Podcasts about stop enabling sex traffickers act

Hi Podcast Listeners On this episode, the On The Dresser team sits down for a discussion on what we've seen since the implementation of a new federal law known as FOSTA/SESTA. This was a joining of two congressional bills, the "Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act" and the "(Allow States to) Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act". Reality TV star turned federal worker Donald Trump signed it into law in April 2018. FOSTA/SESTA removed provisions under section 230 of the Communications Decency Act which shielded websites from liability for content that users post on their platforms. Since its passage, some websites have self-censored content or shut down entirely if the content posted could be construed as "promoting prostitution" or "facilitating sex trafficking." This has not only affected advertising platforms for sex workers, but also information on sexual education, sexuality, legal adult content and information that sex workers have used to stay safe online and in real life. SESTA/FOSTA is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to attacks on free speech and personal freedoms. Many more bills are being introduced that target sex workers, but can be expanded to include more citizens under the guise of "fighting human trafficking." After you listen to our roundtable, we'd like to hear your thoughts. What do you see since the passage of SESTA/FOSTA? Send us your notes or voice memos - Onthedresser@gmail.com. We'll share some of your responses in the coming weeks. Want to get in touch with the On The Dresser team? Send us your questions, comments, suggestions or signal boosts to onthedresser@gmail.com (or securely @protonmail.com). You can also find us on Twitter @Onthedresser! Visit our website at www.onthedresserpodcast.com. While you're there, please consider donating to this venture in queer sex worker media. To those who have made a financial contribution to this project, we'd like to say "Thank you for your support. Your generosity has helped us pay other sex workers for content contributions and transcription services which will help us reach wider audiences. We believe strongly in the mission of this independent media project and we're grateful to know that you feel the same. Co-Hosts/Production team: Dr. Vanessa Carlisle (twitter.com/vcarlisle) Lauren Kiley (twitter.com/xoxolaurenkiley) Danny Cruz (twitter.com/adannyboy) Sex. Queers. Politics. What's On Your Dresser?

Drake is on the Shop HBO series 1:00 Pusha T Tells us who told him about Drake son 3:00 Maliah Michel Tells us that she knew about Drake Baby 6:15 What do you constitute as pillow talk?10:15 Pillow talk causing issues 15:00 What pillow means to J_of love 20:00 If you friend gives up some information about you in Pillow Talk, how do you feel about that? 21:00 What pillow means for different people 25:00 How do you know who to talk to? 27:00 Can Steven Siegel really fight? 33:00 Cash App culture where men are bankrolling women 36:00 What we think about it 39:30 FOSTA-SESTA FOSTA, the Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act, and the Senate bill, SESTA, the Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act 41:30 A possible an approach to prostitution 46:50 Sex Trafficking 48:30 Policing women's body 53:00 Political Correctness 55:00 Rondo Punches Chris Paul in the Face 1:00:00 Rhianna turned down a big show, why? 1:07:01 Amy Schummer an ally? 1:09:00 Are they profiting from our pain? 1:13:55 NY State lotto 1.6 Billion 1:18:30 The history of Marijuana 1:23:45 Canada Legalizes Marijuana 1:26:45 Johantheamerican Thanks, Donald Trump... WTF?!?! 1:33:55 We the People of the United States... 1:38:55 Email Voice@conceitednobodi.com 1:41:00

Drake is on the Shop HBO series 1:00 Pusha T Tells us who told him about Drake son 3:00 Maliah Michel Tells us that she knew about Drake Baby 6:15 What do you constitute as pillow talk?10:15 Pillow talk causing issues 15:00 What pillow means to J_of love 20:00 If you friend gives up some information about you in Pillow Talk, how do you feel about that? 21:00 What pillow means for different people 25:00 How do you know who to talk to? 27:00 Can Steven Siegel really fight? 33:00 Cash App culture where men are bankrolling women 36:00 What we think about it 39:30 FOSTA-SESTA FOSTA, the Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act, and the Senate bill, SESTA, the Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act 41:30 A possible an approach to prostitution 46:50 Sex Trafficking 48:30 Policing women's body 53:00 Political Correctness 55:00 Rondo Punches Chris Paul in the Face 1:00:00 Rhianna turned down a big show, why? 1:07:01 Amy Schummer an ally? 1:09:00 Are they profiting from our pain? 1:13:55 NY State lotto 1.6 Billion 1:18:30 The history of Marijuana 1:23:45 Canada Legalizes Marijuana 1:26:45 Johantheamerican Thanks, Donald Trump... WTF?!?! 1:33:55 We the People of the United States... 1:38:55 Email Voice@conceitednobodi.com 1:41:00

