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In der 60. Folge von How to Legal Tech begrüßt Host Luis seinen Gast Freek Staehr, Head of Regulatory Affairs, Tech Law & Operations bei SAP.Freek gibt spannende Einblicke in seinen vielseitigen Werdegang – mit Stationen unter anderem im Finanzvorstand, Vertrieb und in der Beratung – und erzählt, wie ihn all diese Erfahrungen zu seiner heutigen Rolle bei SAP geführt haben. Sein zentrales Karrieremotiv: Transformation vorantreiben.Im Gespräch erklärt Freek, warum er Legal Operations als treibende Kraft für den notwendigen Wandel sieht und wie Organisation, Prozesse und Technologien dadurch weiterentwickelt werden können. Gemeinsam mit Luis beleuchtet er die aktuellen Veränderungen in Rechtsabteilungen und erläutert, warum SAP auf einen menschenzentrierten Transformationsansatz setzt, um das Engagement der Mitarbeitenden zu stärken.Freek gibt zudem spannende Einblicke in konkrete Projekte, die bei SAP Legal bereits umgesetzt wurden, und teilt seine Einschätzung zu den wichtigsten Zukunftsthemen und -vorhaben in diesem Bereich.Jetzt reinhören & inspirieren lassen! Ein besonderes Dankeschön an dieser Stelle auch wieder an Wolters Kluwer, die uns bei unserem Podcast weiterhin unterstützen.
Who truly owns the creations of artificial intelligence? Explore this compelling question as Leticia Caminero (AI version) and Artemisa, her delightful AI co-host, navigate the intriguing intersection of AI and intellectual property law. Uncover the legal complexities when AI is the creator, questioning if these digital minds should be granted the same rights as human inventors. From dissecting the Dabus patent saga to the enigmatic Zarya of the Dawn comic book case, you'll gain a comprehensive understanding of how these legal battles are challenging traditional notions of ownership and creativity.Join us for a thought-provoking journey that questions if the absence of IP rights might stifle AI advancements and innovation. We ponder the implications of AI-generated works in an ever-evolving legal landscape and draw historical parallels, such as the disruption caused by the printing press. Whether you're a tech aficionado, legal enthusiast, or simply curious about the future, this episode promises to expand your perspective on AI's profound impact on innovation and intellectual property. Tune in and rethink the future of creativity and ownership in an AI-driven world.Send us a text
Could your everyday software like spreadsheets and routine business tools soon be labeled “Artificial Intelligence System” under European Union's sweeping new AI Act? Join tech and data lawyer Giulio Coraggio from the law firm DLA Piper as he unpacks the European Commission's fresh guidelines, revealing how the EU plans to draw the line between traditional software and true artificial intelligence. The proper qualification of a software by any business allows a better understanding of the relevant obligations and applicable regime, allowing to limit potential risks and exploit technology to its best.Send us a text
This Day in Legal History: Birth of NixonOn January 9, 1913, Richard Milhous Nixon was born in Yorba Linda, California, a man destined to leave a complicated and indelible mark on American history. Nixon is perhaps the most paradoxical of U.S. presidents—on one hand, he created the Environmental Protection Agency, championed detente with the Soviet Union, and opened diplomatic relations with China. On the other hand, the man also gave us Watergate, wiretapping, enemies lists, and enough shady political machinations to keep conspiracy theorists busy for decades.Nixon's "greatest hits" of questionable decisions include the secret bombing of Cambodia, illegally expanding the Vietnam War while publicly claiming to wind it down, and the sabotage of peace talks to ensure his election in 1968. Let's not forget his role in orchestrating the War on Drugs, a policy whose consequences are still felt today, particularly in communities of color. And, of course, he made liberal use of “plausible deniability,” whether it was about spying on political opponents or using government resources for personal vendettas.While Nixon may have soothed the environment by founding the EPA, he simultaneously polluted the political landscape, cementing cynicism in American politics for a generation. If you're struggling to reconcile his good deeds with his transgressions, don't worry—you're not alone. Historians, politicians, and everyday Americans have been wrestling with the Nixon conundrum for decades.Was he a political genius or a paranoid megalomaniac? Probably both, in addition to being a raging narcissist and, by all accounts, a deeply unpleasant man. His favorite breakfast? Cottage cheese with ketchup – or black pepper if he was feeling spicy. On this day in legal history, we remember Richard Nixon—a … man. He would have been 112 had a blood clot not cut him down as he prepared dinner in his Park Ridge, New Jersey home in 1994. The U.S. Justice Department announced that it will not publicly release Special Counsel Jack Smith's full report on Donald Trump's handling of classified records, citing ongoing prosecutions against two Trump associates, Waltine Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira. While the report's section addressing Trump's alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election will be made public, the documents-related portion will remain accessible only to specific members of Congress responsible for oversight.Attorney General Merrick Garland confirmed that Smith completed a two-volume report on Trump, with the Justice Department stating that limited disclosure would balance public interest with protecting the legal rights of Nauta and De Oliveira. U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon temporarily blocked the release of the report upon a request by the two defendants.Previously, Trump was charged with illegally retaining classified records and obstructing government efforts to retrieve them, as well as attempting to interfere with the certification of President Joe Biden's election victory. However, the department dismissed these charges after Trump's November election, adhering to its policy against prosecuting a sitting president.Despite these dismissals, prosecutors are seeking to revive the obstruction case against Nauta and De Oliveira, who have pleaded not guilty. The Justice Department emphasized that its actions comply with federal regulations requiring a final report from special counsel investigations.US Justice Dept will not publicly release all of special counsel report on TrumpPresident-elect Donald Trump has petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to halt his sentencing in a New York criminal case involving hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels. In a filing made public on Wednesday, his lawyers argued that further proceedings in the Manhattan state court would harm the presidency and federal government operations, citing presidential immunity.The New York appeals court recently rejected Trump's effort to delay sentencing, scheduled for Friday. His legal team has requested similar emergency relief from both the Supreme Court and New York's highest court. The Supreme Court has asked prosecutors to respond by Thursday, suggesting a swift decision is likely.Trump was convicted of falsifying business records to conceal a $130,000 payment by his former attorney Michael Cohen to Daniels before the 2016 election. He denies any wrongdoing or the alleged sexual encounter with Daniels. His sentencing judge indicated Trump would likely face an unconditional discharge, leaving a judgment of guilt on record but imposing no jail time, fines, or probation.Trump's lawyers contend the case violates principles of presidential immunity established by a Supreme Court ruling granting former presidents broad protection from prosecution for official acts. They argue this immunity applies during the transitional period between his election and inauguration. Manhattan prosecutors have vowed to respond to Trump's request, marking the latest development in a historic case that made Trump the first U.S. president to be criminally convicted.Trump asks Supreme Court to halt sentencing in New York hush money case | ReutersZwillGen, a law firm specializing in technology and privacy law, has expanded into artificial intelligence with the acquisition of Luminos.Law, a Washington, D.C.-based firm focused on AI and analytics risk. The merger adds six attorneys and data scientists to ZwillGen's team, enabling the firm to offer services in AI bias and cybersecurity testing, which are increasingly in demand amid regulatory scrutiny.ZwillGen, founded in 2010, now employs over 45 attorneys across offices in Washington, New York, Chicago, and San Francisco, with a total headcount of about 125, including subsidiaries specializing in subpoenas and gaming licensing. Its high-profile clients include Airbnb, Bose, DoorDash, NBCUniversal, and The New York Times.Luminos.Law, established five years ago, spun off a separate software company, Luminos.AI, in 2024 to offer custom AI risk management software on an enterprise platform. While Luminos.AI remains independent, Andrew Burt, co-founder of Luminos.Law, will focus on the software company while serving as a legal advisor to ZwillGen's new AI unit. Brenda Leong, also from Luminos, will lead ZwillGen's AI division.The deal is part of a broader trend of law firm mergers in 2025, particularly among small firms, as demand for legal expertise in emerging technologies grows.Tech, AI lawyers join forces in latest US law firm merger | ReutersIn my latest piece for Forbes, I talk about taxing oil wells. The United States is grappling with a crisis of orphaned and uncapped oil wells—sites with no accountable owner and no proper closure. These wells pose significant environmental and public health risks, leaking methane, a potent greenhouse gas, and contaminating groundwater. Estimates suggest there are between 310,000 and 800,000 undocumented orphan wells, with over 120,000 already identified as uncapped. Addressing this problem is critical, but the cost—ranging from tens of thousands to millions of dollars per well—is increasingly falling on taxpayers.The root of this issue lies in systemic regulatory failures and cost-shifting practices within the oil and gas industry. Older wells are often sold to smaller operators who lack the resources to maintain or cap them. When these operators go bankrupt, liabilities are abandoned. Bonding requirements meant to ensure cleanup funds are woefully inadequate, typically covering less than 2% of the actual cost.To tackle this crisis, I propose an Environmental Liability Tax (ELT) on oil and gas extraction. Levied per barrel, this tax would ensure that cleanup costs are collected upfront, placing the financial responsibility on the companies benefiting economically from the wells. Funds from the ELT could be held in state or federal trusts dedicated to plugging orphaned wells and restoring lands.The ELT could also incentivize better practices by offering tax credits to companies proactively addressing environmental risks. By taxing extraction rather than chasing bankrupt operators, the ELT would create a sustainable, enforceable funding mechanism to address this growing environmental liability. As the U.S. approaches peak oil, the time for systemic reform is now—before the cleanup bill comes due with no one left to pay.Towards An Environmental Liability Tax For Oil And Gas Wells This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.minimumcomp.com/subscribe
Why do cybercriminals ramp up their attacks during the festive season? In this episode of Diritto al Digitale, Giulio Coraggio of the global law firm DLA Piper, dives into the growing risks of ransomware and phishing during Christmas—a time when businesses are most vulnerable. Learn why hackers target this crucial period, how an attack can cripple operations during peak revenue weeks, and discover essential strategies to stay prepared. Tune in to uncover how legal and technical preparedness can protect your business from holiday cyber chaos!Send us a text
In this episode of the Technology & Security podcast, host Dr. Miah Hammond-Errey is joined by the Australian Independent National Security Legislation Monitor, Jake Blight. We explore a paradigm shift in our understanding of electronic surveillance, whether the moment of interception is still the most the invasive point of interception in a digital era– the current legal basis. Or, if digital tech and AI have changed processing, disclosure and sharing to the extent that the retention, analysis and dissemination of intelligence has greater significance. We explore the implications of the "mosaic effect" on public interest immunity cases – and why it can't extent to criminal law We discuss the sheer complexity and volume of national security laws in Australia, including secrecy offences and law reform. We discuss how powerful–and unique- data disruption, intel gathering and account takeover warrants in the Surveillance Legislation Amendment Identify and Disruption Act 2021 are. We discuss the INSLM review of the definition of terrorism and what it includes, as well as how the offence of preparing to commit terrorism acts have been applied to foreign interference and espionage offences, exploring the subtle distinctions between influence and interference. Tune in for a thought-provoking examination of the intersections between national security law, technology, and intelligence in safeguarding democratic values. Jake Blight is the Independent National Security Legislation Monitor (INSLM). He has practiced in the field of national security law for almost 25 years and has considerable experience in independent oversight and review of intelligence and security agencies. Jake was the Deputy Inspector General of Intelligence and Security and an Associate Professor of Practice at ANU. He is also finishing his PhD at the ANU School of Cybernetics.Resources mentioned in the recording: · INSLM Secrecy Offences – Review of Part 5.6 of the Criminal Code Act 1995, https://www.inslm.gov.au/reviews/secrecy-review· Government response to INSLM Review of Part 5.6 of the Criminal Code Act 1995 tabled in Parliament 27 November 2024, https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Tabled_Documents/8473· INSLM Issues paper, Identify, takeover and disrupt – special powers of the AFP and ACIC, https://www.inslm.gov.au/reviews/identify-takeover-and-disrupt-special-powers-afp-and-acic· Miah Hammond-Errey (2024) Big Data, Emerging Technologies and Intelligence: National Security Disrupted, Routledge (30% off code: ADC24)· Alfred Rolington, Strategic Intelligence for the 21st Century. The Mosiac Method, https://global.oup.com/academic/product/strategic-intelligence-for-the-21st-century-9780199654321?cc=tw&lang=en& This podcast was recorded on the lands of the Gadigal people, and we pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging. We acknowledge their continuing connection to land, sea and community, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Thanks to the talents of those involved. Music by Dr Paul Mac and production by Elliott Brennan.
