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Google helps Android app makers understand its rules
It's frustrating when a favorite Android app disappears from Google Play, but it's even worse when that happens due to a misunderstanding of the rules. Do you really want to lose access over an honest mistake? Google is taking steps to prevent that from happening in the future. It just overhauled its Developer Program Policy Center to make app guidelines easy to understand, reducing the chances that an app will get the boot.
Obama's last budget calls for better infrastructure, cybersecurity
With President Barack Obama's final year in office comes one last, contentious dance with Congress over a $4.1 trillion dollar budget for 2017. According to the New York Times, some $3 trillion of the budget the president proposed has been earmarked for so-called "mandatory" spending, and will be funneled toward federal assistance programs and combating interest on the nation's debt. The president is pushing to use that remaining trillion-or-so dollars to build a foundation for future work he thinks the country desperately needs.
Facebook has banned person-to-person gun sales
Apparently you could buy and sell guns on Facebook before today. Note the past tense there. The New York Times says that this change is in response to President Obama's recent push for Zuckerberg and Co. to cull the person-to-person transactions from the social network and Instagram -- similar to how it treats sales of marijuana, prescription drugs and other illicit substances. Licensed gun dealers are still fine; the idea here is curbing the background-check-free sales that can occur on a person-to-person basis.
Uber will allow nonviolent criminals to drive in California
Uber doesn't have the best track record when it comes to screening its drivers, and now the transportation company is changing those policies. Chief Security Officer Joe Sullivan said in an interview the company is changing its screening process to give nonviolent criminals a chance to drive in California. Under the old rules, applicants were rejected if they had been convicted of certain crimes. Now, those who committed nonviolent or nonsexual offenses, like shoplifting or check fraud, will be given an opportunity to work in the state.
Google hires a White House aide to handle its policy battles
The trend of White House veterans leaving for tech giants (such as Press Secretary Jay Carney) isn't stopping anytime soon. Google just hired Caroline Atkinson, the White House's just-departed deputy national security adviser, to lead its public policy efforts. That puts her at the forefront of some particularly thorny legal battles. She'll have to defend the companies against antitrust allegations, for example, and she might also have to grapple with Europe's right to be forgotten, censorship pressures and other big issues.
AT&T to ditch most two-year phone contracts on January 8th
AT&T's long affair with the two-year contract continues to wind down, Engadget has learned. According to an internal document sent to employees this morning, new and existing customers will only be able to get new phones by paying the full price upfront or in installments over time. The move is set to take effect on January 8th, so you'd better act fast if you (for some reason) really want to lock yourself down for a few more years.
The NSA spied on Congress, too
Just because the United States said it stopped spying on friendly foreign heads of state like Germany's Angela Merkel, doesn't mean that Uncle Sam actually has. Eavesdropping has actually continued and the list of targets included Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, The Wall Street Journal reports. What's more, the National Security Agency was caught spying on members of Congress and American-Jewish groups as a direct result, according to WSJ's anonymous sources.
Budget bill heads to President Obama's desk with CISA intact
Earlier today, the US House of Representatives passed a 2,000-page omnibus budget bill that contains the entirety of the controversial Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act. Just moments ago, the Senate passed it too. Now the bill is on its way to President Barack Obama's desk, where he has the option to veto it... except he almost certainly won't. The gargantuan document lays out a $1.15 trillion spending plan that has received solid (if not unanimous) support from both sides of the aisle and should prevent a government shutdown like the one we saw in 2013. But at what cost?
Seattle votes to let Lyft and Uber drivers unionize
The Seattle City Council's voted unanimously (9 - 0) that drivers for Lyft and Uber can form unions. The decision is much more complex than the drivers simply being able to organize and collectively bargain for better wages or benefits, though. The ruling is actually illegal, but it's up to a federal court to rule against it for the law to be reversed. The Seattle Times editorial board writes that the decision breaking national anti-trust laws was something that city officials knew about when voting during tonight's lame duck session, while The New York Times acknowledges that the decision is something that's likely to be challenged in court.
Facebook changes 'Real Name' policy rules after public outcry
Facebook announced Friday that it is modifying the terms of its oft-criticised "real name" policy which demands users go by their "authentic name" when on the social network rather than a pseudonym. The trans and Native American communities have repeatedly protested the policy, citing its use by trolls as a weapon of harassment. Today's announcement comes in response to an open letter penned by advocacy groups including the EFF and ACLU.
California authorities need a warrant to probe your digital life
The state of California passed the "Leno bill" that would keep your private digital info, well, private from law enforcement in June. Now, governor Jerry Brown has signed it into law. The California Electronic Communications Privacy Act, co-authored by senator Mark Leno, will protect the Golden State's residents against warrantless surveillance of their digital data, according to the American Civil Liberties Union. Perhaps surprisingly, California's law enforcement officials were among the bill's biggest supporters. The ACLU says that "major" state law enforcement groups pulled opposition of it and that cops were apparently happy to support SB 178 because it's "in the best interest of all citizens of California."
Microsoft promises that Windows 10 doesn't violate your privacy
Microsoft famously accused Google of "Scroogling" users by selling their private data to advertisers. But when it launched Windows 10, Microsoft was itself roundly criticized for over-zealous personal data collection. Critics say it does things like send parents reports of their kids' PC use, prevent users from opting out of certain types of data collection, and scan PCs for counterfeit software. The software giant has responded to those accusations in a Windows blog post, saying that it only collects data that makes its products work better and that it gives users control over information collected.
