 Technology |
Technology |
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Senators push for agency to oversee Big Tech |
A bipartisan group of senators has called on Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) to help create an independent agency to regulate major technology companies, reviving a push from last year. |
Sens. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Peter Welch (D-Vt.) argued in a letter to Schumer that the current moment "requires a new federal agency to protect consumers, promote competition, and defend the public interest." Bennet and Welch introduced legislation to establish a commission to oversee digital platforms last May, which was followed by a similar proposal from Warren and Graham in July. In Tuesday's letter, the four senators emphasized the federal government's previous struggles to regulate large tech companies, especially with the rise of social media, in calling for a new agency. "Piecemeal efforts to regulate technology have failed," they wrote. "Over the past fifteen years, social media platforms have wreaked havoc on our children's mental health, undermined user privacy, and distorted market incentives." "Now, these same companies stand to benefit from the rapid development and deployment of [artificial intelligence]," the senators added. Read more in a full report at TheHill.com. |
Welcome to The Hill's Technology newsletter, we're Rebecca Klar and Julia Shapero — tracking the latest moves from Capitol Hill to Silicon Valley. |
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How policy will be impacting the tech sector now and in the future: |
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North Korea-linked hackers attacked a record number of crypto platforms and stole more than $1 billion worth of crypto assets last year, according to a report released Wednesday. According to the Chainalysis report, North Korea hacked 20 crypto platforms last year, a higher number that what the firm recorded over the previous seven years. "North Korea-linked hacks have been on the rise over the past few years, with cyber-espionage … |
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| EBay is cutting more than 1,000 jobs, or about 9 percent of its full-time employees while downsizing their contracts with "alternate workforce," CEO Jamie Iannone announced Tuesday as tech layoffs continue into 2024. Iannone mentioned that the "headcount and expenses" surpassed the "growth" of the business, while noting external factors also contributed to the decision. "Despite facing external pressures, like the … |
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A digitally altered message created to sound like President Biden urging New Hampshire residents not to vote in Tuesday's primary added fuel to calls for regulation of artificial intelligence (AI) as the 2024 campaign heats up. The robocall is the latest example of how AI is being used in elections as the U.S. lacks fundamental guardrails to curtail threats posed by the technology, which can make it appear a candidate is saying … |
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Pope Francis issued a stark warning on Wednesday of the "perverse" dangers of artificial intelligence — even noting he was a victim. "We need but think of the long-standing problem of disinformation in the form of fake news, which today can employ ‘deepfakes,’ namely the creation and diffusion of images that appear perfectly plausible but false (I too have been an object of this), or of audio messages that use a … |
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News we've flagged from the intersection of tech and other topics: |
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Waymo seeks to expand driverless taxis to L.A. |
Autonomous vehicle company Waymo is seeking approval to expand autonomous taxis in parts of Los Angeles and nearby cities as well suburban towns south of San Francisco, NBC News reported. |
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Amazon revokes police access to Ring footage |
Amazon said it is revoking its Request for Assistance tool that allowed police and fire departments to request footage from doorbells through Ring's Neighbors app following years of pushback from privacy advocates, TechCrunch reported. |
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Upcoming news themes and events we're watching: |
- The Federal Trade Commission will host a virtual tech summit on Thursday from noon to 4 p.m. ET.
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Branch out with other reads on The Hill: |
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A look at some of the companies in the technology sector that have recently made layoffs |
A bunch of companies in the technology sector have been laying off some of their employees recently after quickly ramping up hiring during the COVID-19 pandemic while people spent more time and money online. Now, many of them are making job cuts to help lower costs and bolster their bottom lines. … |
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Two key stories on The Hill right now: |
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The Rev. Al Sharpton rebuked Sen. Tim Scott on Wednesday over the South Carolina Republican’s support for former President Trump, saying his … Read more |
| Many of America's critical sources of underground water are in a state of rapid and accelerating decline, a new study has found. More than half of … Read more |
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Opinions related to tech submitted to The Hill: |
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You're all caught up. See you tomorrow! |
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