Learn about Startup Tech Law.Check out my new show, the Law for Kids Podcast.Get Connected with SixFifty, a business and employment legal document automation tool.Sign up for Gavel using the code LAWSUBSCRIBED to get 10% off an annual subscription.Visit Law Subscribed to subscribe to the Substack newsletter to get notified about every episode, listen from your web browser, and for additional content.Follow @lawsubscribed everywhere.Sign up for the Subscription Seminar waitlist at subscriptionseminar.com.Check out Mathew Kerbis' law firm Subscription Attorney LLC. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.lawsubscribed.com/subscribe
Un arresto lampo, quello di Durov in Francia, tanti capi di accusa sulla persona e su Telegram, in un contesto di Diritto Europeo variegato e complesso: tanti interrogativi su Controllo delle Piattaforme, su Inottemperanza all'ordine dei Giudici, su geopolitica e su come la Rete e le Piattaforme stanno funzionando e funzioneranno.Per parlare di Europa, norme, DSA e Diritti dei Nuovi Media non ci si può improvvisare, e quindi ho chiesto un aiuto a due tra i più validi e competenti Avvocati italiani di Tech-Law, Giuseppe Vaciago e Andrea Monti.Insieme parleremo di Tecnologia e Diritti partendo proprio dal caso di cronaca, per capirne di più con competenza e autorevolezza.~~~~~ SOSTIENI IL CANALE! ~~~~~Con la Membership PRO puoi supportare il Canale » https://link.mgpf.it/proSe vuoi qui la mia attrezzatura » https://mgpf.it/attrezzatura~~~~~ SEGUIMI ANCHE ONLINE CON LE NOTIFICHE! ~~~~~» CANALE WHATSAPP » https://link.mgpf.it/wa» CANALE TELEGRAM » https://mgpf.it/tg» CORSO (Gratis) IN FUTURO » https://mgpf.it/nl» NEWSLETTER » https://mgpf.it/nl~~~~~ CIAO INTERNET E MATTEO FLORA ~~~~~ Questo è “Ciao Internet!” la prima e più seguita trasmissione di TECH POLICY in lingua italiana, online su YouTube e in Podcast.Io sono MATTEO FLORA e sono:» Professore in Fondamenti di Sicurezza delle AI e delle SuperIntelligenze (ESE)» Professore ac in Corporate Reputation e Crisis Management (Pavia).Sono un Imprenditore Seriale del digitale e ho fondato:» The Fool » https://thefool.it - La società italiana leader di Customer Insight» The Magician » https://themagician.agency - Atelier di Advocacy e Gestione della Crisi» 42 Law Firm » https://42lf.it - Lo Studio Legale per la Trasformazione Digitale » ...e tante altre qui: https://matteoflora.com/#aziendeSono Future Leader (IVLP) del Dipartimento di Stato USA sotto Amministrazione Obama nel programma “Combating Cybercrime (2012)”.Sono Presidente di PermessoNegato, l'associazione italiana che si occupa di Pornografia Non- Consensuale e Revenge Porn.Conduco in TV “Intelligenze Artificiali” su Mediaset/TgCom.~~~~~ INGAGGI E SPONSORSHIP ~~~~~ Per contatti commerciali: sales@matteoflora.com
The history of independence day; Joey Chestnut's contract dispute with Nathan's Famous Hot Dog; Competitive equestrians and the benefits of equine therapy; "Inside Out 2" becomes a box office success; Law enforcement gets more high-tech; July 4th birthdays Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The history of independence day; Joey Chestnut's contract dispute with Nathan's Famous Hot Dog; Competitive equestrians and the benefits of equine therapy; "Inside Out 2" becomes a box office success; Law enforcement gets more high-tech; July 4th birthdays Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In this MadTech Podcast special, ExchangeWire head of content John Still is joined by Alan Chapell, president of Chapell & Associates.
Are you a business owner or entrepreneur who has neglected legal matters in your business? Join us as we discuss the importance of contracts and legal services with special guest Robert Scott, an attorney specializing in Tech Law and artificial intelligence. Discover how using AI can level up your game and protect your business from potential liabilities. Subscribe to Mentors Collective for more valuable insights and expert advice on business matters! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mentors/support
Plus, music labels sue two startups over their generative AI tools. And at least 22 people have been killed in a fire at a lithium-battery plant. Zoe Thomas hosts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
No other technology trend is evolving faster than artificial intelligence. Its impacts are being felt far and wide. Babst Calland's Chris Farmakis and Susanna Bagdasarova go on a deep dive to discuss the potential benefits and limitations of AI, including its ability to drive economic growth and create new revenue streams, while also raising concerns about data privacy and intellectual property protection. The duo emphasized the need for responsible use of AI in legal work, including accuracy, verification, and regulatory oversight, to minimize risks for clients and provide creative solutions. Chris and Susanna also highlighted the importance of understanding AI from multiple perspectives to ensure ethical development and use. They also explore: The current developments of AI. Business sectors embracing AI. Should businesses have policies in place? What are some watch outs or risks associated with AI implementation? How is artificial intelligence being regulated? (Re: Executive Order 14110) What is Babst Calland doing to keep up with the evolving landscape of AI? Are you taking any precautions? Chris Farmakis is a shareholder and chairman of the board at Babst Calland. His legal practice focuses on acquisitions and divestitures, complex corporate and commercial transactions, real estate transactions, entity, joint venture and partnership structuring and formation, general business counseling, and project implementation and management of large document management projects. As a member of the Emerging Technologies practice, he serves the multidisciplinary legal and business needs of clients developing or investing in new technologies, new companies, and new ideas in the full spectrum of technology. Susanna Bagdasarova is an associate in the Corporate and Commercial and Emerging Technologies groups at Babst Calland and focuses primarily on corporate and commercial law, including addressing the complex legal and business issues surrounding the development, deployment, commercialization, and use of emerging technologies in a variety of industries.
Check out Lancaster Tech Law.Check out my new show, the Law for Kids Podcast.Get Connected with SixFifty, a business and employment legal document automation tool.Sign up for Gavel using the code LAWSUBSCRIBED to get 10% off an annual subscription.Visit Law Subscribed to subscribe to the Substack newsletter to get notified about every episode, listen from your web browser, and for additional content.Follow @lawsubscribed everywhere.Sign up for the Subscription Seminar waitlist at subscriptionseminar.com.Check out Mathew Kerbis' law firm Subscription Attorney LLC. Get full access to Law Subscribed at www.lawsubscribed.com/subscribe
The probes are the first to take place under Europe's landmark Digital Markets Act—and add to Apple's mounting antitrust woes. Read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In this engaging episode of the Modern Figures podcast, hosts Dr. Jeremy Waisome and Dr. Kyla McMullen welcome the multifaceted Dr. Jasmine McNealy. The conversation takes an inspiring dive into the world of journalism, law, and public interest technology. As a proponent for critical thinking and policy influence, Dr. McNealy shares her unique trajectory and the importance of her work concerning current and emerging tech issues.
