InfoHive – Data Security

18 states regulate the use of license plate readers. New Hampshire allows the data to be retained for 3 hours while Alabama allows the data to be retained for 5 years. That’s a lot of variety in data privacy.

Route Fifty | Lawmakers in one state are considering regulating police use of automated license plate readers

Michigan Legislature passed HB4906 (2024 | MI) that extends until 2050 the exemption from the state sales and use tax for data centers. Opponents say that the tax exemption will cost the state $90 million in revenue and that the data centers only achieved 2.6% of their jobs goals.

CapCon | Legislature extends tax breaks for data center that brought only 2.6% of promised jobs

A Dutch tulip farm is using excess heat from a bitcoin operation for their tulip greenhouse. Sustainable tulip farming in the modern era. @design1future

A $5 billion data center in rural NE Louisiana will be powered by a new 1,500-megawatt natural gas plant. Both will be built on state owned farmland. The data center is estimated to employ 300 to 500 people with an average salary of $82,000.

Route Fifty | Huge gas plant eyed to power mystery $5B Louisiana data center

Michigan lawmakers approved tax breaks for hyper scale data centers. HB4906 (2024 | MI) The bill applies to data centers located on either brownfields or on property that was once an industrial site used primarily as a power plant to generate electricity for sale.

A bill to create a strategic bitcoin reserve was introduced in the Pennsylvania Legislature this week. The bill would allocate up to 10% of its roughly $7 billion state funds into bitcoin. HB2664 (2025 | PA)

Pro-crypto Republican Sen. Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming says she’s hoping to push through her own bitcoin reserve bill on the national level during the first 100 days of Trump’s presidency.

According to the National Association of State Chief Information Officers 40% of their members say they don’t have the budgets to handle the security threats. Insurance premiums are often out of budget. The average cost of a ransomware attack on state and local governments so far this year is $2.83 million. For those keeping up that is more than doubled 2023’s costs. Sophos’ State of Ransomware in State and Local Government 2024 report.

Route Fifty | State and local security adjusting to shifting cyber threats, insurance requirements

Alaska Governor is working to lure data centers to the state. The Governor looks to rely on  building the trans-Alaska gas pipeline to feed the energy-intensive data centers. 

Lt. Governor Dan Patrick of Texas has stated that “Texans will ultimately pay the price.” for data centers electric usage.

In Oregon,  their property tax breaks for data centers date back to the 1980s. The tax breaks are being called an example of what not to do. The tax break will soon cost the state billions while residential electricity costs are up 50% in two years. 

Locals in Northern Virginia are suing to stop a data center. The law suit focuses on land use, historical designations, and the administrative process. 

Route Fifty | Data centers, which require massive amounts of energy and few jobs, have downsides for Alaska

The Computer & Communications Industry Association and NetChoice are asking a federal court to find Florida’s HB3 unconstitutional. The bill restricts social media for children. The lawsuit argues that the bill violates the First Amendment, that its definition of a social media platform is too vague, and that it contradicts federal statute.

Route Fifty | Tech associations sue over Florida’s social media restrictions for kids under 16

AI hallucination is when AI system generates misleading or false information. This can be because the AI model lacks enough data or makes incorrect assumptions.

Route Fifty | A top state official used AI to draft public policy. The AI hallucinated.