This week's topic hits a bit too close to home as we discuss Existential Crises and why we have them. As always the topic strays from our own search for meaning into people who can't keep up with technology and advances in our puppet therapy technique. Give us your puppet ideas at contact@originstories.fyi. Keep informed on FOSTA: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stop_Enabling_Sex_Traffickers_Act

March 21st, 2018 the Senate approved the Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act, or SESTA.  Sex trafficking is terrible. No one's for it. Everyone's against it. What's awful is what SESTA does, which is encourage big-tech companies to robo-police the internet, with extreme filters that won't know a survivor story from a sex ad.   Please take the time to write a review in iTunes. Thank you! Why does independent media matter? Find out why. Our goal is to thrive, not just survive. By becoming a member, you sustain our independent, and grassroots-driven content!  

Topics include: Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act of 2017 (SESTA), Cambridge Analytica, and Marlon Bundo.

Online Privacy Issues -- An Overview As online privacy issues mount in the U.S., regulators are pulling back. Earlier this year, Congress repealed the privacy rules the FCC passed under former Chairman Tom Wheeler. The rules would have required ISPs to obtain subscribers' permission before using their data for commercial purposes. The ISPs argued that they should be entitled to the same free reign over consumer data that large tech companies enjoy. But, of course, the FCC doesn't have jurisdiction to directly regulate tech companies. Jules Polonetsky discusses online privacy issues and where U.S. privacy law and policy now stand in light of recent data breaches. He also explains what consumers can do to protect their data from hackers. Bio Jules Polonetsky (@JulesPolonetsky) serves as CEO of the Future of Privacy Forum (FPF). FPF is a leading Washington, D.C.-based non-profit organization focused on privacy. The chief privacy officers of more than 130 leading companies support FPF. Further, FPF is supported by several foundations. FPF has an advisory board comprised of the country's leading academics and advocates. FPF's current projects focus on Big Data, Mobile, Location, Apps, the Internet of Things, Wearables, De-Identification, Connected Cars and Student Privacy. Jules' previous roles have included serving as Chief Privacy Officer at AOL and before that at DoubleClick, as Consumer Affairs Commissioner for New York City, as an elected New York State Legislator and as a congressional staffer, and as an attorney.Previously, Jules served as an elected member of the New York State Assembly from 1994 to 1997. From November 1992 through 1993, Jules was a legislative aide to Congressman Charles Schumer. Prior to that, he was also a District Representative for Congressman Steve Solarz.. Jules practiced law in the New York office of Stroock & Stroock & Lavan from 1989 to 1990. Jules has served on the boards of a number of privacy and consumer protection organizations. These include TRUSTe, the International Association of Privacy Professionals, and the Network Advertising Initiative. From 2011-2012, Jules served on the Department of Homeland Security Data Privacy and Integrity Advisory Committee. He is also a member of The George Washington University Law School Privacy and Security Advisory Council. Jules is a regular speaker at privacy and technology events. He has has testified or presented before Congressional committees and the Federal Trade Commission. Jules is a graduate of New York University School of Law and Yeshiva University. He is admitted to the Bars of New York and Washington, D.C. Jules is also a Certified Information Privacy Professional. Resources Future of Privacy Forum Commission on Evidence-Based Policymaking Machine Learning for Absolute Beginners by Oliver Theobald News Roundup Puerto Rico all but destroyed following Hurricane Maria Hurricane Maria left Puerto Rico absolutely devastated last week. Puerto Ricans living in the mainland U.S. remain unable to reach friends and family members. Maria made landfall on Wednesday as a Category 4 storm with 155 MPH winds, the likes of which the island hasn't seen in generations. The storm knocked off Puerto Rico's entire electrical grid leaving millions without power. Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai released a statement saying 95% of Puerto Rico's cell sites are out of service. The island is running out of supplies. Many were thunderstruck over the weekend by President Trump's silence about Puerto Rico. Instead, Trump spent the weekend news cycle railing against NBA and NFL players taking a knee against the national anthem. Tom McKay has the story in Gizmodo. Mother of slain sex trafficking victim testifies before Senate Commerce Committee Yvonne Ambrose, the mother of the 16-year-old girl who was raped and murdered by a 32-year-old Backpage.com user, testified on the Hill. Ambrose appeared before the Senate Commerce Committee in support of the Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act (SESA). The bi-partisan bill, introduced by Senator Rob Portman, would hold internet companies more accountable for content on their sites. Currently, the Communications Decency Act shields websites from liability for content posted by third parties. That's what enabled Backpage.com to post ads placed by criminals selling opportunities to sexually abuse children. So the Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act would hold web companies more accountable. It would do so by making them liable for knowingly hosting sex trafficking content. Sabrina Eaton reports on cleveland.com. SEC reports hackers breached EDGAR last year So the Securities and Exchange Commission--the nation's top Wall Street regulator--was hacked. Last year. The SEC decided last week that it would finally get around to telling us.  In an eight-page statement, SEC Chairman Jay Clayton announced that hackers breached the agency's filing system--EDGAR. That breach may have enabled improper trading to take place. The statement doesn't explain either  the reason for the delay in notifying the public or the date on which the breach occurred. Renae Merle reports in the Washington Post. Google signs $1.1 billion "cooperation agreement" with HTC Google invested $1.1 billion in struggling device manufacturer HTC last week and is expected to announce the release of two new devices on October 4th. David Pierce, Jordan McMahon, Issie Lapowsky, Jack Stewart, Eric Niiler, Andy Greenberg, and Michelle Dean report in Wired. Facebook to change ad targeting In response to revelations that it was allowing advertisers to target racists, Facebook announced changes to its ad targeting system. For example, according to the New York Times, advertisers had the ability to target self-described "Jew Haters"  Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg said the company would be adding more human review and oversight. Sapna Maheshwari reports in the New York Times. Facebook turning over thousands of Russia-linked ads to Congress In other Facebook news, Facebook announced last week that it would also be turning over some 3,000 advertisements placed by Russia-linked groups during the 2016 presidential campaign. Ali Breland reports in the Hill. U.S. and EU kick off first Privacy Shield review season EU Justice Commissioner Vera Jourova travelled to Washington last week to meet with U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross. The EU is set to release its first report on the efficacy of the U.S.-EU Privacy Shield on October 4th. The Privacy Shield allows data transfers between the U.S. and EU, which have entirely different standards when it comes to protecting consumer privacy. Privacy Shield replaced a previous framework that the EU overturned last year because it didn't provide enough oversight over U.S. mass surveillance practices.  Under the Privacy Shield, the U.S. is supposed to appoint an Ombudsman to review the U.S.'s mass surveillance tactics. However, the U.S. has yet to appoint anyone to the ombudsman role. Jimmy Koo reports for Bloomberg. Equifax breach happened months earlier than initially disclosed Ali Breland and Olivia Beavers report in the Hill that the Equifax breach happened in March rather than July. The breach exposed the personal data of an estimated 143 million Americans.  

Producer/Host: Jim Campbell Though health care and the federal budget and so forth are getting the lion’s share of headlines these days, there are several bills working their way through Congress that could have major effects on the Web that many people use every day. One is the “Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act”, a proposed law with a laudable goal – and some potentially very bad unintended consequences for the Internet we all use. Here’s why. The post Notes from the Electronic Cottage 9/21/17 first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

(Bloomberg) -- William McGeveran, a professor at the University of Minnesota Law School, and Scott Vernick, a partner at Fox Rothschild, discuss why the tech industry is opposing the Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act, which would allow state prosecutors and victims to sue social networks that don't do enough to combat users who post exploitative content. They speak with June Grasso and Michael Best on Bloomberg Radio's "Bloomberg Law."