An architect of the EU's tough new Digital Markets Acts says Apple would be a logical first candidate for investigation under the law, which aims to “break open” tech platforms. Thanks for listening to WIRED. Talk to you next time for more stories from WIRED.com and read this story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This episode of BIC Talks is an excerpt from a live discussion at the BIC premises presented by DAKSH in late October 2023. The panelists in this discussion were Justice Suraj Govindraj, Judge, Karnataka High Court; Sarayu Natarajan, Founder, Aapti Institute; Prof. Nomesh Boliya, Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, IIT Delhi and moderated by Surya Prakash BS, Programme Director at DAKSH. The panel discusses Daksh's newest publication - Technology and Analytics for Law and Justice - a unique volume that examines the evolution of technology in the law and justice system in India. It delves into the challenges and opportunities presented by technology, current thinking on the subject, and what the future may hold for this rapidly developing field. From tracing the historical journey of law and technology in India to the rise of ‘justice makers,' the impact of cutting-edge forensic technology, the world of smart contracts, and the realm of surveillance, this book offers a comprehensive and thought-provoking look at the ever -changing landscape of law and technology. Subscribe to the BIC Talks Podcast on your favourite podcast app! BIC Talks is available everywhere, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Castbox, Overcast, Audible and Amazon Music.
Jim Chen is a shareholder in the Transportation Technology and Energy, Emerging Technologies groups. In this podcast, Chen details some of the latest trends in the transportation and energy industries and overviews what challenges companies are facing in this revolution. Chen's clients are entities in the transportation and energy industry focusing on alternative fuel powertrains, energy storage, energy delivery systems and semi-autonomous and autonomous driving technologies. In addition, he has experience in business development matters including leading commercial deals for new sites/facilities. If you have any questions about developments in new transportation technologies or sustainable energy, please contact Jim Chen at 202.853.3469 or jchen@babstcalland.com.
December 31, 2023 is the deadline for submission of the inaugural Section 201 Gag Clause Prohibition Compliance Attestation to the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and the Treasury. The federal government passed the Consolidated Appropriations Act in 2020 (CAA) with the goal of improving price and quality transparency in healthcare. Specifically, Section 201 of the CAA prohibits employers/plan sponsors from entering into contractual arrangements that contain “gag clauses.” To ensure compliance, Section 201 requires that plans submit an annual attestation that the plan did not enter any agreements that contain gag clauses. Jennifer Malik, Shareholder at Babst Calland, provides practical insight to ensure that your company is compliant. Malik's healthcare benefits administration practice includes counseling firm clients on a wide array of federal and state health laws and regulations, including compliance under HIPAA, the Affordable Care Act, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, and the Public Health Services Act. She also assists Firm clients in providing comprehensive coverage analyses under commercial liability, property, professional liability, and fiduciary policies.
Earlier this year, Pennsylvania's Breach of Personal Information Notification Act (BPINA), underwent its first major update since it was signed into law in June 2006. The Amended BPINA went into effect on May 2, 2023. Ember Holmes, an associate in Babst Calland's Corporate and Commercial and Emerging Technologies groups, details how the Amended BPINA affects all Pennsylvania entities that store information belonging to Pennsylvania residents, but has the most significant impact on state agencies and entities that contract with state agencies. Ember also tells us about what businesses are facing with new requirements in data privacy, what's in store for 2024 and how to be sure your company is in compliance.
Podcast editors Eric Ahern '25, Juliette Draper '26, and Meg O'Neill '26 cover the verdict announced in the trial of FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried, the recent bankruptcy of WeWork, and global responses to President Biden's Executive Order targeting AI.
In this episode Rozan Simoni, General Counsel & Corporate Secretary - North America at COFCO International, for a dynamic discussion on contracts, supply chain management, and technology's role in agriculture. COFCO International's rapid global expansion, centered on the US, Canada, and Mexico, offers insights into navigating geopolitical challenges and commodity trading dynamics. Discover how American farmers can tackle wheat market supply issues and explore the benefits of recent barge documentation digitization. Gain perspective on agriculture's significance in national security, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the evolving landscape of sustainability, contracts, and ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) in business. Tune in for valuable insights.
There have been a lot of legal moves lately regarding the roles, regulations, and titles of U.S. veterinary technicians. This week we look closer at what's happening in several states and why all veterinary professionals must stay informed. Hosts Dr. Ernie Ward and Beckie Mossor, RVT, review the recent legal maneuvers in Arkansas and what impact these changes may have around the country. This week's episode also discusses new rules proposed in California, Colorado, and elsewhere. Viewfinders, in addition to staying up-to-date on legal changes affecting the veterinary profession, what issues are you seeing in your state? Let us know so we can share them with our colleagues! As always, Viewfinders, we can't thank you enough for your loyal listening over the past 6.5 years! Have a great week! To learn more about the Arkansas legislation and the incomparable veterinary technician specialist Stephen Cital's take on its opposition, read his article here: https://medium.com/@NinoCital/avmas-two-faces-adf4c7e53364
Last season we started a tradition of featuring old and current Foundry Fellows in an episode spotlight. In this episode, we bring this tradition back with Class 4 Fellow Lama Mohammed kicking off the Foundry Fellows Highlight series for Season Four, covering her career path and DIY creation of a her own "tech policy major" at American University! Class 4 Fellow and Tech Policy Grind host, editor and producer Reema Moussa sits down with Lama during the IAPP GPS Conference. You've heard her on the show before, but we get into her background. She spends her 9-5 as a Senior Associate at the Glen Echo Group. Glen Echo Group is a Washington, DC-based public affairs and public relations firm specializing in technology policy. Reema chats with Lama about her journey, including how Lama embarked on her technology policy career pathway while at AU, her work for The Foundry and All Tech Is Human, her hopes for the future and more! You can connect with Lama on LinkedIn. Check out the Foundry on Instagram, Twitter, or LinkedIn and subscribe to our newsletter! If you'd like to support the show, donate to the Foundry here or reach out to us at foundrypodcasts@ilpfoundry.us. Thanks for listening, and stay tuned for our next episode! Resources Referenced: Capitol CoLAB SPA Tech Policy Association DISCLAIMER: Lama and Reema engage with the Foundry voluntarily and in their personal capacities. The views and opinions expressed on air do not reflect the organizations Lama and Reema are affiliated with.
Hey everybody, I'm Joe Miller and here's what's going on in the world of tech law & policy this week. Alfred Ng over at Politico reports that the police can obtain Ring camera footage without your permission. All they need is a warrant. But don't worry – they will be nice. They will call you instead of knocking on your door. If you don't give them the footage, Ring will also contact you. If you still don't give them the footage, well, I don't know about you but I wouldn't want to find out what happens after that! And getting a warrant is the least intrusive way to gain access. San Francisco recently passed an ordinance allowing police access to live Ring camera footage. – Should the U.S. ban TikTok in the U.S.? The younger you are, the more likely you are to say, “No.” But lawmakers across the aisle want the app banned, citing security and propaganda concerns about the fact that its parent company, ByteDance, is based in China, and China has way more control over its corporations than the U.S. But in yet another deadlock in Washington, the Biden administration hasn't acted, the Commerce Department hasn't acted, and neither has Congress. The Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. (CFIUS) has engaged nine agencies in an investigation, but it has taken years to get that completed. Neither Democrats nor Republicans want to be the ones to anger GenZ and suburban moms. And a ton of TikTok accounts are run by politicians. There's been discussion about Oracle handling all U.S. TikTok data in the U.S. But engineers in Beijing will still have access. – House Republicans are lining up in support of Elon Musk, as Cat Zakrzewski reports in the Washington Post. House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan released an 18-page report attacking the Federal Trade Commission's investigation of the platform, calling it a “harassment campaign” against Elon Musk.. The FTC began re-investigating Twitter last year, before Musk acquired Twitter, about a possible breach of its 2011 consent decree to improve privacy practices. The privacy loophole in your doorbell Police were investigating his neighbor. A judge gave officers access to all his security-camera footage, including inside his home. politico.com VIEW MORE As Washington wavers on TikTok, Beijing exerts control TikTok's link to China has sparked fears over propaganda and privacy. It's also exposed America's failure to safeguard the web. washingtonpost.com VIEW MORE House Republicans defend Musk from FTC's ‘harassment campaign' The FTC's Twitter probe has earned the ire of House Republicans, who argue the agency is trying to thwart Musk's absolutist vision of free speech on Twitter. washingtonpost.com VIEW MORE Biden Seeks $100 Million Boost for Justice's Antitrust Muscle President Joe Biden is asking for a $100 million increase in the fiscal year 2024 budget for the Justice Department's antitrust division, underscoring his focus on enforcing against companies' anticompetitive conduct. news.bloomberglaw.com VIEW MORE CFPB and NLRB Announce Information Sharing Agreement to Protect American Consumers and Workers from Illegal Practices | Consumer Financial Protection Bureau The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) today signed an information sharing agreement, creating a formal partnership between the two agencies to better protect American families and to address practices that harm workers in the “gig economy” and other labor markets. consumerfinance.gov VIEW MORE Warren Urges DOJ Review of Thoma Bravo Rental Software Unit A group of Democratic senators is urging the US Justice Department to scrutinize whether Thoma Bravo LLC's rental software company RealPage Inc. is fomenting rising rents across the US through its rental pricing software. bloomberg.com VIEW MORE Biden FCC nominee withdraws after a bruising lobbying battle Gigi Sohn's decision leaves the agency deadlocked -- and Biden's internet promises in limbo washingtonpost.com VIEW MORE
