The iconic image for the debate on climate change over the last decade has not been footage of glacial ice tumbling into the arctic sea or the cover of An Inconvenient Truth (2006). It is the climate forecast PowerPoint, crisscrossed with variable lines, demonstrating the empirical case for any number of global outcomes. The graph […]
Category: Technology Policy
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Keep Your Hands Off My Privacy
Two recent events – one in the public sector, one in the private sector – have helped to engage millions of Americans in a debate on privacy rights and information security: the debate over SOPA & Facebook employer hacking. These actions have led to robust debates, not just about what we as individuals can reasonably […]
On Friday, the Federal Communications Commission asked for public comment on whether police or a public agency should be able to shut down cellphone and internet service to protect public safety. The issue came to the FCC’s attention after the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART) turned off cellphone service for three hours […]
In the aftermath of Google’s recent announcement of changes to its privacy policy, the media has been abuzz about personal security online. A Wall Street Journal investigative series entitled “What They Know” had the same effect in April 2010 when it reported that the 50 most popular U.S. websites installed an average of 64 pieces […]
Twenty-second in average speed. Sixth in penetration. These statistics are the rankings of the broadband services in the United States compared to other countries around the world, according to Akamai’s most recent report. Surprised? Most Americans have adopted the mentality that the United States has been and will always be the world leader. But when […]
As another hurricane season brews off our coasts, a storm of another kind is brewing in the halls of Congress over how the Internet should be regulated. The concept of “network neutrality” may be cloudy, but the implications are clear: Unnecessary restrictions on those that invest in the development of our nation’s high speed networks […]
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Make Net Neutrality a Reality
After numerous deaths in committee, failed amendments and missed opportunities, network neutrality is returning to the foreground as a key priority of President-elect Barack Obama's technology agenda. Senators Byron Dorgan and Olympia Snowe have also stated their intention to reintroduce legislation on the issue. With a new administration and a new Congress, the time has […]
U.S. technology infrastructure will take a giant leap forward this February when the congressionally mandated conversion to all-digital television broadcasting takes effect. But there is disagreement over consumer and industry preparedness for the upcoming deadline. How many will be left with a blank TV screen come February? There are many key players investing time and […]
In 1990, with the passing of the Americans with Disabilities Act, and again in 1998 with the passing of the Section 508 amendments to the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Americans with disabilities won victories toward the better use of technology for all. Like curb-cuts outside office buildings or wheelchair-accessible bathrooms, the purpose of these acts […]