(Bloomberg) -- William McGeveran, a professor at the University of Minnesota Law School, and Scott Vernick, a partner at Fox Rothschild, discuss why the tech industry is opposing the Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act, which would allow state prosecutors and victims to sue social networks that don't do enough to combat users who post exploitative content. They speak with June Grasso and Michael Best on Bloomberg Radio's "Bloomberg Law." Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

Bio Licy Do Canto is founder and president of the Do Canto Group, a bipartisan government relations firm specializing in public health and health care legislative and regulatory policy, with a particular focus on underserved communities. An expert in health care policy with nearly 20 years of beltway experience, Licy has a track record of building bipartisan consensus, guiding federal legislation into law, and directing national issue campaigns and coalitions. Describing him as a “highly regarded healthcare lobbyist” among his peers, and Congressional officials and other decision-makers across the federal government, the prominent Capitol Hill newspaper The Hill named Licy one of Washington DC's top lobbyists for seven consecutive years, earning the recognition in 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011 and 2010. Prior to founding the Do Canto Group, Licy was a principal at the Raben Group, where he lead the firm's Health Practice Group, providing clients with a range of services, including policy development and analysis, coalition building, direct lobbying and strategic counsel and communications. Licy also served as chief executive officer of the AIDS Alliance for Children Youth and Families, a leading national, non-profit advocacy organization focused on improving access to HIV/AIDS prevention, care and treatment for underserved communities across the United States. Mr. Do Canto is largely credited with significantly strengthening the Alliance's operational and policy structure and considerably expanding and fortifying its relations with public and private sector partners. Prior to the Alliance, Licy served as the director of federal affairs for the National Association of Community Health Centers, the largest association of nonprofit clinics and health centers in the United States, representing over 1,000 clinics and 6,000 clinic sites that serve over 17 million people. Licy helped oversee the historic doubling of funding for the Federal Health Center program while also successfully managing the Association's legislative priorities on health center reauthorization and the Medicare, Medicaid and state Children's Health Insurance Programs. While at NACHC, Licy also founded and chaired the Association's Partnership for Medicaid, a nationwide coalition of eighteen safety net providers and other key organizations, including nursing homes, community health centers, public hospitals and unions, focused on improving the Medicaid program. In addition, he co-founded and served as chair of the Association's twenty-two member Partnership for Primary Care Workforce, a nationwide coalition of national professional, provider and educational organizations dedicated to strengthening the health care workforce. Before NACHC, Licy served as senior manager for federal affairs in the American Cancer Society's Federal Government Relations Department, directing the Society's federal legislative and executive branch advocacy efforts on health disparity issues. He also has extensive Capitol Hill experience, having served as senior legislative assistant for domestic policy to U.S. Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA) and held a number of positions in the office of Senator Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA). Licy is well known to key Congressional committee and non-committee staff with jurisdiction over health issues, having authored and successfully guided into law the $25 million bipartisan Patient Navigator Outreach and Chronic Disease Prevention Act (aimed at helping low-income patients overcome health system barriers), the first piece of health legislation signed into law by President George W. Bush in 2005. He successfully advocated for, and authored an array of, other key bipartisan-supported health policy issues before Congress, including passage of the Native American Breast and Cervical Cancer Treatment Technical Amendment Act; passage of the "Rep. Deal" amendment preserving hundreds of millions in Medicaid funding for Community Health Centers; the creation of a $50 million medical home program in Medicaid; a $100 million Health Center Medicare payment system; a $85 million Health Center financing system in the State Children's Health Insurance Program; and the establishment of a $1.5 billion Federal Early Childhood Home Visitation program within the US Department of Health and Human Services. Licy also served as staff to Commissioner John Rugge on the 2005-06 US Department of Health and Human Services National Medicaid Advisory Commission, established to advise the HHS Secretary on ways to strengthen and modernize the Medicaid program. Licy is often quoted in the media, including Politico, The Hill, Roll Call, Financial Times, Reuters, Bloomberg, Inside Health Policy, among others, on a broad range of issues relating to health and health care policy. The DoCanto Group's