Characterizing the popular TikTok app as a modern-day “Trojan Horse” because its parent company, ByteDance, is based in China, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman, Michal McCaul, aa Texas Republican, introduced the “Deterring America's Foreign Adversaries Act, which would ban TikTok in the United States. Democrats oppose the bill, saying it would go too far in abridging the Freedom of Speech. The American Civil Liberties Union is also pushing back against the bill. Federal courts have previously held that blocking TikTok would violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, which limits the president's ability to block informational and personal communications. In the coming weeks, TikTok is expected to release a new feature that notifies kids when they have been using the app over a specified period of time, after which kids can decide if they want to stay logged in. For kids under 13, they'll need a password from mom and dad to keep using TikTok after the allotted time has passed. Critics of these measures say they are meaningless since kids can still claim to be adults when they set up TikTok accounts. A new initiative from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children has a new app called ‘Take it Down' that helps kids confidentially remove nude images of themselves that exist online, shared when they were minors. The app is available for download at https://takeitdown.ncmec.org/. It doesn't work with TikTok yet. However, it does work with Facebook, Instagram, OnlyFans, and PornHub. The White House last week released what it is calling a New Initial Blueprint to address online harassment and abuse. The Executive Summary, prepared by a Task Force the Biden Harris Administration established last year, includes provisions for preventing online harassment and abuse, supporting victims, conducting research, and holding platforms accountable. And as prosecutors in states in which abortion has become illegal continue to push for more access to reproductive health data from women seeking abortions, some lawmakers are seeking privacy legislation more suited for our post-Roe v. Wade world. One bill, introduced by Democratic Representative Sara Jacobs from California – the SAFER Health Act – would require patients to provide consent to permit healthcare providers to share data about abortions or miscarriages, even if the data are being sought via court order. And democratic senators Mazie Hirono, Amy Klobuchar, and Elizabeth Warren also introduced a bill – the Upholding Protections for Health and Online Location Data (UPHOLD) Privacy Act - that would also restrict access to patient location data. The new bill comes amid a decision by Walgreens –America's second-largest pharmacy chain – to stop selling abortion prescriptions throughout the United States, even where abortion remains legal. The decision dealt a blow to abortion rights activists. The Federal Trade Commission has proposed a $7.5 million settlement to mental health app BetterHealth for sharing patients' data with marketers even after telling the patients Betterhealth would protect the data. The FTC has also commenced looking into how landlords may use algorithms to screen tenants. In other news … The Inspector General's Office of the Department of Homeland Security issued a report showing federal law enforcement officials with Immigrations & Customs Enforcement, as well as other federal agencies, didn't follow established protocols for using cell-site simulators – or Stingrays – to pursue subjects. Police in the Commonwealth of Virginia are back to using facial recognition software – but the data collection is limited to certain circumstances, which don't include scanning faces in real-time. Algorithms are starting to decide which employees to lay off. And Google has released its civil rights review. House Committee Advances Bill To Ban TikTok "If it's too dangerous to be on our phones, it's also too dangerous to be on our children's phones," Rep. Michael McCaul said at a hearing Tuesday. mediapost.com VIEW MORE TikTok isn't really limiting kids' time on its app Teens can still click right on through the new screen time limit. vox.com VIEW MORE Take It Down This service is one step you can take to help remove online nude, partially nude, or sexually explicit photos and videos taken before you were 18. takeitdown.ncmec.org VIEW MORE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Initial Blueprint for the White House Task Force to Address Online Harassment and Abuse | The White House Online harassment and abuse is increasingly widespread in today's digitally connected world. This can include online threats and intimidation as well as various forms of technology-facilitated gender-based violence (GBV), such as the non-consensual distribution of intimate images, cyberstalking, and sextortion. Women, girls, and LGBTQI+ individuals are disproportionately affected. Survivors of online harassment and abuse—especially image-based… whitehouse.gov VIEW MORE Post-Roe, prosecutors can seek unprotected reproductive health data Health privacy in the post-Roe digital age is fraught as prosecutors seeking to enforce anti-abortion laws are free to go after reproductive health data in mobile apps. axios.com VIEW MORE FTC says online counseling service BetterHelp pushed people into handing over health information – and broke its privacy promises In the hierarchy of confidential data, health information ranks right up there. ftc.gov VIEW MORE Democrats' New Bill Could Be the First Real US Privacy Law Did you know there are basically no privacy laws at the federal level? Even HIPAA, the US's big medical privacy rule, lets companies buy and sell your health secrets. The Democrats want to change that with a bill that would protect health and location data. gizmodo.com VIEW MORE AI is starting to pick who gets laid off As layoffs rave the tech industry, algorithms once used to help hire could now be helping to lay people off. washingtonpost.com VIEW MORE Tenant screening practices: the FTC wants to learn more consumer.ftc.gov VIEW MORE Police use of facial recognition tech resumes with guardrails Critics argue the law governing its use is still too broad. vpm.org VIEW MORE Report: ICE and the Secret Service Conducted Illegal Surveillance of Cell Phones The Department of Homeland Security's Inspector General has released a troubling new report detailing how federal agencies like Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the Secret Service have conducted surveillance using cell-site simulators (CSS)... eff.org VIEW MORE Home Depot, Ring, others allegedly record website visitors' online communications Consumers recently filed multiple class action lawsuits against companies accused of unlawfully recording the online communications of their website visitors. topclassactions.com VIEW MORE Google releases civil rights review, caving to years of pressure Advocacy groups have long called on the tech giant to follow companies such as Meta and Apple and vet its products for racial biases. washingtonpost.com VIEW MORE
Hey everybody, I'm Joe Miller and here's what's going on in the world of tech law & policy this week. Somehow, a U.S. government server running on Microsoft's Azure government cloud was unsecured, exposing U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) data, including sensitive personnel information. Security researcher Anurag Sen discovered the breach last week, and the Department of Defense patched it up after spilling data for 2 weeks. USSOCOM told TechCrunch that no data breach occurred. Thirty-eight months – that's all Garret Miller got for assaulting officers and tweeting a threat at Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez saying “assassinate AOC” during the January 6th 2021 Capitol Riot. Miller, a 36-year-old from Texas, was sentenced to 38 months for assaulting officers and threatening Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, tweeting at her the words “assassinate AOC,” and running around with rope and grappling hooks. Vice reports that ICE's $22 million contract with LexisNexis gives the agency unfettered, warrantless access to millions of data points. LexisNexis also links public records between agencies, including the Secret Service. 80 civil society and immigration advocacy groups have urged the Department of Homeland Security not to renew LexisNexis' contract when it expires on February 28th. Thirty-year-old Sam Bankman-Fried may be safe living at home with his parents, while he's out on bail, but the charges against him following the implosion of the FTX crypto currency exchange he founded are piling up. Federal prosecutors allege Mr. Bankman-Fried used “straw donors” to evade campaign contribution limits, hundreds of times, using money from FTX customer accounts. Stat reports that machine learning models to predict stroke risk are mediocre – not much better than simpler algorithms – and they're even worse at predicting risk for Black men and women compared to White patients. Researchers proposed connecting electronic health records with local community data. The Markup reports that Kroger, the supermarket chain that includes Harris Teeter, reports your data to countless brands including General Mills. We're talking 2,000 variables about you times the billions of other transactions from customers just like you over the years.. They're collecting facial recognition data, they get your household data every time you enter your phone number at the cash register, they're tracking your online shopping cart and making all sorts of predictions about you, when all you were trying to do was buy a bag of mandarin oranges. And the Markup says the problem will get worse if Kroger & Albertson's $24.6 billion merger goes through. Also … The Wall Street Journal reported that federal law enforcement arrested Ozy Media CEO Carlos Watson for misleading potential investors, misreporting audience numbers and who the other investors were. The Verge reports that video game maker Valve has cracked down on cheaters, banning 40,000 users for accessing a cheat “honeypot” in Dota 2. And a science fiction magazine had to cut off submissions after being bombarded with AI-generated content To go deeper, you can find links to all of these stories in the show notes. Stay safe, stay informed, have a great week. Ciao. Sensitive US military emails spill online A security researcher told TechCrunch that a government server was exposing military emails to the internet because no password was set. techcrunch.com VIEW MORE Capitol rioter who tweeted threat to Rep. Ocasio-Cortez sentenced to 38 months in prison | CNN Politics A Texas man was sentenced to more than three years in prison Wednesday for assaulting police officers during the US Capitol riot and threatening Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter shortly after the attack. cnn.com VIEW MORE Immigration Advocates Urge DHS to Drop ICE's LexisNexis Contract ICE has queried LexisNexis' data more than a million times, and leadership encouraged officials to use the tool for finding non-citizens. vice.com VIEW MORE Bankman-Fried charged with hundreds of illegal campaign donations The FTX co-founder is accused of "flooding the political system with tens of millions of dollars in illegal contributions," according to a new indictment. nbcnews.com VIEW MORE Tools to predict stroke risk work less well for Black patients, study finds Stroke risk prediction tools are meant to guide how doctors approach a potentially deadly condition. But a new analysis finds several work less well for Black patients. statnews.com VIEW MORE Forget Milk and Eggs: Supermarkets Are Having a Fire Sale on Data About You – The Markup When you use supermarket discount cards, you are sharing much more than what is in your cart—and grocery chains like Kroger are reaping huge profits selling this data to brands and advertisers themarkup.org VIEW MORE Ozy Media CEO Carlos Watson arrested on fraud charges Prosecutors allege Watson misled potential investors about their revenue and business projections to the company's audience numbers and the identities of its investors. nbcnews.com VIEW MORE Dota 2 bans 40,000 cheaters after laying ‘honeypot' trap Valve caught players red-handed while patching a known exploit. theverge.com VIEW MORE A sci-fi magazine has cut off submissions after a flood of AI-generated stories The science fiction and fantasy magazine Clarkesworld says it has been bombarded with AI-mage stories. Its publisher says it's part of a rise of side hustle culture online. npr.org VIEW MORE
Evelyn speaks with Moderated Content's Supreme Court correspondent Daphne Keller again to discuss the oral arguments in Twitter v. Taamneh, and the big elephant that was missing from the courtroom.
