Emerging Tech
Bill Aims to Streamline Approval for Critical 5G Infrastructure
Senators reintroduced legislation to accelerate the deployment of small cells, which help power 5G networks.
Policy
DHS Would Get At Least $2.9B for Tech, Cyber Under House Proposal
The draft spending bill would set aside funding for new technologies at the border and a couple billion for the government’s central cybersecurity agency.
Digital Government
Commerce Asks for Feedback On Unreleased Data Strategy Action Plan
An agency leading development of the Federal Data Strategy wants input on the draft action plan, though it won’t be released until later this week, at the earliest.
Emerging Tech
CBP’s Airport Facial Recognition ‘Is Not a Surveillance Program’
As the public grows wary of facial recognition, the head of CBP’s biometric entry and exit initiative says the agency is using the tech responsibly.
Artificial Intelligence
Developing Standards For AI Won’t Go Like Past Technologies
Top experts and officials working on artificial intelligence say global competition has set the stage for a very different standards discussion than with past technologies.
Cybersecurity
Security Firm Says Huawei, ZTE Devices Still Run on Government Networks
About 4,000 devices are operating on federal, state and local public sector networks, according to security firm Forescout.
Ideas
Facebook’s Dystopian Definition of ‘Fake’
For the social-media platform, a doctored video of Nancy Pelosi is content, not a phony.
Digital Government
How the Veterans Affairs Department is ‘Hardwiring’ Customer Service into Everything
VA is on a mission to improve the veteran experience across every service it provides.
Emerging Tech
DOT Needs Help Writing the Rules for Driverless Vehicles
Many of today’s regulations focus on giving drivers more control over their cars, but for driverless cars, the Transportation Department will need to take humans out of the equation.
Digital Government
OPM-GSA Merger Could Cause Regulatory Bottleneck, Legal Challenges
Even if Congress were to pass the Trump administration’s proposal to reorganize OPM, it could still take years before policymakers could tackle other workforce issues.
Emerging Tech
FAA Adds More Airports To Automated Drone Flight Authorization System
More than 100 more airports have joined the beta test of a program that authorizes drone flights in controlled airspace in near-real time.
Policy
Space Force Clears Senate Committee After House Attempt to Stall
The Senate Armed Services Committee’s legislation “greatly increases the odds that we end up with some sort of a Space Force,” one expert says.
Cybersecurity
Lawmakers Want to Ban Warrantless Device Searches at the Border
Sens. Ron Wyden and Rand Paul introduced a bill that would curb law enforcement’s extensive authority over personal data at the border.
Emerging Tech
Senators Propose National 5G Strategy
The bipartisan bill would also fund removing Chinese equipment from existing networks.
Cybersecurity
EPA Cybersecurity Weaknesses Are Going Untracked and Unpatched
One EPA employee said their office was tracking vulnerabilities on their own to avoid oversight from other agency components.
Digital Government
It’s Not Just the Citizenship Question—the Digital Divide Could Hurt the Count of Latinos in the Census
Fear of government, a question about citizenship, and uncertain internet connections have created the perfect storm for an undercount of the Latino population, a new report argues.
Emerging Tech
Democrats, Republicans Both Want to Regulate Facial Recognition
If left unchecked, lawmakers worry the tech will infringe on Americans’ privacy and civil liberties, and perpetuate racial and gender discrimination in the criminal justice system.
Modernization
House Appropriators Take Aim at Some of the Pentagon’s Most Ambitious Tech Ideas
The new Congress is cold on many of the Pentagon’s most elaborate projects and plans.
Cybersecurity
NASA Official Credits DHS’ Cyber Tools with Transforming Its Cyber Stance
The space agency has a much better grip on its vast data since it has deployed Continuous Diagnostics and Mitigation tech.
Policy