InfoHive – Data Security

What’s happening? The Florida Governor and legislative leaders are proposing a Transparency in Tech bill that would:

• Publish standards used to ban posts, de-platform and shadow ban users.
• Provide equal access for established news organizations and qualified political candidates to reach users free from manipulation by algorithms.
• Stop arbitrarily censoring and/or de-platforming users.
• Give users the power to opt out of algorithms.
• Stop frequent changes to terms of use, clearly communicate and obtain prior consent to changes.

Why is this important? Supporters of data privacy say it is lipstick on a boar and that an Internet Bill of Rights is needed. It would:

The Right to Data and Content Ownership. All data generated by an individual is property of the individual and can be sold or exchanged at the discretion of the individual or the individual’s assigned agent.

The Right to Speedy Appeal of Account Removal. An account associated with an individual or business must have the ability to appeal suspensions to the platform and permanent bans in court.

Freedom of Speech Defined Under Constitutional or FCC Standards. Questions about limits go to FCC or courts and not private Facebook tribunals.

The Right to Content Integrity. No unauthorized changes or disclaimers placed around content unless permitted by law.

The Right to Sue For Damages Over Wrongful Demonetization. Business accounts wrongfully suspended or terminated can sue for damages in court.

Bounded Platform Penalties. A platform can only ban a user for actions taken on that platform. For example, Uber cannot ban a rider who says something bad on Facebook and Etsy can’t remove an account for something posted on Twitter.

How will this be important? Everyone is talking about this. Apple has a call for data privacy to be a right.

Florida Politics | Joe Clements: We need an internet ‘bill of rights’

What’s happening? Virginia legislators sent their Governor legislation that would require a local law enforcement agency to receive approval from the State Attorney General before being authorized to use facial recognition software. HB 2031 (2021 | VA)

Why is this important? The data repeatedly shows that facial recognition software misidentifies people who are Black, brown, and women.

How will this be important? Let’s boil this down to a post-COVID, post- Black Lives Matter world where paying attention to racial disparities in our actions, conscious or otherwise, is up for attention and review. Add in a pinch of law enforcement agencies using facial recognition without the knowledge of their mayors or city councils.

Virginian Pilot | Virginia Approves Limits on Police Use of Facial Recognition

What’s happening? Minnesota legislature is considering a measure that would require Apple and Google to keep apps in their stores. if created in MN and are also sold on other platforms.

Why is this important? AZ & GA are considering similar legislation “to level the playing field for developers and help them avoid sizable commissions collected by Apple and Google in their app stores.

How will this be important? Tech only recently became a player in legislative and regulatory action. It is only going to keep soaking up the attention of legislators. Also, the cause has an ally in the Koch-funded Americans For Prosperity.

Minneapolis Star Tribune | Minnesota Bill Attacks Apple and Google’s App Fees

What’s happening? SB 5116 (2021 | WA) would prohibit the use of AI by the state

Why is this important? Facial recognition software has been statistically shown to discriminate. Until we know whether an AI results in discrimination or unequal treatment, the policy goal is to keep the state out of AI

How will this be important? AI touches not only the idea that we’ll have human like robots ruling the world, AI also informs cars to keep in their lanes and autonomous driving, and has been used by law enforcement for policing.

Government Technology | Lawmaker Proposes to Ban AI and Its Discriminatory Impact

What’s happening? New Mexico HB 10 (2021 | NM) will expand broadband through a new state broadband office inside the State Department of Information Technology.

Why is this important? New Mexico sees an opening in that no state entity tracks investments or coordinates activities related to broadband between government agencies

How will this be important? Quality and accessibility of broadband has long been important to consumers but now we have a state agencies, because of COVID, wanting to ensure state residents have access to the internet and reliable service. It sounds dreamy- and enforcement mechanism for quality internet service.

Route Fifty | Lawmakers in One State Hope to Create a New Broadband Office

What’s happening? VA and UT tested voted by mobile phone and iPad during the November 2020 election. The voters included in this mobile voting pilot included military members stationed overseas and people with disabilities.

Why is this important? Some say the only secure elections are paper ballot elections.

How will this be important? A procurement opportunity for future election cycles.

Route Fifty | Casting Ballots by Smartphone or Tablet? Elections Officials Want to Expand Online Voting Pilots

What’s happening? Miami City commissioners are studying the use of bitcoin for salaries, city services and contracts.

Why is this important? More governmental entities are opening up to the concept of transacting business in bitcoin.

How will this be important? Bitcoin isn’t going anywhere anytime soon

Miami Herald | Miami Considers Using Bitcoin for Salaries, Other Payments

What’s happening? 18.5% of Iowa has access to internet. Expanding this has been the focus of  Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds. Her broadband access proposal includes $450 million in state funding combined with private sector funds and grant money made available through the Federal Communications Commission. HSB 133 (2021 | IA)

Why is this important? Broadband expansion proposal include a mix of funds and a private industry participation.

How will this be important? Every state and city is looking to expand interest access because of COVID. In Iowa the talk is to treat broadband access like a utility.

The Hawk Eye | Iowa Governor’s $450M Broadband Buildout Receives Support

• 214% increase in cyber attacks on healthcare over 2019
• 4 of 5 cyberattacks on healthcare were committed by criminal enterprises
•  The SolarWinds cover attack resulted in 18,000 clients of SolarWinds downloading the ransomeware

CQ Roll Call. | Cyberattacks Surged in 2020, Mostly Hitting Health Care

What’s the deal? HB 80 (2021 | UT) creates an affirmative defense for businesses that follow national guidelines for data security and are hacked, potentially exposing sensitive personal data.

Why is this important? Affirmative Defenses, Liability protections are growing. OH started it back in 2019.

How will this be important? Those 2020 electoral maps were home to red, and those red states are apt to adopt liability protections for businesses when it comes to cyber security which is at the forefront of litigation.

St George’s News | Bill would give legal protection to businesses that store data, aims to increase consumer data security