current and former clients include First Focus, AARP, the Nurse Family Partnership, the California Endowment, the New York State Health Foundation, the Direct Care Alliance and The MENTOR Network, as well as the Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery and the Climate Reality Project. A native of Boston and fluent in Spanish and Cape Verdean Portuguese, Licy is a 1995 graduate of Duke University, with a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science, International Affairs and Spanish Studies. He also holds a W.K. Kellogg Foundation Certificate in Public Health Leadership from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill School of Public Health and Kenan-Flagler Business School. Resources The DoCanto Group America's Health-Inequality Problem by Olga Khazan (The Atlantic, 6/5/2017) The Head Game: High Efficiency Analytic Decision-Making and the Art of Solving Complex Problems Quickly by Philip Mudd News Roundup Facebook reports $100,000 in fake Russian political ads Facebook released new evidence last week that helps to illustrate Russia's role in impacting the 2016 U.S. presidential election. The social media company reported that a company called the Internet Research Agency spent more than $100,000 on 3,000 Facebook ads that ran between June 2015 and May 2017. While the ads did not endorse a particular political candidate, they did focus on divisive political issues such as race, LGBT rights, and gun control. They promoted views consistent with Donald Trump's platform. The New York Times' Scott Shane and Vindu Goel report on these and other suspicious ads appearing on Facebook that may have some connection to the Kremlin. Google, on the other hand, released a statement saying it has found no evidence of such advertising on its platform. Industry backlash against Trump's DACA decision A broad swath of major corporations and industry groups sharply rebuked President Trump for his decision to end  the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. The Obama-era program gave 2-year work permits to individuals who entered the United States illegally as children. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Google, Apple, Microsoft, Telemundo, Univision and many others expressed disapproval. Trump says he'll re-review the program if Congress doesn't pass definitive legislation with 6 months. Megan Wilson and Ali Breland report in The Hill. Google appeals EU's $2.7 billion antitrust fine Google has filed its appeal of the European Union's $2.7 billion fine against it for allegedly prioritizing its own search results over its competitors. A spokeswoman for the European Court of Justice told TechCrunch that it could take anywhere between 18 months and two years for the case to reach a final judgment. Natasha Lomas reports in TechCrunch. Tesla hooked its customers up with more battery juice to escape Irma For an extra fee, Tesla lets its vehicle owners unlock unused battery space. But the car company temporarily removed the restriction for its car owners in Florida as they evacuated in anticipation of Hurricane Irma.  Brian Fung reports in the Washington Post. FCC Extends s706 comment deadline Every year the FCC is required to report on whether broadband speeds are fast enough and whether the ISPs are moving fast enough to deploy them. A big part of that debate has to do with whether wireless service is an adequate substitute for wireline broadband service. While democratic administrations have held that wireless is not a substitute, the current Republican-led FCC has indicated that it may go the other way. Before it releases the report, though, the FCC is required to allow the public to comment. The FCC extended that initial comment deadline to September 21st. So if you use the internet to run an online business or something else that requires the fastest speed possible, but you live in a remote area--you may want to weigh in. Wireless, at least from my own personal experience running this podcast, is not a replacement for wired broadband by any stretch of the imagination. Oracle supports sex-trafficking bill Oracle has decided to go against the grain in supporting a sex trafficking bill most other tech companies oppose.  The bill, which is entitled the Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act, was introduced by Republican Senator Bob Portman.  The bill has broad bipartisan support, with Senators McCain and McCaskill, among many others, on board. Precipitated by Backpage.com's advertisements of prostitutes and opportunities to sexually abuse underage victims, the bill seeks to hold websites more accountable for ads posted by third parties. Harper Neidig has the story in The Hill. FBI probes Uber over tactics against Lyft "Hell". That's the name of a now-defunct Uber program the New York Office of the FBI and U.S. Attorney are investigating. The program was the subject of a class-action lawsuit a Lyft driver brought earlier this year in a federal court in California. But the court threw out that case because the driver couldn't show any harm. But essentially the program allegedly created fake user accounts so Uber could see where Lyft drivers were going. This investigation adds to numerous legal matters Uber's new CEO Dara Khosrowshahi inherited when he took the helm last week. Rebecca Davis-O'Brien and Greg Bensinger report in the Wall Street Journal.