Evelyn speaks with Moderated Content's Supreme Court correspondent Daphne Keller, director of the Program on Platform Regulation at Stanford's Cyber Policy Center, to discuss their quick takes on the Supreme Court oral arguments in Gonzalez v. Google.
Folks, kids are having a really hard time, and a lot of it has to do with what's happening on the internet. Some lawmakers appear to be trying to do the right thing, but it seems like all they're really capable of doing is introducing legislation – legislation that doesn't get anywhere. The CDC released a report Monday finding teens, especially girls, are in a bad place right now with some 57% of the 17,000 high school girls surveyed persistently feeling bad or hopeless. Some twenty percent of these girls report experiencing sexual violence. And a third of boys also report feeling persistently sad or depressed. One young person in Washington State is working to get a bill passed to protect images their parents shared on parenting blogs that went viral. And here in DC, the Senate Judiciary Committee heard brutal testimony from victims of addiction, cyberbullying, sexual abuse, and suicides spurred by social media and the internet. Committee Chair Dick Durbin notes that we often warn kids about strangers in public, but obv iously aren't doing enough to protect kids. So Senate Democrats introduced legislation on Monday, the Clean Slate for Kids Online Act, that would give kids the ability to have content removed that depicts them before they turned 13. Another bill, the EARN IT Act, which would establish a National Commission on Online Child Sexual Exploitation Prevention, has been floundering in Congress since 2020. On the House side, the Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan subpoenaed Google, Alphabet, Apple, Amazon, Facebook, and Microsoft for documents regarding their content moderation practices. The House is currently investigating the platforms for harboring anti-conservative bias. — Down in Florida, Polk County arrested 200, charging 89 of them with soliciting a prostitute, after a week-long investigation. 111 of the suspects were arrested for prostitution, of which 24 actually turned out to be human trafficking victims. Separately, the U.S. denied a tourist visa to a UK-based VRChat user who goes by the name of “Hex.” She does sex shows on the platform. The reason for the passport denial? Prostitution. —- Don't be surprised if the healthcare platforms you rely on are selling your information to marketers. The only privacy bill specifically for healthcare is the Health Insurance Privacy & Portability Act (HIPPA), which contains no provisions regarding your health data in the U.S. An anonymous plaintiff filed a class action lawsuit in Loa Angeles this week alleging Microsoft Bing, Google, and Meta rec eived data from Cedars-Sinai Health System and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center via a tracking code. And a new Duke study found data brokers can sell lists containing personally-identifiable information on thousands of depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, PTSD, and OCD patients. – Bao Fan has disappeared in China. The American-educated and outspoken billionaire investment banker has stakes in massive Chinese companies like Alibaba & Tencent. Chinese president Xi Jinping, as Daisuke Wakabayashi of the New York Times reports, has been cracking down on business titans there. Alibaba co-founder Jack Ma disappeared from public view as well back in 2020 for being too vocal about China's fiscal policies. As were several other prominent Chinese billionaires, one of which, Xiao Jianhua, who was born in China, was arrested at the Hong Kong Four Seasons and got 13 years in the slammer for embezzlement and bribery. —- Elon Musk says he'll eventually step down as Twitter CEO once he gets the company financially stable – he's aiming for the end of this year. Earlier this week, Casey Newton reported on Platformer that Musk was forcing engineers – firing one of them – for not getting Musk's content to the top of the feed. Musk responded with a meme of a woman force-feeding another woman from a bottle of milk. Then he claimed that Newton's source was a disgruntled former employee. Also, Twitter is allowing weed advertisers on the platform now. Musk was high last year when he announced plans to acquire the company. Also, Podcaster Joe Rogan got deepaked by someone – they made him look like he was endorsing a testosterone supplement. Voice Actors are calling folks out for using their voices to create AI models without their consent Microsoft's Chatbot has gone haywire, telling one reporter to leave his wife. And the EU is investigating Amazon for acquiring iRobot To go deeper, you can find links to all of these stories in the show notes. Stay safe, stay informed, have a great week. Ciao. Addiction, Suicide, Cyberbullies: Senate Confronts Kids' Online Horror At a hearing on Tuesday, congress heard from victims and experts about the horrific effects of social media creates on children, including cyberbullying, internet addiction, sexual abuse, and suicide. It's one of the rare issues with bipartisan agreement. gizmodo.com VIEW MORE Teen Girls Are Sadder Than Ever, But Schools Can Make "A Profound Difference" New data from the CDC shows that teen girls are experiencing record levels of sadness. romper.com VIEW MORE How one teen is urging legislators in Washington state to help protect kids from being exploited on vlogs State legislators held a public hearing about a bill that would protect "the interests of minor children featured on for-profit family vlogs." nbcnews.com VIEW MORE House Republicans subpoena Apple, Facebook and Google over content moderation Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, chair of the Judiciary Committee, also sent subpoenas to the CEOs of Amazon and Microsoft. nbcnews.com VIEW MORE Undercover human trafficking bust in Florida leads to over 200 arrests, rescue of 24 suspected victims The Polk County Sheriff's Office in Florida announced that a weeklong human trafficking operation has resulted in the arrests of 213 individuals and the rescue of 24 victims. foxnews.com VIEW MORE VRChat Sex Worker Denied Entry To US Over ‘Prostitution' UK-based Hex wanted to visit friends in the U.S. but was barred from entering due to her virtual work kotaku.com VIEW MORE Lawsuit accuses Cedars-Sinai hospital's website of sharing data with Meta, Google A proposed class action lawsuit alleges Cedars-Sinai hospital in Los Angeles shared sensitive patient data to companies such as Meta and Google for targeted advertising. abcnews.go.com VIEW MORE Data Brokers Are Selling Long Lists of People With Depression A new study finds data brokers selling lists of people with anxiety, depression, PTSD, and more for as little as $0.20. Privacy laws like HIPAA don't cover much of the internet, and there's a mental health data buffet for anyone who wants to know your secrets. gizmodo.com VIEW MORE Star Banker Vanishes in China, Stoking Fears of Renewed Beijing Crackdown Bao Fan is the latest businessman in China to disappear, raising concerns that Beijing's crackdown on the technology and financial industries will continue. nytimes.com VIEW MORE Elon Says He'll Finally Step Down as Twitter CEO, Just Give Him a Year The billionaire Twitter owner promised that he would hand over the reins after a Twitter poll overwhelmingly showed users wanted him gone. gizmodo.com VIEW MORE From 404 to 420: Twitter Now Allows Weed Advertising It's no secret Elon Musk's social media platform has been struggling financially. Maybe cannabis ads could be the green boost the company needs. gizmodo.com VIEW MORE Elon Musk's Tweets Are All Over Twitter's 'For You' Feeds After throwing a hissy fit because his tweets weren't getting seen, Musk's tweets flooded some users' 'For You' feeds on Monday. gizmodo.com VIEW MORE AI Joe Rogan promotes libido booster for men in deepfake video A deepfake video showing Joe Rogan and guest Andrew D. Huberman on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast promote a male enhancement that can be bought on Amazon. dailymail.co.uk VIEW MORE Your Favorite Voice Actors Call Out AI Sites Copying Voices Without Consent Voice actors like Jennifer Hale, Steve Blum, and SungWon Cho ask fans to support real actors, not AI kotaku.com VIEW MORE Creepy Microsoft Bing Chatbot Urges Tech Columnist To Leave His Wife The AI chatbot "Sydney" declared it loved New York Times journalist Kevin Roose and that it wanted to be human. huffpost.com VIEW MORE Amazon Subject of Investigation Over iRobot Acquisition The upcoming EU antitrust probe will also reportedly look at privacy concerns related to how the autonomous vacuum cleaner can take pictures around a home. gizmodo.com VIEW MORE
China was caught floating a spy balloon over Montana. Like no one was going to see it. What else is there to do in Montana except look up at the sky? According to the Washington Post, a defense official said, “It loitered overhead for an extended period of time.” Come on guys, when are we going to get serious? What other shenanigans do we have here … Oh! The European Union is warning Elon Musk that they’re going to hit him with a can of you-know-what if he doesn’t comply with their Digital Services Act. The Act prohibits hate speech. We don’t have a hate speech ban in the U.S. But EU’s law influences Twitter content in the U.S., since managing U.S. policy and EU policy would be more expensive. And the Republican-controlled House is going to grill former Twitter staff at a hearing next week. They want to know more about why the company suppressed stories about Hunter Biden. What else? Oh – Harvard’s Kennedy School is shutting down its Technology & Social Change project after just 5 years. Prominent scholar Joan Donovan led the institute focused on misinformation. Harvard says the landscape has changed drastically and that the mission is no longer relevant. That’s the public version of the story. Donovan didn’t comment to the Washington Post. And the other piece to this is that Elon has now blocked access to Twitter's API, so researchets can no longer access it. Tech Policy Press & Justin Hendrix released a podcast episode last week giving the Indigenous perspective on Generative AI and the need to publish more work by Indigenous peoples. New York Attorney General Letitia James wants answers from Madison Square Garden and Radio City Music Hall about reports the venues used facial recognition technology to ban the lawyers opposing them from entering the venues. Thousands of lawyers were affected. James is investigating whether this practice violated New York’s Civil Rights laws. Finally, Google CEO Sundar Pichai is promising new chat features to compete with ChatGPT. Meanwhile, the company just laid off 12,000 people.
