News & Commentary
Healthcare Data-Sharing System May Create Privacy Risks
In a world where data is currency, the healthcare sector presents a distinct exception. Strict privacy rules have long governed who has access to what information, with important legislation protecting personal medical records from outsiders – while promoting accessibility for individuals. What was designed to be accessible, however, has often been anything…
Read MoreAn Unlikely Tool for Fighting Pandemics: Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning are here – real, viable technologies used to glean insights from reams of data at a speed and efficiency impossible for humans to match. AI can be deployed wherever there is data, including in the medical sector. Today, for the first time in history, AI is…
Read MoreThe State of Play for 5G in 2020
5G is now a reality. AT&T and Verizon began offering service in limited cities in 2019, officially ushering-in the latest era of wireless network technology. While 5G is in the process of finding its commercial footing, the next generation of devices are here and ready for consumers to purchase. With the dawn…
Read MoreOn Our Radar: The Algorithmic Accountability Act
A growing number of corporations are using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to automate processes and crunch information with speed and efficiency far exceeding human capabilities. But for all its revolutionary properties, AI has not escaped criticism. The underlying algorithms that govern AI behavior have been accused of bias, including in high-profile cases involving…
Read MoreCourt Rules Facial Recognition Lawsuit Against Facebook Can Proceed
On August 8, 2019, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco ruled in a unanimous decision that a class action lawsuit against Facebook can proceed in court. Patel et al v. Facebook Inc. potentially exposes the technology giant to billions of dollars in lawsuits should a court rule in…
Read MoreA Closer Look at California’s Data Privacy Law
The European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) ‘drew first blood’ as it relates to regulating technology companies relying on consumer data to generate revenue. The state of California soon followed suit, passing the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) in June 2018. The CCPA took effect on January 1, 2020, ushering in…
Read MorePolitical Ad Policies at Facebook, Twitter, and Google
The biggest and most widely-used technology platforms and services are being scrutinized ahead of the 2020 US presidential election. The central issue pins truth against freedom of speech, and whether user content or advertisers should be fact-checked by platforms that host and profit from said content. For Facebook, Twitter, and Google, that…
Read MoreU.S. Department of Justice Mandates Changes to eSim Technology
The Justice Department (DOJ) has concluded an investigation into collusion between two wireless carriers and a related trade association regarding embedded SIM card (eSIM) technology. AT&T, Verizon, and the Global System for Mobile Communications Association (or GSMA) were the subjects of the DOJ investigation that will yield changes to how eSIM standards…
Read MoreWhat Does DNA Use for Facial Mapping Mean?
In the latest prominent, science fiction-imitating example of the symbiotic relationship between the science and technology, the New York Times reports that China is leveraging new technology in an attempt to use DNA samples to construct an image of a person’s face. The process, known as DNA phenotyping (or DNA facial mapping),…
Read MoreTikTok Chinese Ownership Raising National Security Concerns
China’s growing sphere of influence in the global technology sector is an especially fraught area of concern for US lawmakers. Early development of nascent or popular technologies means prominent, profitable footholds for patent holders while paving a path for future growth, and accusations of espionage are not unusual. A trade war between…
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