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 others filed an amicus brief in a case aimed at providing legal recourse to victims of cyber mercenary attacks. The brief underscores the national security threat represented by commercial spyware—and the role of government, the tech sector, and civil society in addressing this challenge. You can learn more about this development from this Microsoft on the Issues blog.
This Week in Washington
- StateScoop: To safeguard against impersonation, phishing attacks, and the spread of misinformation, state and local election offices are adopting verified .gov domains. Only about 31% of the approximately 7,000 unique local election websites in the country use .gov, as do 39% of the roughly 3,000 sites maintained by counties and county equivalents. Both the FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) recommend that all election offices adopt .gov to help the public identify official government sites and emails more easily.
- Washington Post: The Justice Department’s inspector general found that the FBI must communicate with social media and other technology companies about foreign influence operations, but that a lack of guardrails and policies increase the risk of potential government infringement on protected speed. In response, the Justice Department announced plans to resume regular meetings with social media companies by the end of August, after suspending them last year because of a lawsuit.
- The Associated Press: A rare neurological disorder took Congresswoman Jennifer Wexton’s ability to speak clearly, but now an AI program has given her the ability to once again use her voice by using past recordings of her speeches and appearances, creating a digital clone of her speaking voice. This week, Rep. Wexton became the first member of Congress to use an augmentative and alternative communication device on the House floor, giving a speech to commemorate July as Disability Pride Month that was read in a copy of her voice by a computer.
- The Hill: Mounting pressure from children’s online safety advocates has led Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to bring two bipartisan bills – the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) and Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) 2.0 – to a vote.
Article Summary
- Microsoft: IT systems globally were impacted by a software update released by the independent cybersecurity company CrowdStrike. Microsoft has taken several steps to remediate and support its customers including the deployment of hundreds of Microsoft engineers and experts to work directly with customers.
- Broadband Breakfast: Michigan will be the second state to receive State Digital Equity Capacity Grant money. The federal grant of $20.5 million will allow the state to pursue plans to address barriers to broadband adoption.
- Financial Times: A team of scientists found that by utilizing machine learning and existing forecasting tools, AI can be successfully utilized to create conventional atmospheric physics models that track decades-long climate trends and extreme weather events.
- CBS News: Google has shelved its plan to phase out the use of third-party cookies in Chrome, opting for a new strategy that is meant to let people make informed choices that will apply across web browsing. Despite announcing the phase-out of cookies in 2020, the search company reversed course due in part to advertiser feedback.
- Broadband Breakfast: The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) recommended grant awards of $143.3 million for broadband infrastructure projects in seven of the state’s counties. CPUC also recommended that $14.8 million be allocated to the Colorado River Indian Tribes.
Featured Podcast
- BBC – Tech Life
Tech is playing an increasingly central role in the Olympic Games—for athletes, organizers, and viewers at home. BBC Tech Life looks at this trend in sports, as well as focusing on the development of artificial intelligence in Africa. Most AI investment in the continent is going to Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa. (“Tech at the Olympics” – July 16, 2024)