Digital Government
Senator Questions DHS’ Use of Cellphone Location Data for Immigration Enforcement
Sen. Ed Markey wants details on the reported program, including its security practices.
Modernization
New Bipartisan Bill Would Codify GSA’s Centers of Excellence Program
The “light touch” legislation was introduced by Reps. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., and Mark Meadows, R-N.C.
Cybersecurity
CISA Director Makes Case for Subpoena Power over Internet Service Providers
A key lawmaker pointed to concerns over privacy if the agency could request who’s behind internet addresses.
Modernization
House Passes Bill to Codify—and Improve—GSA's Cloud Security Program
The FedRAMP Authorization Act includes $100 million in additional funding and a requirement to automate the process and force agencies to reuse ATOs.
Cybersecurity
Senate Intel Report: Key Officials Excluded From 2016 Election Response
Committee leaders recommend an integrated response to cyber events and disregard for political affiliations moving forward.
Ideas
Astroturfing Is Bad But It's Not the Whole Problem
The shift to a digital process has made commenting easier yet also inadvertently opened the floodgates to voluminous, duplicative and, yes, even “fake” comments.
Cybersecurity
FBI Director Argues Private Companies Shouldn’t Decide Encryption Debate
A key lawmaker questioned whether the Justice Department’s position is at odds with the Defense Department’s.
Digital Government
Dating Apps Can Be Dangerous. Congress Is Investigating.
Prompted by press reports, including a recent article by Columbia Journalism Investigations and ProPublica, a House subcommittee announced that it would examine the use of dating apps by minors and the prevalence of sex offenders on such sites.
Digital Government
House Democrats Unveil New $760 Billion Infrastructure Plan
The 19-page proposal recommends tapping existing federal programs to funnel money to infrastructure projects.
Cybersecurity
House Panel Clears Bills to Give CISA Subpoena Power, Retain Leadership
The Homeland Security Department’s newest agency enjoys bipartisan support in shaky times.
Digital Government
Republican-Backed Bill Aims to Address Climate Change and Boost America’s Technological Competitiveness
The 232-page bill proposes to double basic research funding over the next decade.
Policy
Congress Passes Bill to Spur Veterans’ Participation in STEM Fields
The STEM workforce gap is real. Lawmakers say veterans are a key to help close it.
Policy
Bill Would Reform NSA Surveillance Program
Bipartisan legislation could curtail long-running National Security Agency data collection efforts.
Artificial Intelligence
Senator Demands Answers on Facial Recognition Tool that Could Pose ‘Chilling’ Privacy Risks
Sen. Ed Markey said he’s particularly troubled about law enforcement officials’ access to the app.
Modernization
Lawmakers Introduce Bill to Map Correlation Between Maternal Mortality and the Digital Divide
The bipartisan, bicameral legislation would add a maternal mortality overlay to connectivity maps produced by the FCC.
Cybersecurity
Security Clearance Backlog Hits Long-Awaited ‘Steady State’
The backlog of background investigations has leveled off at a sustainable 200,000, according to lawmakers.
Cybersecurity
Presidential Advisers Expected to Push Software-Defined Networking for Secure Comms
Senate Commerce Committee is stockpiling legislation for coordinated investments in the tech.
Digital Government
Lawmakers Urge FTC to Investigate Aggregator’s Collection and Sale of Americans’ Financial Data
The officials question whether Envestnet is violating the FTC Act by not being transparent about its collection and sale of consumers’ financial information.
Cybersecurity