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Google could soon face another antitrust investigation
Next week, more than half of the nation's attorneys general are expected to announce an antitrust investigation into Google, The Washington Post reports. Details on the investigation are limited, but it's yet another probe into fears that big tech has amassed too much power.
Senators demand answers from Amazon about unsafe products
A group of three US senators today sent a letter to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos asking for a "sweeping internal investigation" into the company's consumer safety policies. The letter was written in response to a recent Wall Street Journal investigation that found more than 4,000 items for sale on the retail website that federal agencies had declared unsafe. The products ranged from unregistered pesticides to banned toys that the FDA listed as choking hazards.
An independent report on Facebook’s alleged liberal bias tells us nothing
Conservatives have long lamented that Facebook has a liberal, or anti-conservative, bias. Since the 2016 election, the company has been grilled on the issue by the White House more than once. In an attempt to clear the air, Facebook enlisted an independent third-party to decide once and for all if it does indeed have an anti-conservative bias. Last year, it asked former Republican Senator Jon Kyl and his team at Covington & Burling LLP to conduct a review of the company's policies. The results are in, and for the most part, they tell us nothing.
After Math: Plead the fifth
With Dave Chappelle coming back to Netflix for the one, two, three, four, fif time later this month, we're taking a look at all of this week's headlines that will make you want to plead against self-incrimination.
FCC proposes '988' for quick access to national suicide prevention line
The FCC wants accessing a national suicide prevention line to be as simple as dialing 988. In a report sent to Congress today, staff members recommend that the FCC designate 988 as the 3-digit dialing code for a nationwide suicide prevention and mental health crisis hotline.
US Homeland Security Committee subpoenas 8chan owner
The House Committee on Homeland Security has subpoenaed 8chan owner Jim Watkins to testify before congress after the site was linked to a deadly mass shooting in El Paso. "At least three acts of deadly white supremacist extremist violence have been linked to 8chan in the last six months," wrote Chairman Bennie G. Thompson and Ranking Member Mike Rogers.
Twitter unfreezes Mitch McConnell's campaign account after review
Twitter unfroze Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell from his campaign account today after the lawmaker was suspended for posting a video of angry protestors that violated the site's guidelines. The social media giant today explained the reasoning behind locking the GOP politician's account in a series of tweets. The team at Twitter wrote that they agreed to review the case after multiple affected individuals, including members of McConnell's staff, reached out to them.
House committee asks 8chan owner to testify over extremist content
Politicians are still determined to investigate 8chan's role in fueling extremism even though the site is effectively out of commission. The House's Homeland Security Chairman Bennie Thompson and Ranking Member Mike Rogers have sent a letter to 8chan owner Jim Watkins asking him to testify about the site's efforts to "investigate and mitigate" the appearance of extremist content, including white supremacist material. The politicians were concerned that 8chan has been linked to three mass shootings in 2019 (Christchurch, Poway and El Paso), with the attackers reportedly posting letters or manifestos on the site shortly before committing the murders.
How to stream the Mueller testimony
Robert Mueller famously stated that "the report is my testimony" about potential obstruction of justice by President Donald Trump. However, Congress was having none of that and subpoenaed the former special counsel to testify before the House Judiciary and Intelligence committees. That testimony will take place over a single day -- today, July 24th -- starting at 8:30 AM ET. If you're hoping for some drama or political theater, here's how to stream or watch it on TV.
Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google to testify in Congress on competition
The House committee investigating antitrust in tech is about to call some big names to the microphone. Aides for antitrust panel chairman Rep. David Cicilline have confirmed that the committee is holding a hearing on July 16th where it will question executives from Amazon, Apple, Google and Facebook. The exact focus of the questioning isn't clear, but it's likely to follow the basic competitive concerns that launched the investigation.
Bipartisan House bill aims to curb illegal robocalls
The US Senate has shown bipartisan support for a bill to crack down on robocalls, and now it's the House's turn. Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone and Ranking Member Greg Walden have introduced a bipartisan Stopping Bad Robocalls Act that would similarly toughen requirements for carriers while more explicitly punishing spam callers. There are some key differences between the two, however.
