Maryland data law provides model

April 12, 2024

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Welcome to Tech Friday, a new joint project of The Hill and Pluribus News covering tech policy across government.

Maryland data privacy legislation provides new model for other states

Comprehensive data privacy legislation Maryland lawmakers approved in the final days of the session could serve as a model for other states seeking a more consumer-protective alternative to privacy laws already enacted in more than a dozen states.

Consumer advocates are celebrating what they describe as a major win. But business interests say it will disrupt a regulatory equilibrium that has developed over the past three years in the states.

The Maryland legislation goes further than other states by restricting the data that companies can collect from consumers to “what is reasonably necessary and proportionate” to provide the service the consumer is requesting. In the case of sensitive personal data, the standard is “strictly necessary.”

Image © Annabelle Gordon / The Hill

House panel to hear youth privacy bills

The House Energy and Commerce Committee will hold a hearing next week on several technology policy bills, including a newly unveiled comprehensive data privacy bill and kids online safety bills, the committee announced this week. Read more at The Hill.

What to know about bipartisan data privacy deal

Seizing on attention to the issue from mounting concerns about the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) and social media platforms’ harms to children, draft legislation released by House Energy and Commerce Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) and Senate Commerce Committee Chair Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) seeks to strike a balance to meet the sticking points both sides of the aisle raised in previous debates around data privacy proposals. Read more at The Hill.

House launches inquiry over Brazil’s feud with X

Elon Musk said Thursday that the House has launched an inquiry into his company’s work in Brazil after the tech mogul claimed he refused to comply with illegal demands from Brazilian leaders that he ban members of parliament and journalists from his social media platform X. Read more at The Hill.

Civil advocacy groups press big tech on AI misinformation

More than 200 civil advocacy groups urged leading technology companies to increase efforts to combat misinformation fueled by artificial intelligence (AI) ahead of elections across the globe, in a letter published Tuesday. Read more at The Hill.

Google global affairs chief impressed with AI alignment

Kent Walker, Google’s president of global affairs, said Wednesday that global alignment on how to govern artificial intelligence (AI) has gone “surprisingly well” as regulators race to keep up with the rapidly advancing technology. Read more at The Hill.

Magnificent Seven performance this week

GOOG +6.2%, AMZN +3.7%, AAPL +5.5%, META +1.2%, MSFT +1.9%, NVDA +4.4%, TSLA +3.2%. NASDAQ-100 Tech Sector: +2.0%.

When guided by ethics, transparency, and fairness, responsible AI can spark creativity and help usher in a more prosperous and sustainable future that improves our lives, grows our economy, and keeps us safe. Learn more.

Image © Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

New Hampshire weighs preemptive AI surveillance ban

A bill advancing in New Hampshire would prohibit the state from using artificial intelligence to surveil its citizens, as fears grow about AI’s potential to impede upon individual rights and liberties. Read more at Pluribus News.

Calif. lawmaker targets Ticketmaster’s domination

Ticketmaster would face fresh competition from other live event ticket sellers under legislation unveiled Monday by California Assemblymember Buffy Wicks (D). Read more at Pluribus News.

Tenn. lawmakers advance parental consent for social media

The Tennessee Senate unanimously advanced legislation requiring minors to get parental consent to create social media accounts. The House must agree to minor amendments before the bill goes to Gov. Bill Lee (R). Read more from the Associated Press.

This year’s TED Conference kicks off Monday in Vancouver.

Netflix reports first quarter earnings on Thursday.

New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) signed an executive order Friday meant to bolster state cybersecurity. The order directs the Department of Information Technology to assess vulnerabilities, and it directs state agencies to implement stronger defenses. Read more from the Santa Fe New Mexican.

A federal jury in Illinois has ordered Amazon to pay Chicago-based company Kove $525 million for violating patent rights in data storage technology. The jury decided Amazon Web Services infringed on three of Kove’s patents that are essential to the tech giant’s business. Read more from Reuters.