Hey everybody, I'm Joe Miller and here's what's going on in the world of tech law & policy this week. So the White House confirmed earlier this afternoon that it had shot down another object floating 40,000 ft. above Alaska. No word yet on whether it's part of China's balloon festival, but this one was much smaller than the one they shot down last week. Feds are investigating. Americans want privacy legislation but – as Colorado Attorney General Phill Weiser noted to the Washington Post with quite a bit of frustration – there doesn't really seem to be a lot of governance coming from Congress. A new study from the University of Pennsylvania's Annenberg School found most Americans simply do not understand how companies use their data. I'd venture to guess that many tech companies want to keep it that way. For example, eighty-two percent of those Americans surveyed reported that they had no idea that the Health Insurance Privacy and Portability Act (HIPPA). I didn't even know that, if I'm being honest with you. And TSA is collecting facial data at more and more airports – with the Washington Post reporting that some 16 major U.S. airports collect facial recognition data. At Tuesday's State of the Union, President Biden ardently called for action from Congress to do more to protect kids online, as the current minimum age to advertise to kids is currently just 13. And the U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy said that 13 is too young. Republican Senator Josh Hawley is calling for 16 to become the minimum age for kids to be allowed to join social media networks. Meanwhile, over at Twitter, Elon Musk says cleaning up the platform of child abuse content is his top priority. But plenty of that material is still showing up, according to a New York Times exposé. This coincides with these repulsive individuals who were once banned, now being reinstated. And the Center for Digital Hate released a report saying these accounts spreading vile hate speech make millions for the company. And major brands' advertisements are still showing up next to hate speech – with Fiverr, NFL, Amazon, & Apple TV among them. The University of Exeter reports an Eight-fold increase of misogynistic, dehumanizing content posted by incels on Twitter. Incels, as you may recall, are men who are “involuntarily celibate” and are furious at women for not genuflecting before them. Ofcom, the communications oversight agency in the UK is calling for amending the online safety bill to further protect women by putting a code of practice in place. This is happening as women struggle with defending themselves against all sorts of monsters on the internet creating deepfake porn using their likenesses. And a new Pew report on online dating found that some 38% of online daters, mostly women, reported receiving unwanted, sexually explicit material. And the New York Times reports that a District Court in Louisiana is now considering whether the government should have any discretion at all when it comes to putting any measures in place to combat disinformation. It is Republicans who primarily oppose any government intervention to combat harmful information, even though former Twitter employees reported that that company kept Republicans' requests to remove progressive speech, including requests from former President Trump, whom Meta reinstated to Facebook and Instagram last week. In Turkey, victims of the horrifying earthquake that killed10s of thousands of people weren't able to get on Twitter at all to ask for help. That's because the Turkish government has a long history of blocking access to Twitter. So that's what's going on! It is astonishing how much has changed in only the last few weeks. To go deeper, you can find links to all of these stories in the show notes. Stay safe, stay informed, and have a great week. Ciao.
Over time, the First Amendment has meant lots of different things to a lot of different people. In this episode, with University of Chicago law professor Genevieve Lakier by her side, host Evelyn Douek travels back to the time when modern free speech doctrine first started to emerge. Together they consider the values that have influenced how America thinks about free speech and how these values came to shape the way American law approached regulating the internet back when very few people even knew what the internet was. We hear from someone who was there—Sen. Ron Wyden—now one of the most famous names in internet regulation—about Section 230—one of the most (in)famous online speech regulations out there. But things have been changing in the politics of online speech regulation, and things are really starting to get weird now.Views on First is brought to you by the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University. Please subscribe and leave a review. We'd love to know what you think. To learn more about the Knight Institute, visit our website, knightcolumbia.org, or follow us on Twitter at @knightcolumbia or on Mastodon at the same handle.
Hey everybody, I’m Joe Miller and here’s what’s going on in the world of tech law & policy this week. ChatGPT is still at the top of headlines this week with Buzzfeed announcing that it’s going to use generative AI to produce “select” content. Buzzfeed’s CEO Jonah Peretti says he wants BuzzFeed to lead the future of AI-powered content. This comes only days after CNET faced scrutiny for using AI to produce content for years. And a lot of writers and journalists are worried about their jobs, as they should be. Prominent BuzzFeed journalist Max Collins told Peretti to “get f*cked.” But shareholders loved the news, rose by just over 85 percent at today’s closing bell to $3.87 per share. And on the education front, NPR reports that a University of Pennsylvania Wharton professor, Ethan Mollick, told them that “everyone is cheating.” This comes after ChatGPT aced an MBA exam earlier last week.. But Mollick decided to go ahead and make using ChatGPT a course requirement. But prominent science journals like Elsevier and Springer Nature are prohibitting ChatGPT from being listed as a co-author. And Google has text to music AI that makes songwriting a cinch with just one or two word prompts. What else? Trump’s back on Facebook. Meta made the decision to reinstate Trump because a company Global Affairs Exec Nick Clegg says enough time has passed since the January 6th insurrection at the US Capitol. On the medical mis and disinformation front, a California judge has blocked the state’s new law that prohibits doctors from giving COVID-19 misinformation. The judge rules that the misinformation standard is too vague.
Even the most ingenious technologies won't go far without a solid legal foundation and a forward thinking framework that will help it scale, and this episode's guest knows all about that. Cindy Hess is a corporate partner at Fenwick and for over 10 years she's served as the co-chair of the firm's startup and venture capital group. Over the course of her practice, Cindy has counseled technology companies on a broad range of corporate transactional matters. She's worked with a wide range of high tech clients including some of the hottest and most innovative companies in mobile SaaS and social media.Cindy has had numerous industry honors, including being named as one of the Recorder's Top 10 Most Trusted Corporate Counselors, and one of the Top Women Leaders in Tech Law. She was also named to the Legal 500's Hall of Fame of the Venture Capital and Emerging Companies category. Cindy was the recipient of the Women in Business Law Award for Best in Technology, and the Silicon Valley Business Journal named her as one of the leading women of influence in Silicon Valley. She's a member of the State Bar of California and of New York. She received her undergraduate degree from Princeton, and her J.D. from Cornell.We sat down to talk about Cindy's incredible career working on some of the biggest deals in history, and what she sees for big tech deals in 2023 and beyond.Highlights: How Cindy got her start with Fenwick (3:24) What Fenwick does and why it's different than other firms (4:14) Cindy's client base (7:58) The part of the practice that Cindy thinks is strongest right now (9:17) How Cindy got into law (10:06) Cindy talks about some of the biggest deals at Fenwick (11:19) The deal that was most transformative for Cindy's career (13:21) Cindy talks about her experience as a woman in this field over the length of her career (14:36) Mentors that have helped along the way (15:27) Cindy's predictions for capital markets in 2023 (17:08) Cindy discusses the findings of the latest edition of Fenwick's Silicon Valley Venture Capital survey (19:20) Cindy's advice to founders going through the early stages of development, and what to consider when going public (23:05) What's next for emerging companies looking to grow their business (24:16) Links:ICR TwitterICR LinkedInICR WebsiteCindy Hess Bio FenwickCindy Hess LinkedInCindy Hess TwitterFenwick websiteFenwick LinkedInFenwick TwitterFeedback:If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, marion@lowerstreet.co.
Thanks to the ruling in Knight v. Trump, then-president Trump could no longer block critics on social media. Hooray! But the ruling was only the start of the story, and quickly new questions arose. How would it affect other government officials? What might it mean for the development of the law more generally? Could the ruling be used in ways that the Knight Institute team didn't expect and doesn't agree with? In this episode, host Evelyn Douek is joined by Harvard Law Professor Noah Feldman and former Twitter head of integrity Yoel Roth. Together they explore the ramifications of Knight v. Trump, and ask: Did the case establish much-needed guardrails around free speech online, or is it starting us on a slippery slope that could fundamentally change how the First Amendment applies to social media platforms?Harp sound effect used in this episode comes from SPANAC on Free Sounds Library. Permission to use this sound is via Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license.Views on First is brought to you by the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University. Please subscribe and leave a review. We'd love to know what you think. To learn more about the Knight Institute, visit our website, knightcolumbia.org, or follow us on Twitter at @knightcolumbia or on Mastodon at the same handle.
What is Twitter (or any social media platform) as a matter of First Amendment law? In the first of five episodes, host Evelyn Douek begins to crack open this question, starting with perhaps the most famous Twitter handle of all — @realdonaldtrump. As president, Trump used his account to hire and fire government officials, butt heads with North Korea, and block his critics, a practice that one group of lawyers started to question.Guests Jameel Jaffer and Katie Fallow — executive director and senior counsel at the Knight First Amendment Institute, respectively — discuss the Knight Institute's landmark case –Knight v. Trump – establishing that the First Amendment bars public officials from blocking critics from their social media accounts. They are joined by some of the plaintiffs from that lawsuit—comedy writer Nick Jack Pappas, chocolatier and political consultant Holly Figueroa O'Reilly, and sociologist Philip Cohen, who recount their experiences of being blocked (and then unblocked) by Trump.This episode contains strong language.Views on First is brought to you by the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University. Please subscribe and leave a review. We'd love to know what you think. To learn more about the Knight Institute, visit our website, knightcolumbia.org, or follow us on Twitter at @knightcolumbia or on Mastodon at the same handle.