House chairwoman wants Facebook to pause work on its cryptocurrency
You knew Facebook's Libra cryptocurrency would come under scrutiny as soon as it became official, and the US government isn't wasting any time. House Financial Services Committee Chairwoman Maxine Waters has issued a statement calling on Facebook to pause development of Libra until Congress and regulatory bodies have had a chance to review it. The social network has "repeatedly shown a disregard" for safeguarding user data, Waters said, suggesting that privacy issues could come back to haunt this product.
Juul faces House investigation over teen e-cigarette use
Juul is facing even more heat over concerns that it's contributing to teen vaping. The House Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy has opened an investigation into the "youth e-cigarette epidemic" that could determine if Juul had marketed its e-cigarettes to kids. Committee Chairman Raja Krishnamoorthi has asked the company to hand over any documents from 2013 onward that touch on related parts of its advertising and social media strategies, including the impact of ads on children and its awareness of under-18 social network followers.
House antitrust subcommittee will investigate internet competition
The US government is about to intensify its scrutiny of tech giants. The House Antitrust Subcommittee has launched a bipartisan investigation that will gauge the level of competition in online markets. It's concerned that a "handful of gatekeepers" have extensive control of the internet, and it wants to know if these companies are abusing their power or otherwise stifling others. Politicians will also determine whether or not existing antitrust laws, policies and enforcement are enough to correct behavior.
Congress could require a car alarm for kids left inside
In the past 20 years, more than 800 children have died of heatstroke in cars in the US. Now, a group of lawmakers wants to require alerts that would remind parents to check for children in the backseat before exiting the vehicle. Legislation announced today would mandate "a distinct auditory and visual alert," and it would require a feasibility study for retrofitting existing vehicles with the system.
Lawmakers call for regulation of facial recognition tech
A bipartisan group of lawmakers is calling for regulations to restrict the use of facial recognition technology before "it gets out of control," according to the Washington Post. Members of the Congressional House Oversight and Reform Committee held a hearing on the topic today, during which legislators from across the political spectrum expressed concern over the use of software that is used to identify individuals, raising questions as to the technology's accuracy and its impact on privacy and civil rights.
Senate bill would make tech companies test algorithms for bias
It's well established that algorithms can exhibit bias, however inadvertently, and a trio of US politicians believe they can do something about it. Senators Cory Booker, Yvette Clarke and Ron Wyden have introduced an Algorithmic Accountability Act that would require larger companies to test their algorithms and fix anything "inaccurate, unfair, biased or discriminatory." The move would also ask them to study how their systems protect personal data,and would let the FTC create regulations mandating impact studies for "highly sensitive" automated systems.
Former Senate IT worker pleads guilty to doxxing senators on Wikipedia
One former Senate worker is about to face harsh consequences for a doxxing campaign. Jackson Cosko has pleaded guilty to stealing multiple Senators' personal information from the Senate's network and publishing it on Wikipedia, including Mitch McConnell, Lindsey Graham, Orrin Hatch and Mike Lee. He admitted to being angry after he was fired from his systems administrator job at Sen. Maggie Hassan's office in May 2018, and conducted an "extensive computer fraud and data theft scheme" as revenge between July and October.
Facebook, Google and Twitter will join a hearing on tech censorship next week
Facebook, Google and Twitter will reportedly participate in a congressional hearing on tech censorship next week. The "Stifling Free Speech: Technological Censorship and the Public Discourse" hearing is scheduled for April 10th, before the Senate Judiciary's subcommittee on the Constitution. According to CNET, Facebook, Google and Twitter will all attend.
Democrats move closer to passing the 'Save the Internet' Act
Democrats have just made significant progress in restoring net neutrality rules in the US. The "Save the Internet Act" unveiled last month has now been approved by the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which means it can now be considered by the full House of Representatives.
