GovTechGuy - Slashdot User

Comment Lofgren Q&A on Tech Policy (Score 2) 46

by GovTechGuy on Tuesday December 18, 2012 @12:50PM (#42326669) Attached to: Zoe Lofgren Wants To Slow Down Domain Seizures By ICE & DOJ

Meant to include this link: http://www.rollcall.com/news/seeing_the_internet_as_a_place_for_freedom_to_flourish-220070-1.html From the post: "I don’t want to critique my colleagues. My degree was in political science, not computer science. So, you have to teach yourself. I spend as much time as possible trying to become a knowledgeable person. I don’t claim to be an expert, but I’ve read a lot of books and I’ve taken some courses on how to do some simple programming. And I actually did some simple programming a long time ago in college. So I’m not an expert, but you need to have at least some concept of how the technology works to avoid making mistakes." --Lofgren

Submission + - Zof Lofgren Wants To Slow Down Domain Seizures By ICE & DOJ (rollcall.com)

Submitted by GovTechGuy on Monday December 17, 2012 @11:59PM

GovTechGuy writes: Rep. Zoe Lofgren sat down with Roll Call to discuss her proposal to slow down the seizure of domain names accused of piracy by the federal government. Lofgren turned to Reddit for help formulating the bill, and also discussed whether her colleagues in Congress know enough about technology to make informed decisions on tech policy.

Submission + - Rep. Issa says backlash has killed SOPA

Submitted by GovTechGuy on Friday November 18, 2011 @11:41PM

GovTechGuy writes: House Oversight Chairman and former CEA chairman Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) told Hillicon Valley on Friday that the massive online backlash to the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) has stopped the bill dead in the tracks. Issa said the Judiciary Committee's attempts to ram the bill through have been halted after the Internet erupted in opposition to the legislation this week.

Submission + - An Israeli Electronic/Cyber Strike Could End Iran, (yahoo.com)

Submitted by

MarkWhittington

on Friday November 18, 2011 @05:49PM

MarkWhittington writes: "If and when (and it is increasingly seeming like the latter) Israel attacks Iran, the first sign will not consist of explosions rising from Iranian nuclear and missile sites. Instead the first sign of an attack will be Iran's power and communications going down.

In effect, Iran as it exists today will die, not with a bang, but with a whimper as the lights go out and as the phones go silent. Israel has developed a sophisticated electronic and cyber war force that would take down Iran's power grid and phone system in the first moments of an attack. Welcome to the 21st Century way of waging war, which in one way could be as devastating as a nuclear attack."

Submission + - Bill would require a warrant for digital tracking (thehill.com)

Submitted by GovTechGuy on Tuesday October 18, 2011 @02:38PM

GovTechGuy writes: Sens. Mark Kirk and Ron Wyden used the 25th anniversary of the Electronic Communications Privacy Act to stump for a bill that would require police to obtain a warrant before using an individual's cell phone, laptop or other digital device to track their location. Under current law the government can access that data without a judge's approval, or even access a user's email account without first getting a warrant.

Submission + - Verizon challenges FCC's net neutrality rules (thehill.com)

Submitted by GovTechGuy on Friday September 30, 2011 @04:38PM

GovTechGuy writes: Verizon filed an appea on Friday asking a federal court to strike down the FCC's net neutrality rules, which are scheduled to take effect on November 20. A federal judge tossed the FCC's previous attempt at enforcing net neutrality against Comcast last May and more legal challenges are expected in the coming days.

Submission + - Senator goes after "brazen" OnStar privacy shift (networkworld.com)

Submitted by

coondoggie

on Monday September 26, 2011 @04:39PM

coondoggie writes: "US Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) sent a letter to the Federal Trade Commission to get the agency to investigate recent changes made to navigation and emergency services company OnStar made to its privacy practices."

Submission + - Senators slam firm for online background check (thehill.com)

Submitted by GovTechGuy on Monday September 19, 2011 @01:41PM

GovTechGuy writes: Social Intelligence Corp's online employment screening service, which preserves users' social media profiles and other data for use by potential employers, infringes on consumers' privacy and could be a violation of the law according to Sens. Richard Blumenthal and Al Franken. The Senators wrote to Social Intelligence Corp on Monday demanding answers to a host of questions about the service and how it collects data.

Submission + - FCC to test opening white spaces up to public (thehill.com)

Submitted by GovTechGuy on Wednesday September 14, 2011 @03:31PM

GovTechGuy writes: The FCC will begin a test on Monday that will give the public access to "white spaces," the unused spectrum between TV and radio stations. The Commission is in the process of opening up the airwaves for public use; the last release of unlicensed airwaves eventually spawned a number of innovations such as WiFi, cordless phones and baby monitors. Officials hope this move will lead to better WiFi technology that can cover up to 50 miles.

Submission + - Feds say cyber threat to banks is growing (thehill.com)

Submitted by GovTechGuy on Wednesday September 14, 2011 @03:14PM

GovTechGuy writes: Federal officials told lawmakers that attacks against the U.S. financial industry are growing increasingly sophisticated and damaging, increasing the need for new security laws that will enable firms and the government to share information on attacks.

Submission + - Obama admin wants hackers charged as mobsters (thehill.com)

Submitted by GovTechGuy on Wednesday September 07, 2011 @06:39PM

GovTechGuy writes: The Obama administration wants hackers to be prosecuted under the same laws used to target organized crime syndicates, according to two officials appearing in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday morning.

Submission + - Congress puts the brakes on AT&T/T-Mobile merg (thehill.com)

Submitted by GovTechGuy on Friday July 22, 2011 @11:19AM

GovTechGuy writes: Once thought to be a foregone conclusion, AT&T's proposed $39 billion acquisition ran into a stumbling block this week as the first real resistance emerged on the Hill in the form of Senate antitrust subpanel chairman Herb Kohl, who came out vehemently against the deal. Kohl's resistance has given heart to the opposition, also buoyed by a letter from a trio of prominent House Democrats who termed the deal a troubling step back towards the Ma Bell phone monopoly disbanded in the 1980s.

Submission + - Google chairman Eric Schmidt will testify (thehill.com) 1

Submitted by GovTechGuy on Friday July 08, 2011 @04:24PM

GovTechGuy writes: Google chairman Eric Schmidt will testify at a September hearing in front of the Senate antitrust subpanel after the search giant backed off its earlier refusal to send either Schmidt or CEO Larry Page. Google appears to have reversed itself under the threat of a subpoena from the subpanel.

Submission + - Survey shows support for new privacy laws (thehill.com)

Submitted by GovTechGuy on Tuesday June 28, 2011 @08:07PM

GovTechGuy writes: Two-thirds of consumers want the government to safeguard their privacy online and 81 percent want to add their names to a Do Not Track list, according to a May poll released Tuesday by Consumers Union. In addition, over 80 percent of respondents were concerned that companies may be sharing their personal information with third parties without their permission. The survey's release comes just one day before a Senate Commerce Committee hearing where lawmakers will hear testimony on three data privacy bills currently in front of the Senate.

Submission + - FCC ups penalties for caller ID "spoofing" (thehill.com)

Submitted by GovTechGuy on Thursday June 23, 2011 @01:05PM

GovTechGuy writes: The FCC adopted new rules on Thursday that would significantly increase the penalties for individuals or organizations that alter their caller ID information to commit fraud or with other harmful intent. The new rules allow the FCC to fine violators $10,000 per violation plus more for every day it continues. Users can still change their caller ID info as long as it's not for fraud or harmful purposes.

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