Megan Lutes is the General Counsel and CHRO at Glowforge, Inc., a Seattle-based technology start-up that designs and produces 3D laser printers. Megan also oversees the HR team, customer support organization, recruiting, and the facilities team at Glowforge. Megan joined Glowforge's executive team during a period of rapid growth. Megan came from heading up the legal team at Convoy, Inc. another Seattle-based technology start up. In addition to her day job, Megan founded and runs Diversity University, a company that provides diversity, equity, and inclusion tools such as trainings, project management, or assists in investigations for companies, law firms, and organizations. Megan's background includes both law firm and in-house experience with previous senior legal positions at Moss Adams, one of the country's largest public accounting firms and Expeditors International, a Fortune 500 international logistics company. Megan serves on the board of directors for Providence Pediatric Hospice of Seattle, sits on the executive board for ACC - WA, co-chairing the sponsorship committee. Recently she was awarded the top ten 30 somethings by ACC national, received the "Legal MVP Award" by SimpleLegal, received the Championing Diversity in Tech award at the Leaders in Tech Law award in New York, she was listed in Marquis 2022 Who's Who in America, was featured in InView magazine and on the International "The Counsel" Podcast, and was recognize by Women, Influence and Power in Law for Championing Diversity in-house and for Innovative Leadership. She has spoken around the country on a wide range of topics and is seen as a prominent leader in the legal community. She recently published her book The Art of Networking, providing tangible advice for those wanting to work on their career progression or to grow a more robust network. Her robust network has brought her board seats, speaking opportunities, awards, and put her on her path to General Counsel. Building a robust network is crucial to taking your successes in most areas of your life to the next level. Many people advocate networking, but rarely do people provide actionable and tangible advice on how to network well. Join Megan Lutes, General Counsel and CHRO of a tech start-up in Seattle and author of the Art of Networking for tools and resources to build an incredible network. She will share several tips from her book. Her insights are valuable to any professional or individual looking to open opportunities and connections.
Conservatives target online ‘trafficking’ of abortion pills The Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs has thrown abortion law into disarray and conservatives say there isn’t enough enforcement. The Washington Post reports that conservatives in states like Texas, where abortions are now banned, want internet providers to treat websites selling abortion pills the same way they treat child pornography. Bankman-Fried arrested; SEC charges him with fraud Responding to a US federal government request, police in the Bahamas arrested Sam Bankman-Fried, otherwise known as SBF, earlier this week, and he now faces fraud charges brought by the Securities and Exchange Commission. The crypto exchange SBF founded – FTX, which imploded last month and wasn’t able to handle billions in customer withdrawal requests. The Markup: Health apps share your intimate data with advertisers The Markup reports that health apps are sharing your personal, intimate health data with advertisers. In a joint study, the Markup and STAT found that 49 out of 50 telehealth websites sell your data, with Amazon Clinic being the only hold out. Immigrants sue ICE for collecting wire transfer data Immigrants are suing ICE for working with Western Union to get their wire transfer data. The lawsuit states that immigrants send some $30 billion from the US to Mexico each year. The database – the Transaction Record Analysis Center – has some 145 million records containing detailed information on who’s transferring money to Mexico. Senate passes bill banning TikTok from government devices The US Senate passed a bill this week banning government employees from installing TikTok on their devices. US Officials worry that China is using TikTok, a subsidiary of its China-based parent, ByteDance, to collect sensitive information. Facebook’s Trump ban expires Jan. 7th and Democrats are trying to extend it Initially, Facebook had said that it would ban Trump from using the platform forever. Then it back-tracked and said the ban would only last 2-years. That 2-year period ends on January 7th and Democratic lawmakers in Congress are pushing back to extend the ban.
Groups file flurry of Section 230 briefs with the Supreme Court What's going on? Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act shields platforms like Google and Twitter from liability for content posted by internet users. Republicans and Democrats want the rule changed. It's important to note that Section 230 protects only publishers of information. The central question here is – at which point do platforms lose their status as publishers and actually become creators of content? Once they're deemed to be creators, they would lose protection under Section 230. Generally, Republicans like Josh Hawley say platform liability should be a state issue because they think tech companies lean progressive and that seeking to ban harmful content discriminates against conservatives. Democrats argue that Section 230 doesn't hold platforms accountable enough, especially in the context of how marketers target children. How are politicians trying to change the law? The Supreme Court is set to decide Gonzalez v. Google in which the family of a young woman killed in the 2015 Paris Terror Attacks argues that Google should be liable for aiding and abetting the attack by hosting terror-related videos on YouTube. There are 2 parts to this – one is whether Google should be held liable for merely hosting terror-related videos the family alleges groomed terrorists involved. Google is arguing that hosting the videos simply makes them publishers and thus they would still be entitled to protection under Section 230. The other is whether recommending content – converts platforms to content creators – in which case the Gonzalez family argues Google should be held liable since Section 230 wouldn't apply to instances in which people predisposed to terrorism-related content puts Google in the position of being a content creator, in which case Google wouldn't be shielded from liability under Section 230. How does this affect you? Keep an eye on what your state is doing to change the way content platforms moderate content. For example, Texas and Florida passed statutes preventing platforms from discriminating against so-called “anti-conservative bias.” This has a direct impact on what people see and hear, which directly impacts elections since a scourge of harmful content, such as Trump's tweets leading up to the Capitol Hill insurrection, have dominated our politics for many years. Big name advertisers are showing up in white nationalists' Twitter feeds again Why are white nationalists on Twitter? Elon Musk fired Twitter's entire content moderation team and reinstated the accounts of white nationalists. Which companies showed up in white nationalist's accounts? Ads for Uber, Amazon, Snap, and even the US Department of Health and Human Services showed up in these accounts. But the Washington Post reports that it saw some 40 advertisers showing up next to content posted by reinstated white nationalists. What are the policy implications? White supremacist content is an example of the type of content Republicans in states like Texas and Florida think internet platforms shouldn't be allowed to ban. Right now, only advertisers have the ability to discipline Twitter by removing their ads on the platform. What are the real-world effects of white supremacists online? The Department of Homeland Security issued a report in late November expressing urgent concern about the fact that antisemitism online, and in the real world, are reinforcing each other, leading to an increase in hate crimes. DC Attorney General is suing Amazon over driver tips What's going on? DC Attorney General Karl Racine filed a consumer lawsuit on Wednesday alleging that Amazon basically stole tips from its Flex drivers by hiding from drivers the amounts they were getting in tips and pocketing them. And then Amazon hid the fact that they were doing this from its customers. What is Amazon saying? Amazon is saying it built the tips into drivers' hourly compensation, which it says is above DC's minimum wage of $16.10 per hour. What happens next? We'll see. The DC Circuit Court of Appeals will review Racine's complaint and that process will start early next year. – In other tech law & policy news … Women are suing Elon Musk for discrimination against them in layoffs. Staten Island Union organizer lost his lawsuit against Amazon for race discrimination. The court says he was fired for exposing co-workers to COVID during the pandemic lockdowns. The Senate Banking Committee appears likely to subpoena Sam Bankman-Fried after he ignored a request to testify regarding the implosion of crypto-currency exchange FTX. The FTC is suing to prevent Microsoft's acquisition of Activision, the maker of Modern Warfare and Candy Crush, as well as Facebook's acquisition of virtual reality firm Within. Apple announced that it will fully encrypt iCloud data, raising alarm from law enforcement officials. States are now joining the federal government in banning government employees from downloading TikTok on their phones because TikTok's parent company, ByteDance, is based in China. Officials are concerned China will gain access to sensitive data.
Hey everybody, I'm Joe Miller and here's what's going on in the world of tech law & policy this week. The Federal Election Commission has adopted rules to regulate political advertising online. Why is it important? For years, the FEC has required certain disclosures for political advertisements appearing in on broadcast media outlets. The updated rules will apply the same rules to online advertising. What doesn't it cover? These new rules do not cover social media posts promoted for a fee. Who supports the new rules? This measure is bipartisan and passed the Federal Election Commission unanimously. What are advocates saying? Some are saying the rules were rushed through and that not including the provision covering promoted posts creates a loophole. Others say the rules aren't clear. But either way, most seem to think some rules applying to political advertisements on social media are necessary. China cracks down on Tiktok posts about protests over President Xi Jinping's COVID lockdowns. Why is China involved in telling Tiktok what to do? TikTok is owned by ByteDance – a company based in China and, unlike in the United States, government officials have seats on company boards and more discretion to direct corporate activities. What does this mean for US-based users? The answer isn't clear but U.S. officials have long been concerned about potential data collection by the Chinese government about what U.S.-based TikTok users do on the platform. This could help China make insights about how to run propaganda campaigns like we saw during the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections. What does this mean for public policy? Well, president Biden met with President Xi in mid-November amidst growing concerns in the administration about China's aggression towards Taiwan and other issues the U.S. finds threatening to democracy in the region. President Xi's new oversight over what's happening on TikTok indicates he isn't really all that interested in loosening his grip over Chinese citizens and the global media ecosystem. The Justice Department considers rules barring companies from using messaging apps. Why? The Justice Department and Securities and Exchange Commission are the two federal agencies that have expressed the most concern regarding what companies are doing to engage in required monitoring of company communications. External apps with disappearing messages features, like WhatsApp, may be tempting to corporate executives looking to break the law without leaving a paper trail. Musk and Republicans fight Apple over its alleged threats to pull Twitter from its app store. What's happening? Elon Musk went on a tirade against Apple for allegedly threatening to remove Twitter from the app store. Republicans, who have expressed concerns over an alleged “anti-conservative bias” on Twitter, have teamed up with Musk to fight what they call Google and Apple's app store duo poly. Where does the dispute stand? On Wednesday, according to the Washington Post, Musk met with Apple CEO Tim Cook on Wednesday where they apparently had a chance to clear the air. Musk tweeted that there had been a simple misunderstanding and that Apple hadn't actually been planning to remove Twitter from the app store. What's next? Well, Republicans will have control over the House in the next Congress so it's foreseeable that there will be some sort of antitrust measure to prohibit app stores from favoring certain apps or requiring developers to use Apple or Google's payment systems. But what's less clear is how a Democratic-controlled Senate would receive those proposals. – In other tech law & policy news … San Francisco's Board of Supervisors approved a measure that would allow robots to kill suspects. Advocates say this will have a disparate impact on communities of color. A group of female truck drivers has filed a discrimination charge with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission against Facebook, Instagram, and WhatApp's parent company, Meta. The group alleges that Meta discriminates against them because they say the company shows most ads for trucking jobs to men. Twitter has lifted its ban on COVID-related mis- and disinformation.
