ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL
CNN Acting intelligence chief will not brief lawmakers on election security despite expectation he was coming
Acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell said late Monday he will not be briefing lawmakers on Tuesday about election security despite being expected on Capitol Hill by members of Congress to be on the panel of the country’s most senior national security officials.
The Associated Press Edited Biden video portends social media challenges in 2020
As former Vice President Joe Biden’s drive for the White House gains momentum, the 77-year-old’s political opponents on both the right and left have launched an internet campaign suggesting he’s not mentally or physically equipped to serve — sometimes using altered content and other disinformation to make their case.
THIS WEEK IN WASHINGTON
ArsTechnica FCC to require anti-robocall tech after “voluntary” plan didn’t work out
Phone companies would be required to deploy technology that prevents spoofing of Caller ID under a plan announced today by Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai.
Politico House leaders near deal to renew federal surveillance powers
House leaders are closing in on a bipartisan deal to renew a set of federal surveillance powers expiring this weekend, but no final agreement has been reached, according to lawmakers and aides of both parties.
Multichannel News Senate Passes Broadband DATA Act
The Senate has unanimously passed the Broadband Deployment Accuracy and Technological Availability (DATA) Act. It has already passed the House so now heads to the President’s desk.
Reuters White House to meet large tech companies to discuss ways to control coronavirus outbreak
The White House will meet large technology companies on Wednesday to coordinate efforts over the coronavirus outbreak, seeking to control a contagious respiratory illness that has infected almost 1,000 people in the United States and more than 100,000 globally.
ARTICLE SUMMARY
The Wall Street Journal Fever-Detecting Goggles and Disinfectant Drones: Countries Turn to Tech to Fight Coronavirus
Drones spray disinfectant over South Korea. Police wear thermal imaging goggles to detect fevers in China.
Vox Microsoft, Google, and Zoom are trying to keep up with demand for their now free work-from-home software
As the number of infections and deaths from the novel coronavirus rise drastically, governments, schools, and companies around the world are instituting more drastic measures to rein in the virus’s spread.
Bloomberg Google Scrubs Coronavirus Misinformation on Search, YouTube
On Feb. 28, questions about the coronavirus swirled around Google’s offices. The company was being criticized for YouTube’s handling of hoax videos, a major company conference was canceled and an employee in Zurich tested positive.
The Wall Street Journal Sharing Your Digital Health Data: New Rules Ease Access
Sharing your personal health data with apps, doctors and hospitals will get easier under new federal rules, announced Monday, that are likely to sharpen a debate over patient privacy.
Business Insider Microsoft announced a new-and-improved line of healthcare provider-facing tools
The tech giant introduced a line of solutions designed to streamline operations and bulk out tech capabilities within provider organizations.
BuzzFeed News Popular VPN And Ad-Blocking Apps Are Secretly Harvesting User Data
Sensor Tower, a popular analytics platform for tech developers and investors, has been secretly collecting data from millions of people who have installed popular VPN and ad-blocking apps for Android and iOS, a BuzzFeed News investigation has found.
Oregon Live Intel starts using facial recognition technology to ID workers, visitors
As thousands of Oregon employees, suppliers and contractors file into Intel’s offices each day, cameras are watching – and, now, recording their faces.
The New York Post Americans prefer technology in quest for a better sleep
Six in 10 Americans are turning to tech to aid their sleep, according to new research. From using smartphones to set their bedtime and apps to limit evening screen time, to using a watch to note their biometrics, 57 percent say tech has been beneficial in improving their sleep.
The Verge As COVID-19 pushes classes online, some students are caught in the broadband gap
As COVID-19 spreads within the United States and across the globe, public health officials are calling for fewer public gatherings — which is pushing many activities online.
Fierce Wireless Microsoft’s Airband live in 25 states at midpoint of rural broadband project
Halfway through its 5-year rural broadband project, Microsoft said its Airband Initiative is now in 25 states and Puerto Rico.
AgriPulse Should rural broadband growth be propelled by fiber or 5G?
Some broadband advocates and state ag groups are pressing the Federal Communications Commission and Department of Agriculture to prioritize funding for fiber deployment over 5G wireless technology when it comes to providing high speed internet in rural areas.
State Scoop States, local governments ask for ‘large-scale’ rural internet funding
State and local governments asked Congress on Tuesday to funnel more investment to broadband infrastructure in rural areas.
Seattle Times Pass Washington privacy bill with attorney general enforcement [Opinion]
Washington state has an opportunity to create a groundbreaking privacy law, placing guardrails around facial-recognition technology and giving consumers control over personal information collected online.
THINK TANK/TECH TRADE ASSOCIATION HIGHLIGHTS
The Brookings Institution
- Report on Price Indexes for Telecommunications Services
The telecommunications services industry has experienced significant technological progress yet the industry’s output statistics do not reflect this. Between 2010 and 2017, data usage in the UK expanded by nearly 2,300 percent, yet real Gross Value Added for the industry fell by 8 percent between 2010 and 2016, while the sector experienced one of the slowest rates of recorded productivity growth. The apparent disconnect between rapid technological improvements and the measured economic performance of the industry can largely be resolved by strengthening the deflators applied to nominal output. The authors contrast two methodologically distinct options, concluding that telecommunications services prices fell by between 37 percent and 96 percent from 2010 to 2017, considerably more than the current deflator. (Report – A comparison of deflators for telecommunications services output, March 11, 2020)
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