Matt Granite has a way to save big on custom canvas prints, Senator Rob Portman talks about the "Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act", and George Clinton tells us about his new tour, which is stopping here in town at the House of Blues on September 1st.

How will Artificial Intelligence (AI) Affect Warfare? In today's episode we discuss the role of artificial intelligence in the future of warfare. What are the risks? How is the United States likely to fare in confrontations involving the use of AI? In a recent paper, Center for a New American Security Fellow Greg Allen and his co-author, Taniel Chan, illustrate both the risks and opportunities for the use of AI in warfare. We discuss these findings plus lessons learned from previous revolutions in the use of military technology. Bio Greg Allen (@Grecory_C_Allen) is an Adjunct Fellow with the Technology and National Security Program at the Center for a New American Security. He focuses on the intersection of Artificial Intelligence, cybersecurity, robotics, and national security. Additionally, Mr. Allen's writing and analysis has appeared in WIRED, Vox, and The Hill. In 2017, The Harvard Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs published  his report entitled “Artificial Intelligence and National Security”. Allen and his co-author, Taniel Chan conducted this  study on behalf of the U.S. Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA). Mr. Allen currently works at Blue Origin, a space exploration and technology company. Prior to working at Blue Origin, he worked at Avascent, where he advised senior executives in government and the private sector. Mr. Allen holds a joint MPP/MBA degree from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and the Harvard Business School. Further, his Master's Thesis was honored with the Belfer Center Award for Excellence in International and Global Affairs. In addition, he graduated magna cum laude from Washington University in Saint Louis, where he was awarded the Arnold J. Lien prize for outstanding graduate in Political Science. Resources DOWNLOAD THE WHITE PAPER:   Center for a New American Security Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow by Yuval Noah Harari NEWS ROUNDUP After August 31, the feds don't have to tell you how they're storing your biometric data If you're concerned about how federal law enforcement officials are storing your biometric data, you'd better act fast. After August 31, they will no longer have to tell you. The FBI's Next Generation Identification system stores things like iris scans and fingerprints that you gave during things like employment background checks.  Currently, you can find out how the feds are storing your biometric information. However, the FBI becomes exempt from the Privacy Act provision that allows this on August 31. You can find the story in next.gov. Senate confirms Rosenworcel and Carr The Federal Communications Commission is now up to 5 Commissioners. So it finally has a full panel of Commissioners. The Senate confirmed Democrat Jessica Rosenworcel and Republican Brendan Carr last week. Rosenworcel previously served as a Commissioner during the Tom Wheeler FCC for three years from 2012 to 2015. Carr is the the FCC's current General Counsel. In addition, President Donald Trump had also nominated Chairman Ajit Pai. However, the Senate did not take up Pai's nomination before the recess. The three Republicans at the Commission will now be Pai, Carr and Michael O'Rielly. And the two Democrats are Rosenworcel and Mignon Clyburn. Edward Graham has the story in Morning Consult. Tech sector opposes legal immigration restrictions The tech sector is opposing the GOP immigration bill President Trump endorsed last week which would cut legal immigration in half over 10 years. The so-called RAISE Act prefers highly skilled workers and English speakers and moves extended family members of immigrants to the back of the line. The Information Technology Industry Council (ITIC)-- the trade group that lobbies on behalf of tech giants Google, Apple, Facebook, Microsoft and others--opposes the measure. ITIC president Dean Garfield said in a statement “This is not the right proposal to fix our immigration system because it does not address the challenges tech companies face, injects more bureaucratic dysfunction, and removes employers as the best judge of the employee merits they need to succeed and grow the U.S. economy.” Tony Romm has the story in Recode. Meanwhile, Canada is emerging as the "New" New Colossus, welcoming Emma Lazaraus's "huddled masses yearning to breathe free". Canadian business and government