legislation
Chinese EV makers, and their connected vehicles, targeted by new House bill
Chinese EV manufacturers face a new challenge in their pursuit of U.S. customers: a new House bill that would limit or ban the introduction of their connected vehicles. The bill,…
Coinbase execs: As global crypto policy grows, US has urgent need for legislation
52% of companies surveyed say they’re holding off on major crypto investments until regulation is established, according to a Coinbase and The Block report.
New York’s right-to-repair bill has major carve-outs for manufacturers
During the lull between last Christmas and New Year’s, New York State became one of the first in the country to enact a “right to repair” law — albeit with…
Proposed legislation would force US higher education endowments to reveal where they invest
Higher education institutions have been notoriously secretive about where and to whom they invest money, and, despite calls for change, many have refused transparency.
Platforms beware: Politics won’t save you from antitrust legislation
Usually, the number of times a major policy issue receives bipartisan support is between none and zero. But in this case, each party has an axe to grind.
It’s not perfect, but it’s a major step, one that could restore confidence in global climate agreements.
Apple’s latest research suggests the iOS app economy supports 2.2 million US jobs
As app store legislation targeting tech giants Apple and Google moves forward in Congress, Apple today is out with two more new reports meant to demonstrate how successful the app…
Google threatens to close its search engine in Australia as it lobbies against digital news code
Google has threatened to close its search engine in Australia — as it dials up its lobbying against draft legislation that is intended to force it to pay news publishers…
San Francisco takes the final steps toward becoming the first U.S. city to ban vaping product sales
San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors unanimously approved an ordinance today that prohibits the sale of e-cigarettes within the city. If signed into law, the new legislation would amend the city’s…
San Francisco is getting closer to an e-cigarette ban to protect kids, but it may hurt adult smokers who use vaping to quit
San Francisco is getting closer to banning the sale of e-cigarettes in the city in a bid to prevent minors from accessing them — but the new legislation may also…
A law change that comes into force in the UK today makes the highly intrusive practice of ‘upskirting’ illegal. The government said it wants the new law to send a clear…
California’s new online cancellation law benefits many disgruntled subscribers in other places, too
A new California law that went into effect on July 1 will make it much easier for people to cancel subscriptions online. Since the bill, sponsored by State Sen. Bob…
Marijuana-friendly states ask Congress to make banking legal for the weed industry
Recreational marijuana might be having its moment, but that doesn’t mean that all the kinks are worked out. Because of laws that still classify it as an illicit substance on…
Congress could chalk up a quick, easy bipartisan victory for taxpayers if both the House and Senate determined to pass the Email Privacy Act as early as possible, and send…
Michigan Governor Rick Snyder visited the Automotive Hall of Fame in Dearborn, MI, which honors the automotive past, to sign a bill that aims to enable the automotive future. The…
BOTS Act punishing online scalpers passes Senate, moves on to the House
Scalpers who use bots to slam ticket websites and snatch up a huge proportion of seats at popular shows may soon find themselves in violation of federal law. The Senate…
The battle over noncompetes is a modern-day rendition of an age-old trope: the big corporation versus the little employee; Goliath versus David. The only difference? In the fable, Goliath was…
To catch a Pikachu: NY Governor moves to ban sex offenders from Pokémon GO
When you think about it, the ability for someone to put a “lure” on a spot of their choosing and attract young Pokémon fans to their location is slightly disturbing…
A court ruled that it could be a federal crime to share your Netflix password
Last week the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals issued an opinion that an employee acted “without authorization” when he used a former co-worker’s login (with their permission) to gain…
Bulgaria now requires (some) government software to be open source
Fans of free and open-source software are rejoicing today at the news that Bulgaria will now require all software written for the government must be FOSS. But while this is…
New York has passed a bill legalizing daily fantasy sports
Early this morning, on the last day of the current session, The New York Assembly passed legislation legalizing daily fantasy sports throughout the state of New York. While the bill still…
Legislation allowing ordinary American investors to invest in the shares of startups and small businesses was first introduced in the U.S. Congress in 2011. Despite bipartisan support and the approval…
House unanimously passes Email Privacy Act, requiring warrants for obtaining emails
The U.S. House of Representatives has passed H.R. 699, the Email Privacy Act, sending it on to the Senate and from there, hopefully anyhow, to the President. The yeas were…
Feinstein and Burr’s draft encryption bill would essentially make all encryption illegal
A draft version of a bill on encryption sponsored by Senators Burr and Feinstein has made its way to the internet, and it’s exactly as bad a proposed law as…
FAA committee proposes official categories for drones that fly near crowds
A committee of industry representatives appointed by the FAA turned in recommendations suggesting a four-tiered system for classifying drones and how they may (or mayn’t) interact with crowds.
Artificial Intelligence Poses A Greater Risk To IP Than Humans Do
Substantial thought and angst has been expended over the fact that artificial intelligence (AI) is coming to your workplace to take over blue- and white-collar jobs, alike. But a major…
If You Want Tech Freedom, Congress Needs To Change A Law
Freedom is critical to the economic engine of Silicon Valley, but laws are not often written to preserve it. A federal decision in October let consumers unlock cell phones, tinker…
Without prompt action from lawmakers and regulators, much of what fuels a critical segment of the U.S. economy — especially tech-savvy California — is at risk. U.S. wireless networks and…
Can We Get Entrepreneurs And Politicians To Speed Date?
Entrepreneurs need to be more politically engaged. When we think of regulatory hurdles that entrepreneurs face, we think about Uber and Airbnb. But outdated policies affect startups in every industry,…
You may never have heard of Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. However, the 1996 federal law has shaped how you have used the Internet for nearly two decades.…
