CRS – Access to Government Information: An Overview Updated December 18, 2023: “Congress has long recognized the people’s right to know about the operations and actions of the federal government. A series of modern statutes provides a framework for ways the public may access government information. Built up over the past 60 years, these key… Continue Reading
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Category Archives: Legislation
AI in Banking and Finance, December 16, 2023
AI in Banking and Finance, December 16, 2023 – This semi-monthly column by Sabrina I. Pacifici highlights news, government reports, industry, NGO/IGO white papers, academic papers and speeches on the subject of AI’s fast paced impact on the banking and finance sectors. The chronological links provided are to the primary sources, and as available, indicate… Continue Reading
GIS Technology to assist in identifying “legal deserts”
“NCSC has recently started utilizing Geographic Information Systems (GIS) mapping technology to assist state courts in identifying “legal deserts” – areas where people may face challenges accessing legal resources and services. GIS technology can help courts gain deeper insights into the needs of people living in legal deserts by generating legal desert maps that consider access-to-justice… Continue Reading
Regulating and Monitoring AI and Social Media
Brennan Center for Justice: Regulating AI Deepfakes – “Artificial intelligence–produced video and audio can make it impossible to separate fact from fiction when deciding how to vote. Next year will bring the first presidential election of the AI deepfake era, and policymakers must be prepared to protect the democratic process from the dangers of these… Continue Reading
Without a Trace: How to Keep Your Phone Off the Grid
The MarkUp: “Monique O. Madan and Wesley Callow put on [their] trenchcoats and gave you a behind-the-scenes look at our quest for phone anonymity. We gave you a step-by-step guide on how to set up an off-the-grid phone, and a glimpse into why, personally speaking as a journalist, having one is so important for protecting… Continue Reading
Archival Records of Congress: Frequently Asked Questions
CRS – Archival Records of Congress: Frequently Asked Questions Updated December 7, 2023 – “Congressional offices and committees receive, generate, and process many paper and digital files in the course of their work. Archivists preserve some of this historical material, which can help inform future Congresses and researchers studying congressional history. This report is intended… Continue Reading
How Nations Are Losing a Global Race to Tackle A.I.’s Harms
The New York Times [read free]- “Alarmed by the power of artificial intelligence, Europe, the United States and others are trying to respond — but the technology is evolving more rapidly than their policies. When European Union leaders introduced a 125-page draft law to regulate artificial intelligence in April 2021, they hailed it as a… Continue Reading
Automakers’ data privacy practices “are unacceptable”
Ars Technica: “US Senator Edward Markey (D-Mass.) is one of the more technologically engaged of our elected lawmakers. And like many technologically engaged Ars Technica readers, he does not like what he sees in terms of automakers’ approach to data privacy. On Friday, Sen. Markey wrote to 14 car companies with a variety of questions… Continue Reading
Privacy First: A Better Way to Address Online Harms
EFF: “State, federal, and international regulators are increasingly concerned about the harms they believe the internet and new technology are causing. The list is long, implicating child safety, journalism, access to healthcare data, digital justice, competition, artificial intelligence, and government surveillance, just to name a few. The stories behind them are important: no one wants… Continue Reading
What Did Joe Biden Do Today?
“A daily log following the activities of the administration of the 46th President of the United States.” President Biden White House Statements Readouts Fact Sheet Press Briefings Executive Orders Vice President Harris First Lady Jill Biden POTUS Social Media Posts Press Releases Biden In The News Campaign 2024 Continue Reading
Unclassified Documents Contain Troubling Information About Dragnet Phone Surveillance Program
“Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., called on Attorney General Merrick Garland [Read the full letter to Attorney General Garland here] to make public documents related to the Hemisphere phone surveillance program, which allows federal, state, local and Tribal law enforcement agencies to request searches of trillions of U.S. phone records, usually without warrants. Although the documents… Continue Reading
Education Department lists schools under investigation for ‘possible discrimination’ based on shared ancestry
The Hill: “The Department of Education released a list of higher education and K-12 institutions that are under investigation for alleged shared ancestry violations Thursday as part of the Biden administration’s effort to address reports of rising discrimination in schools. “Hate has no place in our schools, period. When students are targeted because they are–or… Continue Reading
