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Category Archives: Legislation

Sens. Warner, Hawley Team on Social Media Data Monetization Dashboard

“Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) and Josh Hawley (R-MO) will introduce the Designing Accounting Safeguards to Help Broaden Oversight And Regulations on Data (DASHBOARD) Act, bipartisan legislation that will require data harvesting companies such as social media platforms to tell consumers and financial regulators exactly what data they are collecting from consumers, and how… Continue Reading

Technological Convergence: Regulatory, Digital Privacy, and Data Security Issues

EveryCRSReport.com – Technological Convergence: Regulatory, Digital Privacy, and Data Security Issues. May 30, 2019 R45746. “Technological convergence, in general, refers to the trend or phenomenon where two or more independent technologies integrate and form a new outcome. One example is the smartphone. A smartphone integrated several independent technologies—such as telephone, computer, camera, music player, television… Continue Reading

New York Enacts One of the Most Aggressive Climate Bills in the U.S.

New York Assembly Passes Climate Leadership And Community Protection Act – “Legislation sets the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions 85 percent by 2050, and having net zero emissions in all sectors of the economy. Speaker Carl Heastie and Environmental Conservation Committee Chair Steve Englebright today announced Assembly passage of the Climate Leadership and Community… Continue Reading

Should the police be able to investigate your genetic family tree for any crime, no matter how minor?

The New York Times – Want to See My Genes? Get a Warrant – Should the police be able to investigate your genetic family tree for any crime, no matter how minor? “…Genetic genealogy requires lots of DNA samples and an easy way to compare them. Americans have created millions of genetic profiles already. A… Continue Reading

How to Protect Your DNA Data Before and After Taking an at-Home Test

Mail-in genetic tests offer a wealth of information about your ancestry and insight into medical risks — in exchange for a lot of data. Here’s where that data goes, and how to delete it. “Consumer DNA testing kits like those from 23andMe, Ancestry.com and MyHeritage promise a road map to your genealogy and, in some… Continue Reading

Transparency Caucus features tools to track legislative information

Alex Howell [includes video of the forum]: “On June 7, the Transparency Caucus of the U.S. House of Representatives hosted a remarkable forum inside of the United States Capitol that featured ten presentations from government officials and members of civil society on innovative tools and technologies. Following is a run down of who spoke and… Continue Reading

Regulating Big Tech: Legal Implications

CRS Legal Sidebar via LC – Regulating Big Tech: Legal Implications. June 11, 2019. “Amidst growing debate over the legal framework governing social media sites and other technology companies, several Members of Congress have expressed interest in expanding current regulations of the major American technology companies, often referred to as “Big Tech.” This Legal Sidebar… Continue Reading

Staff Pay Levels for Selected Positions in House Member Offices, 2001-2018

CRS Report via LC – Staff Pay Levels for Selected Positions in House Member Offices, 2001-2018. June 11, 2019. “Levels of pay for congressional staff are a source of recurring questions among Members of Congress, congressional staff, and the public.There may be interest in congressional pay data from multiple perspectives, including assessment of the costs… Continue Reading

Staff Pay Levels for Selected Positions in Senators’ Offices, FY2001-FY2018

CRS Report via LC – Staff Pay Levels for Selected Positions in Senators’ Offices, FY2001-FY2018. June 11, 2019. “Levels of pay for congressional staff are a source of recurring questions among Members of Congress, congressional staff, and the public.There may be interest in congressional pay data from multiple perspectives, including assessment of the costs of… Continue Reading

Internet of Things – An Introduction

CRS Report via LC – Internet of Things (IoT): An Introduction, June 4, 2019 – “The Internet of Things (IoT) is a system of interrelated devices that are connected to a network and/or to each other, exchanging data without necessarily requiring human-to-machine interaction. In other words, IoT is a collection of electronic devices that can… Continue Reading

Congress.gov New, Tip and Top for May 2019, Part 2

In Custodia Legis – “Earlier this month, Andrew shared the update to our committee schedule page, which launched in January 2019. With this month’s second release, we have enhanced the navigation of member profile pages.  When viewing a bill or resolution on a member profile page, you can use the navigation arrows to move from… Continue Reading