U.S. Senate
Bipartisan Senate bill would ban social media algorithms for minors
In a bipartisan effort to “protect kids from harm,” an unlikely cohort of senators introduced a bill that would restrict minors’ access to social media, as well as ban companies from using a
Instagram now defaults new users under 16 to most restrictive content setting, adds prompts for existing teens
In December, just ahead of Instagram head Adam Mosseri’s testimony before the U.S. Senate over the impacts of its app on teen users, the company announced plans to roll out a series of safety fe
That big climate bill might actually make a difference
It’s not perfect, but it’s a major step, one that could restore confidence in global climate agreements.
The passage of the CHIPS Act could launch another US startup renaissance
Intel's choice to build a $20 billion chip fabrication facility in Columbus, Ohio, along with the passage of the CHIPS Act, could set the stage for a startup ecosystem boost.
U.S. Senate advances chip funding bill to encourage local semiconductor manufacturing
The U.S. Senate voted in favor of advancing the CHIPS bill through cloture, or bypassing the filibuster stage, on Tuesday to bolster local semiconductor manufacturing. The bipartisan bill, once it pas
New York Senate passes moratorium to ban carbon-based crypto mining
The New York Senate has passed a bill that bans crypto mining operations that use carbon-based fuel to power their facilities. The bill specifically is targeting proof-of-work mining, which is one of
Can Biden really crack down on tech monopolies?
There is still too much gray area in the rules to enforce antitrust law, but with a few changes to the approach, good intentions may lead to new policy, penalties and prosecution.
Facebook launches an ‘Audio’ hub in the US for podcasts, live audio and short-form clips
Facebook is expanding its investment in audio initiatives with the launch of a new “Audio” destination in its mobile app in the U.S., where users will be able to discover in one place all
Apple and Google pressed in antitrust hearing on whether app stores share data with product development teams
In today’s antitrust hearing in the U.S. Senate, Apple and Google representatives were questioned on whether they have a “strict firewall” or other internal policies in place that pr
Bringing jobs and health benefits, BlocPower unlocks energy efficiency retrofits for low-income communities
Retrofitting buildings to make them more energy efficient and better at withstanding climate change-induced extreme weather is going to be a big, multibillion-dollar business. But it’s one that&
Bipartisan Senate investigation urges more aggressive action against Chinese telecoms
Alarm has been rising in Washington over the extent of Chinese influence in the U.S., with particular focus on universities and their research as well as on concerns around China’s acquisition of cr
U.S. House approves remote voting, though the tech is unclear
Congress will allow remote voting for the first time in its history, after the U.S. House approved Resolution 965 late Friday in response to the coronavirus pandemic. The measure — sponsored by Mass
Why Congress isn’t working remotely due to COVID-19
As COVID-19 forces much of America to work from home, the United States Congress — whose 535 members have an average age of 60 — is still operating from Capitol Hill. Why this population (deemed h
Highlights from Facebook’s Libra Senate hearing
Facebook will only build its own Calibra cryptocurrency wallet into Messenger and WhatsApp, and will refuse to embed competing wallets, the head of Calibra David Marcus told the Senate Banking Committ
Facebook’s testimony to Congress: Libra will be regulated by Swiss
The head of Facebook’s blockchain subsidiary Calibra David Marcus has released his prepared testimony before Congress for tomorrow and Wednesday, explaining that the Libra Association will be re
Kamala Harris wants to quadruple the US Digital Service budget and bring it to states
Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA), who has already announced her presidential campaign, has introduced a bill that would double down on one of the rare successful tech upgrade programs in the government to
Instead of Larry Page, Google sends written testimony to tech’s Senate hearing
Silicon Valley is about to have another big moment before Congress. On Wednesday, Twitter’s Jack Dorsey and Facebook’s Sheryl Sandberg will go before the Senate Intelligence Committee to f
Russian hackers already targeted a Missouri senator up for reelection in 2018
A Democratic senator seeking reelection this fall appears to be the first identifiable target of Russian hacking in the 2018 midterm race. In a new story on the Daily Beast, Andrew Desiderio and Kevin
Democrats introduce an election security bill that proposes paper trails and mandatory audits
As primaries ramp up in states across the U.S., concerns about election cybersecurity are mounting too. This week, a group of Democratic senators introduced a bill to mitigate some of the well-establi