leaders are seizing on the opportunity to welcome tech talent to Canada. David George-Cosh and Jacqui McNish report in the Wall Street Journal. Apple and Amazon bow to China, Google complies with Russia The tech sector is coming under increased pressure to conform to multinational norms. Paul Mozur at The New York Times reports that Apple has removed Chinese censor-evading VPN apps from its Chinese app store. Amazon also warned its Chinese customers to stop using software that evades China's Great Firewall. Further, in Russia, Google has begun implementing terms it settled on in a dispute with its Russian competitor, Yandex. The agreement stipulates that Google would give Russians a choice of which browser to use on Android phones. In accordance with the agreement, Google began suggesting other browsers to Russian Android users last week. David Meyer reports in Fortune. Senate passes 6 bills before recess The Senate passed 6 bipartisan technology and communications bills before they departed for recess. They include bills  to expand spectrum availability (MOBILE NOW Act S. 19), improve service in rural areas ( S. 96) , and make it easier to call 911 from hotel rooms (Kari's Law Act of 2017, S. 123). Congress wrote the latter bill in response to Brad Dunn's fatal stabbing of his wife, Kari Hunt, in a hotel room in Marshall, Texas as Hunt's 9-year-old daughter tried to call 911.  Unbeknownst to the young girl, the hotel room phone required callers to dial 9 before 911, and she was unable to reach a dispatcher. Other bills include: Spoofing Prevention Act of 2017 (S. 134): Legislation to stop misleading or inaccurate caller ID information.  Federal Communications Commission Consolidated Reporting Act of 2017 (S . 174): Legislation to require the FCC to condense duplicative reports on competition in the telecommunications market into one comprehensive report released every two years.  Developing Innovation and Growing the Internet of Things Act (DIGIT Act)(S. 88): Legislation to bring together private sector and government entities to assess the needs of the Internet of Things (IoT) and study the readiness of government to support the IoT. Senators introduce the Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act of 2017 Several advocacy groups are opposing a new bipartisan bill entitled the Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act of 2017. The bill has the support of six Senators--3 Republican and 3 Democrat--including Senators Portman, McCain, Cornyn, Blumenthal, McCaskill, and Heitkamp. The new law would allow victims of sex trafficking to sue and press charges against any website that "knowingly or recklessly" enabled sex trafficking. Additionally, it would criminalize conduct by websites that “assists, supports, or facilitates a violation of federal sex trafficking laws”. Further, it would allow the states to prosecute sites under federal sex crimes laws. Advocates argue that this new legislation would eviscerate Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. Section 230 shields websites from liability stemming from content posted by their users. Without section 230, these advocates say, the internet as we know it simply would not exist. Further, the advocates argue that it would simply be too risky for sites like Facebook or Twitter to host user-generated content. Sarah Jeong covers this in The Verge. Facebook's new diversity report shows little progress Facebook released its fourth annual diversity report. Eighty-nine percent of its workforce self-identifies as white or Asian. However, the number of women working at Facebook has increased by 2 percentage points since last year to 35%. Nevertheless, women hold just 19% of tech positions at Facebook, although the company reports that 27% of its engineering hires are women. Looking at the senior ranks ... 70% are white, 72% are male and of the women who have cracked the glass ceiling into the c-suite, 68% are white. However, the percentage of Facebook employees who identify as black went from 2 to 3%. Hispanics when from 4 to 5%. Clare O'Connor reports in Forbes. Crowdfunding platforms block alt-right groups Blake Montgomery at Buzzfeed reports that leading fundraising platforms like PayPal, GoFundMe, and Patreon have banned or limited some members of the alt-right from using their sites. Researcher proves Amazon Echo can be a spying tool A British researcher has demonstrated how he has been able to successfully install malware on an Amazon Echo that allowed him to eavesdrop. But the hack requires physical access to the target Echo and only works on pre-2017 Echo devices. Andy Greenberg has details in Wired.