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Rep. Schiff wants Google and Twitter to use COVID-19 misinformation warnings
Congressman Adam Schiff asks Google, YouTube and Twitter to notify users if they've interacted with COVID-19 misinformation.
Carriers face big surge in cellphone surveillance requests, raise a few alarm bells
Color us unsurprised that US law enforcers would push hard for surveillance access. Congressman Ed Markey has published a new report on requests to cellular carriers that shows a recent rush of demand for information, including last year. The rates vary sharply, but T-Mobile has seen a yearly hike of 12 to 16 percent, while Verizon has seen its own grown 15 percent -- and Sprint took nearly twice as many surveillance requests as AT&T or Verizon in 2011, despite its smaller size. Markey's concern is that police and other investigators are casting too wide a net and sweeping up innocent customers through widescale requests, potentially violating their privacy in the process. Whether or not cell tower dumps and other broad fishing attempts are problems, carriers have been quick to point out that they have huge teams in place to deal with police requests and cling steadfastly to requiring a warrant when the law demands it. Needless to say, there are a few groups that strongly disagree with that last claim.
iPads used by House of Representatives officially
Hot on the heels iPad's recent appearance in the U.S. House of Representatives, thanks to congressman Henry Cuellar, Politico reports that the iPad may soon gain formal access to Congress. As it stands, no electronic devices are allowed on the House floor. A tech-savvy group of incoming group of lawmakers are keen to see the formal rules changed, allowing them to use electronic devices on the House floor, though, according to a House leadership aide, no official decision has been made on the iPad. House Parliamentarian John Sullivan said, "I would advise the speaker that if an iPad is not being used to play sound or...as a transmitting device, it is allowed." If the rules are formally changed, the new Congress could see a far-reaching effect in the way members debate, according to U.S. Naval Academy professor Steve Frantzich, a renowned technology and politics expert. "There will be the ability to have real-time information brought to the floor in a readable, usable format. A member could make a factual statement, and someone with an iPad could say, 'No, your data is two years old.' All of a sudden, you have a member being able to one-up someone speaking on the floor," said Frantzich. There is also a proposal for legislation to be transmitted electronically to members, instead of printing copies every time. The House currently has a multimillion-dollar printing budget.