Jeb Bush would try to kill net neutrality if elected president
We already know presidential hopeful Jeb Bush thinks that net neutrality rules are the "craziest ideas," but should he make it to the Oval Office he wants to take that disdain one step further. Once he's holed up at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue he'll make moves to eliminate the regulations keeping the internet equal for everyone, according to Bloomberg. Bush isn't straying too far from Republican party lines in that sense given that the GOP prides itself on the idea of smaller government, but considering that he wants to increase the amount of oversight and access the NSA has under the Patriot Act, his definition of "limited" seems pretty flexible.
Uber says no guns in cars, period
Drivers and passengers can no longer carry guns on Uber rides, even if they have a legal permit. Uber previously allowed partners to drive with guns, as long as they "abide(d) by local, state, and federal laws." The transportation company told the New Republic that "we have adopted a no-firearms policy to ensure that both drivers and riders feel safe and comfortable on the platform." It added that it made the changes on June 10th, well before the deadly Charleston attacks, and only after "reviewing recent feedback from both riders and driver-partners."
Drone owner gets a Royal telling off for flying near Windsor Castle
If you're a drone enthusiast living in the UK, heed this advice: Don't fly anywhere near land owned by the British Monarchy. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are already banned from Royal Parks and now, a pilot has been told off for flying within 50 metres of Windsor Castle. The Queen was visiting the royal residence when a tourist flew his drone nearby, breaking rules set out by the Civil Aviation Authority. Police officers quickly stepped in and explained the legislation to the pilot -- the Metropolitan Police Service says "no further action" was necessary, but reports suggest he was also asked to delete his footage. As consumer drones become more prevalent, we suspect incidents like this will happen more often -- if you want to make sure you're never caught out, be sure to read our guide first.
Twitter's broader abuse powers let it filter hostile tweets
Twitter knows that it's not enough just to make it easier to report abusive tweets. You have to catch and discourage that abuse as often as possible, too. Appropriately, the social network is rolling out a broader abuse policy alongside tools that help it stop harassment quickly. The new rules now cover all promotions of violence against someone, not just "direct, specific" threats -- Twitter can crack down on more than the most serious attacks. That's particularly important for victims of systematic abuse, who frequently chastise Twitter for being soft on people who clearly wish harm but aren't explicit about it.
Most of the government's anonymous tiplines aren't secure
When it comes to whistleblowing, privacy is paramount -- just ask Edward Snowden. It's also why news from an American Civil Liberties Association report (PDF) about anonymous government tiplines not using HTTPS encryption is all the more alarming. In a letter to Tony Scott -- not the late filmmaker, the United States chief information officer -- the ACLU's Michael W. Macleod-Ball and Christopher Soghoian implore the government to fast-track efforts to swap the some 29 websites that are required by law to protect the anonymity of tipsters over to HTTPS. If that can't happen immediately (Scott has a two-year plan to encrypt all government websites) then the ACLU suggests allowing people to use the Tor browser for alerting the authorities about fraud or waste in the interim. Currently, the anonymity-minded browser is blocked by certain federal agency websites.
FTC launches a research office devoted to tech issues
You may have noticed that a lot of the Federal Trade Commission's regulation revolves around technology, whether it's device privacy or less-than-honest phone carriers. The agency certainly has. It recently created the Office of Technology Research and Investigation, a division that will study everything from connected cars to internet security. It's a much bigger effort than the FTC's previous Mobile Technology Unit, and should help shape policies on everything digital. There aren't any guarantees that it'll change the FTC's tune on big issues -- it already has an established track record on mobile, for instance. Still, don't be surprised if the Commission makes more informed decisions that protect you from scams and other shady business practices in emerging tech. [Image credit: AP Photo/Alex Brandon]
Reuters: FAA to ease approval process for commercial drones
The Federal Aviation Administration wants to make it easier to operate commercial drones, it'd seem. The idea is to make it so companies that are already are exempt from the drone ban don't have to get a new certificate of authority for additional use case scenarios for UAVs, according to Reuters' sources. This could happen as early as next week Tuesday's congressional hearing on drones and, if approved, it might not be long before the sky gets a little busier. So far the amount of exemptions is slim thanks to the slow approval process. Of the over 750 requests, only 48've been awarded and the companies that have them (including State Farm's auto insurance wing and Chevron) would have more leeway in terms of what their fleets can do should the changes come to pass. It isn't quite the ban getting completely reversed, to be sure, but it's another step to speed up the typically lethargic wheels of bureaucracy.
Jeb Bush believes net neutrality rules are the 'craziest ideas'
Presidential hopeful Jeb Bush isn't about to break with the party line on net neutrality. The former Florida Governor told those at an Iowa question-and-answer session this weekend that the FCC's decision to classify broadband as a utility was "one of the craziest ideas I've ever heard." It doesn't make sense to use a 1934-era law to govern the "most dynamic part of life" in the US, he claimed. He also contended that President Obama had unduly pressured the FCC, and that there was "no support" from the companies that once wanted the agency to take a tougher stance (which isn't true: Netflix, for example, is still a fan).
