy? Have you heard that US intelligence agencies haven't been harvesting US residents’ geolocation data since last summer and won't be doing so in future investigations? What are your thoughts on this? Learn more:
Technology should not be separated from policy; however, in reality there is very little intersection between the two. "Policymakers need to recognize this danger, and to welcome a new generation of technologists to help solve the socio-technical policy problems of the 21st century. We need to create ways to speak tech to power -- and power needs to open the door and let technologists in." Read more about this issue and how it can be remedied in a great Schneier on Security article:
America’s national security depends on the government getting access to the artificial intelligence breakthroughs made by the technology industry.So says areportsubmitted to Congress on Monday by the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence.It also warns that AI-enhanced national security apparatus like autonomous weapons and surveillance systems will raise ethical questions. Learn more in an interesting Wired article:
The Mozilla Foundation and a group of rights groups and non-profits have penned an open letter to Facebook and Google urging them to halt political advertising until after the upcoming UK General Election due to concerns about disinformation, lack of transparency and the data that is being used to target these ads. What is your opinion on this? We'd love to have a discussion. Learn more:
As the specter of killer warrior robots looms large, the Pentagon has published a set of ethical guidelines for its use of artificial intelligence. It’s a document designed to guide the use of AI in both combat and non-combat military scenarios. Learn more about these guidelines for the use of AI:
The Russian government calls it the “sovereign internet” law and from 1 November it compels the country’s ISPs to forward all data arriving and departing from their networks through special gateway servers. What are your thoughts on this new form of government surveillance? Let's have a discussion. Learn more in a great Naked Security article:
The US government has successfully taken down a dark web site without any encryption backdoors, demonstrating that backdoors in communications systems which compromise cryptography for everyone are not necessary to combat crime. Learn more in a great Schneier on Security article:
CEOs who lie about misusing consumers’ data could face up to 20 years in jail under a new piece of US legislation proposed last week. What are your thoughts on this? Learn more about this bill and its potential implications:
A US senator has introduced a new privacy bill which he claims goes further than the EU’s GDPR, introducing prison sentences for culpable CEOs. What is your opinion on this bill? Learn more:
A series of newly unsealed rulings from the federal district and appellate courts state that the FBI's "Backdoor Searches" of Americans are a violation of privacy and constitutional rights. What are your thoughts on this? Let's have a discussion. Learn more in a great EFF article:
Heading into 2020, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency director says overhyped concern about election security is a problem, while election officials say they reap the benefits of improved communications. Learn more in a great CSO article:
Are you aware that Russia reportedly breached FBI communications starting in 2010? The Obama administration seized two US compounds in response. Learn more:
The leader of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency, which works within DHS, is concerned primarily with risk management, Chinese threats to supply chains and election security. What are your thoughts on this?
The IT security community overwhelmingly believes that government-mandated encryption backdoors will put countries at a greater risk of election hacking. Are you in agreement? Learn more:
