Earlier this week, the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence held a hearing on election security with testimony from tech leaders, including Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith. His written testimony—including policy recommendations—appears in this blog, “Securing U.S. Elections from Nation-State Adversaries.” The hearing focused on attempts by several nations to interfere with U.S. elections […]

In the coming weeks before the election, Congress could sprint forward on key tech legislation—or momentum could stall. This week, Roll Call offers a timely roundup of where major tech legislation stands, including proposals on data privacy, AI in elections and campaigns, broadband, and kids online safety. Each of these issues is a priority for some

Deepfake, photorealistic AI-generated imagery can be used for fraud, political manipulation, and other abuses, including the creation of non-consensual intimate imagery (NCII). Addressing these challenges requires coordinated action by government, the tech sector, and civil society organizations. Yesterday, Microsoft announced that it is partnering with StopNCII to pilot a program to detect, remove, and prevent

Congress returns to Washington the week after Labor Day—and then many lawmakers will go out on the campaign trail in October. It is possible—but far from certain—that we will see AI and online safety policies advance in September. We anticipate an even greater focus on tech policies in 2025. Enjoy your last week of August

Late last week, the Microsoft Threat Analysis Center (MTAC) released a new report detailing the political campaign influence operations from specific nation-state groups around the world. The report focuses on disinformation campaigns and hacking efforts originating from Iran, Russia, and China. In a summary blog, Clint Watts, General Manager of MTAC, writes that Microsoft’s goal in releasing election

In a closely watched antitrust case, a U.S. District Court Judge ruled that Google had abused its monopoly power in search. “Google is a monopolist, and it has acted as one to maintain its monopoly,” Judge Amit P. Mehta wrote in a 277-page ruling. A separate trial to determine remedies will begin in September. Filed

Earlier this week, Microsoft published a detailed report, “Protecting the Public from Abusive AI-Generated Content,” that includes policy recommendations to combat deepfake fraud. In a blog about the issue, Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith notes that “AI-generated deepfakes are realistic, easy for nearly anyone to make, and increasingly being used for fraud, abuse, and manipulation—especially to

Microsoft and more than 150 other tech companies, including many Voices for Innovation members, are signatories to the global Cybersecurity Tech Accord, which promotes a safer online world. The values of the Tech Accord include opposition to private sector offensive cyber actions, including the activities of cyber mercenaries. Earlier this week, Microsoft, Google, GitHub, LinkedIn, and

Across the world, organizations are developing AI policies—both to harness the power of AI and mitigate risks. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is no exception. The IOC is considering how AI can improve training, equipment, judging, and refereeing. AI will play a role in the 2024 Olympic Games—beginning next Friday in Paris—enhancing coverage worldwide, as

We hope you had a great July 4 holiday! The most fundamental way to participate in our nation’s governance and policymaking is to vote. While we’ve been hearing about races for a while, the election season hits a milestone in the coming days with the start of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. Next month,