Digital Government

Do federal agencies need to collect more data from social media platforms?

There is appetite in both parties to change the "Wild West" atmosphere of social media platforms, but lawmakers must also navigate privacy issues.

Ideas

Bots Are Destroying Political Discourse As We Know It

They’re mouthpieces for foreign actors, domestic political groups, even the candidates themselves. And soon you won’t be able to tell they’re bots.

Digital Government

How California’s Consumer Privacy Act Will Become the Digital Law of the Land

Under the law, the onus is on consumers to request that companies disclose or delete their personal data. But more states and the federal government could still jump into the privacy debate.

Ideas

Robot Career Guidance: AI May Soon Be Able to Analyse Your Tweets to Match You to a Job

Those social media posts may point to your career path.

Ideas

Our Predictions About the Internet Are Probably Wrong

It’s easy to forget how unforeseeable the “unforeseeable” really is

Artificial Intelligence

Report: 'Smishing,' Deepfakes to Continue to Rise in 2020

Drones may also be more widely weaponized to steal consumer data from public Wi-Fi networks, according to a new report on 2020 data breach trend predictions.

Ideas

Instead of Showing Leadership, Twitter Pays Lip Service to the Dangers of Deepfakes

The social media giant will adopt a warning-only approach toward deepfakes.

Cybersecurity

Facebook, Twitter Detail Efforts to Stop Fake Accounts from Targeting Veterans

Lawmakers pressed social media companies on whether they’re devoting enough of their resources to stopping romance scams and disinformation. 

Cybersecurity

House Committee to Hold Hearing on the Online Exploitation of Veterans

A veteran, a scientist and representatives from Facebook and Twitter are all set to testify.

Digital Government

Senate Lawmakers Want to Pop Social Media Filter Bubbles

A newly proposed bill would require large social media companies to give users the chance to opt out of algorithmically curated content.

Ideas

Twitter Is Banning Political Ads – But the Real Battle for Democracy Is with Facebook and Google

Twitter’s political ad ban will have little effect on elections around the globe.

Cybersecurity

Lawmaker pushes online verification to combat disinformation

Mandatory ID checks for social media platforms could help fight propaganda, but experts worry about privacy tradeoffs.

Policy

Privacy Bill Could Put Dishonest Tech Execs Behind Bars

The Mind Your Own Business Act would expand FTC authorities and introduce comprehensive new protections for consumers’ personal data.

Cybersecurity

DOJ Makes Another Plea for Encryption Backdoors

While officials have long framed end-to-end encryption as an impediment to fighting terrorism, the department is now focusing on its impacts on child sex abuse.

Cybersecurity

Attorney General, DHS Secretary Call on Facebook to Build Encryption Backdoors

“Security enhancements to the virtual world should not make us more vulnerable in the physical world,” they said in a letter to CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

Artificial Intelligence

Lawmakers Press Social Media Giants to Confront Deepfake Threats

Sens. Marco Rubio and Mark Warner want Facebook, YouTube, TikTok and others to create industry standards for handling synthetic content.