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Category Archives: Legislation

License Plate Readers Are Creating a US-Wide Database of Political Lawn Signs and Bumper Stickers

Wired: While people put up signs in their yards or bumper stickers on their cars to inform people of their views and potentially influence those around them, the ACLU’s Stanley says it’s intended for “human-scale visibility.” not to that of machines. “They may want to express themselves in their communities, to their neighbors, but they… Continue Reading

2024 EDUCAUSE Horizon Report Cybersecurity and Privacy Edition

2024 EDUCAUSE Horizon Report | Cybersecurity and Privacy Edition – summary and overview. Published: Monday, September 30, 2024 “These are, in many ways, tumultuous times. Global political movements and ideologies continue to erode social ties and disrupt state and national legislative processes. Wars in Eastern Europe and the Middle East threaten to destabilize the global… Continue Reading

States where abortion is legal, banned or under threat

Washington Post [unpaywalled]: “Access to abortion remains a patchwork of state-by-state policies nearly two years after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, with abortion restricted across most of the Southern United States. New restrictions are continuing to take effect, even in states that have long been havens for those seeking abortions. A six-week ban… Continue Reading

What Are American Students Learning about US History?

American Historical Society: “In 2022, the American Historical Association (AHA) launched the most comprehensive study of the national US history teaching landscape undertaken in the 21st century. We wanted to know what is actually happening in public school classrooms across the country. Are teachers distorting history or indoctrinating children? Careful research transcends the heat and… Continue Reading

Why car companies might finally have to care about pedestrian safety

Fast Company: “Earlier this month, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) unveiled a significant change to car regulations that delighted safety advocates, annoyed automakers, and surprised pretty much everyone. In a first, NHTSA proposed forcing car companies to limit the risk of pedestrian head injuries in a collision. If the proposal becomes law, models… Continue Reading

How Republican or Democratic is your name?

Washington Post: “…The Post’s voter file is compiled by L2, a data firm founded by its two eponymous L’s, Lourene and Lindy Criddle, in the mid-1970s. Within L2, dozens of engineers hammer away on secure servers to update, clean and standardize public voter records bought from the states. Such voter rolls, constructed under the auspices… Continue Reading

FTC Staff Report Finds Large Social Media and Video Streaming Companies Have Engaged in Vast Surveillance

Report recommends limiting data retention and sharing, restricting targeted advertising, and strengthening protections for teens – “A new Federal Trade Commission staff report that examines the data collection and use practices of major social media and video streaming services shows they engaged in vast surveillance of consumers in order to monetize their personal information while… Continue Reading

U.S. State AI Legislation: A Look at How U.S. State Policymakers Are Approaching Artificial Intelligence Regulation

Future of Privacy Forum: “Today, the Future of Privacy Forum (FPF) launched a new report—U.S. State AI Legislation: A Look at How U.S. State Policymakers Are Approaching Artificial Intelligence Regulation— analyzing recent proposed and enacted legislation in U.S. states. As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes increasingly embedded in daily life and critical sectors like healthcare and… Continue Reading

Nine AI Bills Pass US House Science, Space and Technology Committee

Science Committee Passes Nine Bills to Support the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence – September 11, 2024, the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology passed nine bipartisan bills to ensure U.S. leadership in artificial intelligence (AI). The bills encompass a range of initiatives, including increased support for AI research and development and the promotion of AI… Continue Reading

Why the gun from a Georgia school shooting could be used to kill again

Washington Post: “…According to Senate Bill 350, passed in 2012 by the GOP-controlled General Assembly, the gun cannot be destroyed. Cities and counties must auction off the guns confiscated by local law enforcement during criminal investigations within six months. Municipalities cannot go through the motions, holding the auctions but rejecting all bids. Unlike its victims,… Continue Reading

History of abortion ballot measures

BallotPedia: “As of September 9, 2024, 11 statewide ballot measures related to abortion were certified in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New York, Nevada, and South Dakota for the general election ballot in 2024. This is the most on record for a single year. Since the 1970s, abortion-related policies have been a topic… Continue Reading