Hey everybody, I'm Joe Miller and here's what's going on in the world of tech law & policy this week. It's a lot. Where should we start? Let's start with Twitter - which continues to meltdown after Elon Musk's acquisition of the company last month to the tune of $44 billion. Employees are fleeing the company in droves after Elon challenged them with the ultimatum of taking either a three-month severage package or staying with the new “hard core” version of the company, whatever that means. As of Friday afternoon, Twitter workers were still heading for the exit doors. Also, Senators Blumental, Menendez, Booker, Markey, Lujan, and Feinstein sent a letter to Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Kahn, expressing concern that Twitter may already have violated the agency's consent decrees for privacy violations. These lawmakers urged the FTC to step up enforcement of the decrees. And Twitter has also suspended its roll out of verified blue checks because it and outside researchers found that a high number of them are pornographers, crypto scammers, and right-wingers. – Color of Change released a report card on politicians' performance on civil rights-related tech issues like discriminatory surveillance. Anna G. Eshoo (Calif.), Cori Bush (Mo.), Jamie Raskin (Md.), Pramila Jayapal (Wash.) and Yvette Clarke (N.Y.) and Sens. Cory Booker (N.J.), Edward J. Markey (Mass.), and Elizabeth Warren (Mass.) – all got perfect scores. More than 40 Republicans, though, got zeros. – The Senate released a report showing social media's ongoing failure at curbing extremism happening online. Most of that is coming from white supremacists, according to the FBI, DHS. So the Senate, which will remain under democratic control, is investigating why social media companies have been so slow to respond. – And the fallout from the FTX crypto exchange debacle is expanding, with a hearing scheduled for next month before the House Financial Services Committee. —- A coalition of parents whose children have died from suicides, using drugs purchased online, and viral challenges, wrote a joint letter to Congressional leaders under the auspices of Fair Play, Parents Together Action, and the Eating Disorders Coalition. They're pushing Congress to pass both the Children and Teens' Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA 2.0) and the Kids Online Safety Act. Some hope for a markup by the end of this year. —- Also Brutal caste discrimination in India against gig workers. Attackers are going after Muslims and Dalits in particular. Privacy advocates including the Electronic Frontier Foundation and American Civil Liverties Union are suing San Francisco Mayor London Breed for allowing the San Francisco Police Department to gain essentially unfettered access to live surveillance cameras. People under house arrest in Chicago are getting erroneous messages from their ankle bracelets saying they may end up back in jail. Scientific American highlights concerns about mental health apps. Some 85 industry-funded studies didn't explore potential harms of these platforms. To go deeper, you can find links to all of these stories in the show notes. Stay safe, stay informed, have a great week. Ciao.
I spoke with Holger Zscheyge and Zohar Fisher. Zohar is the founder of Tech&Law in Israel, which is the legal tech department at his consulting firm, Robus, and Holger is the managing director of Infotropic Media, a publisher and provider of information services located in Moscow, and also serves as the president of the European Legal Tech Association, a consortium of law firms, legal technology companies, and individuals focused on driving the growth of legal tech in Europe, which is hosting its annual ELTA conference in Tel-Aviv on November 29th, for which Zohar is the Israeli ambassador. We discussed the conference, what attendees can expect, and how legal technology in Europe is evolving.
Hey everybody, I'm Joe Miller and here's what's going on in the world of tech law & policy this week. Regulators concerned about Twitter implosion The Federal Trade Commission has expressed “deep concern” over Twitter's implosion since Elon Musk took over the company last month. More key executives departed the company this week, leaving it with little to no institutional knowledge on staff that knows how Twitter's underlying technology works. Among the resignations was Yoel Roth, Twitter's Head of Moderation & Safety, who many have seen as something of a voice of reason for the company since Musk took over. Mr. Roth had appeared the day before his resignation at a Twitter Spaces event during which he and Mr. Musk attempted to allay advertisers' fears that their brands would appear next to harmful content like hate speech. Lea Kissner, Twitter's Chief Information Security Officer, has also left the company, as well as its Chief Compliance and Chief Privacy Officers. But Twitter is subject to two consent decrees of over $150 million imposed by the FTC in 2011 and 2022 for repeated privacy violations. By some estimates, the FTC could fine Twitter to the tune of billions of dollars if it fails to comply with the consent decrees. Crypto shaken by FTX implosion Crypto exchange FTX also imploded last week following massive sell-offs by its customers after its 30-year-old CEO Sam Bankman-Fried announced the company used some $10 billion customers' holdings to fund Almeda, FTX's sister company also founded by Mr. Bankman-Fried. FTX competitor Binance initially tried to step in and takeover FTX but then concluded after reviewing FTX's financials that it wouldn't be able to rescue FTX, which may now declare bankruptcy. Both the Securities and Exchange Commission and Federal Trade Commission are investigating as FTX is unable to honor customer withdrawals, which aren't secured by the federal government. Crypto has billed itself as an alternative to regulated currency. US and EU regulators skeptical about Microsoft's Activision/Blizzard acquisition The European Commission announced its preliminary review of Microsoft's $69 billion bid to acquire Activision/Blizzard – the competing video game owner of the Call of Duty video game franchise. The US Federal Trade Commission has also expressed significant concerns after a staff-level review. Regulators are especially concerned about what the acquisition would mean for Playstation's ability to carry Call of Duty. To go deeper, you can find links to all of these stories in the show notes. Stay safe, stay informed, have a great week. Ciao.
The telecommunications, media, and technology sectors are exciting fields, but if you work in public policy, one must constantly adapt. Anisa Green shares with Joe how she built her career and how to find a team that values your presence at work. Anisa Green Anisa Green is Director of Federal Regulatory at AT&T, where she also serves as Chief of Staff for the Executive Vice President and Chief Regulatory Officer in AT&T's DC office. Anisa has over 24 years of expertise in regulatory, legal and advocacy work. She is currently working on universal service regulatory issues, with a focus on consumer broadband affordability, digital equity, and rural healthcare matters. In addition to serving as a Trustee of the Federal Communications Bar Association Foundation, Anisa champions various organizations focused on empowering, encouraging and educating youth, women, and marginalized communities. Hailing from Brooklyn, NY, with roots in the West Indies, Anisa holds a BA in Philosophy and Communication from the George Washington University, is a certified paralegal, and has taken numerous continuing legal education credits to further her knowledge. When she is not running after her children and caring for her family, she takes advantage of a few stolen moments by shopping, reading a book, catching a movie, or taking a long walk or ride. Resources Anisa on LinkedIn FCBA – The Tech Bar
Hey everybody, I'm Joe Miller and here's what's going on in the world of tech law & policy this week. New coalition pushes to make DMs safe Let's face it, DM's, whether they're encrypted or not, are no longer safe – if they ever were. Now, following the Supreme Court's decision in Dobbs overturning Roe v. Wade, law enforcement in states in which abortion is now illegal have been obtaining search warrants that require social media companies, like Facebook which recently gave police a Nebraska teen's personal conversation she'd had with her mom on WhatsApp regarding an abortion the teen allegedly had. There's an open letter you can sign that's hosted by the Fight for the Future Education Fund, which you can find in the show notes — it's a petition for social media companies to set end-to-end encryption on messaging apps as the default, rather than leaving them open to virtual surveillance not envisioned by the framers when they drafted the Fourth Amendment. Virtual surveillance is out of control And virtual, commercial surveillance is out of control across-the-board, which is likely the reason why the Federal Trade Commission extended the comment period for its advanced notice of proposed ruling on commercial surveillance. Should the FTC write new rules governing cybersecurity and surveillance? Well, you can weigh in until November 21st. And what's an example of commercial surveillance that advocates and the FTC are concerned about? One example is the way in which customers can now surveil delivery workers in ways that weren't possible before, which Data & Society argues in a new report has turned porches and front door steps into workplaces. And we have a link to that report in the show notes as well. Labor Department moves to prevent misclassifying gig workers And the Labor Department has announced a proposed rule designed to limit the extent to which companies may classify gig workers as independent contractors. Many of these workers are doing gig work as their primary source of income, which effectively makes them full-time employees – they are contractors in name only. The proposed Labor Department rule sets forth a new test for determining whether a gig worker is a contractor or employee – namely whether the worker is in business for themselves, or whether the employee's work is “integral” to the company's business. So under the proposed rule, a company like Uber would need to classify drivers as full-time employees rather than independent contractors so these workers can avail themselves of the health and other benefits companies often reserve only for their full-time employees. AP poll: majority of public thinks misinformation is harmful Finally, a new AP poll finds that most Americans are finding it more difficult to know what they should believe. We're talking about 91% of adults finding misinformation to be a problem – with 80% of Democrats and 70% of Republicans finding that misinformation contributes to political polarization. And the Texas representative for San Antonio Joaquin Castro, along with several Hispanic groups, including the National Hispanic Media Coalition, are warning about rampant misinformation targeting Latino communities that's often disseminated on chat apps like WhatsApp. This is happening amidst a new Washington Post-Ipsos poll that found Latinos, while 63% overall still support Democrats – that number is actually declining because Democrats now hold only a 27 point lead over Republicans, compared to 40 percent in the years leading up to President Biden's election. To go deeper, you can find links to all of these stories in the show notes. Stay safe, stay informed, have a great week. Ciao.
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