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G20 leaders will discuss raising taxes for big tech firms next week
For years, European countries have been grappling with how to get big tech firms to pay more taxes. They've proposed interim taxes on revenues, suggested global minimum taxes and slapped companies with hefty fines. We may be getting closer to a solution. Next week, G20 finance ministers are expected to discuss a proposed tax overhaul that would target big multinational firms, including Google, Amazon, Apple and Facebook.
Chicago will use an algorithm to clear pot convictions
California is no longer the only state using an algorithm to reverse marijuana convictions. Illinois' Cook County will now use the Code for America technology, Clear My Record, to automatically dismiss tens of thousands of eligible cannabis convictions. State's Attorney Kimberly M. Foxx and Code for America announced the partnership this week.
Taylor Swift and 179 artists urge Congress to update copyright law
A group of 180 artists and musicians, including Taylor Swift, Paul McCartney, Carole King, Vince Staples and Kings of Leon, want Congress to take action on the 1998 Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). If you're not familiar, the copyright legislation essentially allows so-called safe harbors where you can upload content to be exempt from any infringement lawsuits based on the actions of its users. Those companies, apps and websites have to respond to takedown notices from the folks who actually own the copyright, but they can't be held liable for the offending video or music. This group of artists wants the government to reform the policy though, signing a petition in hopes of inspiring action.
House approves NSA reform
The Republican-controlled House of Representatives passed the USA Freedom Act on Wednesday in a sweeping 338-88 vote, moving forward legislation that would curtail the NSA's bulk collection of data. The bill now moves to the Senate, which must approve it or find a compromise by June 1 -- this is when the provision of the Patriot Act that allows the NSA to collect metadata expires. The Senate is expected to vote by May 22. The White House supports the USA Freedom Act, though Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) opposes it and wishes to extend Section 215 of the Patriot Act, allowing the NSA to continue collecting bulk data. Google, Apple, Facebook, Microsoft, Twitter and other major tech companies have been campaigning in support of the USA Freedom Act as part of the Reform Government Surveillance coalition since late 2014. Early in May, a federal court ruled that the NSA's collection of metadata was illegal. Read all about Section 215 here. [Image credit: AFP/Getty Images]
Creators Alliance is another music industry copyright lobby group
Back in the good old days, musicians used to rally against radio / television / casette tapes / blank CDs piracy sites that were threatening to end their livelihoods. Nowadays, they've turned their attention to paid streaming services that attempt to compensate artists for their labors. Launching at last night's Grammy Awards, the Creators Alliance is an artist-backed pressure group that seeks to remind companies like Spotify that artists like Alicia Keys, Adam Levine and Steven Tyler should be paid fairly for their works. If that's where it ended, however, then we'd probably be behind their campaign. But unfortunately, this activism masks something a little more sinister.
Tech companies ask the Senate to pass surveillance reform law
Google, Apple, Microsoft, Twitter and Facebook. Normally these companies are mortal enemies. But, when it comes to curbing government surveillance, they're all on the same page. They've joined forces to form the Reform Government Surveillance coalition. The group is calling the US Senate to pass the USA FREEDOM Act, which could go up for vote as early as this week. The bill would enact a number of important reforms regarding the government's collection and use of data. For one it would end the practice of bulk metadata collection from the internet. It would also demand greater transparency from both the government and the tech companies themselves.
Government set to declassify information requests, paves the way for more transparency
Insight into the NSA's surveillance activities is about to get a bit less murky for US citizens. Following President Obama's speech on NSA reform this past month, comes news that the government will now allow for "more detailed disclosures" regarding its data-gathering requests. The statement, jointly issued by the Attorney General and the Director of National Intelligence today, means a good portion of this data will now be declassified, giving communication providers (e.g., Verizon, Time Warner Cable, etc.) the ability to publish transparency reports. The obvious benefit to this being that these companies, which trade on customer loyalty, can ease their subscribers' privacy concerns and highlight exactly what number of requests were made by the US government and the resulting number of customer accounts affected by those requests. It appears this change of policy stems from the fact that "public interest ... now outweighs the national security concerns" and the government's belief that release of this data will "resolve an important area of concern" for communication providers.
NSA overhaul could see an end to PRISM-style surveillance
Edward Snowden might have missed out on becoming Person of the Year, but that's not to say he's not been a big influence on America's government this year. According to deep-throated persons familiar with the matter, the presidential task force is proposing a huge overhaul to the NSA in the wake of the PRISM scandal. Proposed changes include giving bulk collection duties to phone companies or an independent third party, imposing tighter standards before NSA staffers can access your personal data and appointing a civilian head, rather than recruiting from the military. The report is due in full on Sunday, but there's no word on when the White House will make the proposals public -- unless, you know, someone else feels compelled to "do a Snowden."
Sony gets a Kaz-style kick to its corporate guts, emphasizes its oneness
Kazuo Hirai doesn't officially grab the reins as Sony's CEO and President until April 1st, but in reality he's already at the stirrups. He's making a number of exec-level switches that he hopes will deliver "rapid and optimized decision-making processes as 'One Sony'." His strategy? An inner circle consisting of himself and fellow reformers -- such as CFO Masaru Kato -- who will engage with department heads and, you know, make 'em do stuff faster. Digital imaging, gaming and mobile will be considered pillars of the electronics business and receive more "concentrated" resources as a result. Meanwhile, Kaz will directly oversee the struggling TV business in an effort to turn it around, which means his days of enjoying life and staring out of windows are probably numbered. See the press release for more tectonic detail.
