Federal data privacy legislation is a top priority, according to a new tech newsletter.

 

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Federal data privacy legislation is a top priority, according to a recent IT newsletter. This is Internet Insider on Tuesday, when we examine the online developments in politics and technology. Today:

There are more than 40 organizations urging Congress to adopt a national data privacy standard.

So, a sniper rifle has been mounted on a robot dog.

Activists call on the Senate to confirm Alvaro Bedoya as FTC commissioner "swiftly."

This week's tech and political headlines are summarized here.

40 organizations urge on Congress to adopt an official federal standard for the protection of personal data

After a whistleblower testified before a Senate committee, more than 40 human rights, digital rights, and public interest groups have called on Congress to adopt data privacy laws and probe Facebook.

HowToStopFacebook.org was created as a result of the campaigns. Using Frances Haugen's testimony, the website urges Congress to "finally pass a true United States data privacy law."

Earlier this month, Frances Haugen, a former Facebook product manager, appeared before a Senate Commerce Committee subcommittee. Several members of Congress expressed hope that Haugen's statement would serve as a springboard for legislation.

People may sign a petition on the website, which was built by a variety of organizations, including Fight for the Future, Accountable Tech, MediaJustice, Public Knowledge, and the Center for Digital Democracy.

"A clear action that you can do right now to stop Facebook from doing further harm, and to make all social media and the internet a better, safer environment that strengthens our democracy and where our rights are respected," the petition informs legislators.

There are groups pushing Congress to adopt legislation prohibiting companies like Facebook and YouTube from compiling user data for use in their recommendation engines.

When it comes to fueling damaging algorithms, "the vast quantity of data that these corporations gather about us is the fuel source," says Evan Greer, head of Fight for the Future.

Legislators can stop Facebook's harmful machine from running by adopting a federal data privacy law that is powerful enough to destroy surveillance capitalism as a business model, Greer explained.

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From deputy technology editor Andrew Wyrich:

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So, a sniper rifle has been mounted on a robot dog.

After mounting a sniper rifle on the back of a robot dog, a robotics company sparked outrage online.

During a recent defense contractors' convention in Washington, D.C., Ghost Robotics showed off an armed robot at a booth in a tweet they sent out.

To make the robot a dangerous weapon, Ghost Robotics collaborated with S.W.O.R.D. Defense Systems, a self-described "warfighter solutions business" that calls itself Ghost Robotics.

To combat robots, SWORD Defense Systems created the Special Purpose Unmanned Rifle (SPUR).

S.W.O.R.D. Defense Systems says the rifle "is the future of autonomous weapon systems" in a description on its website.

Many people on Twitter were outraged that the robot was armed, a concern that has persisted since the introduction of robotic canines.

"I see you've taken some elaborate steps to keep the silent portion to yourself. One person suggested, "Let me take care of it." "When the wealthy eventually fear for their ill-gotten fortunes, we built a heartless piece of technology for merciless population reduction."

A paintball gun was mounted to a Boston Dynamics robot dog at an art display in February, and the company went so far as to denounce the event. Nevertheless, the technology will be increasingly used by law enforcement and the military in the future.

— Staff writer Mikael Thalen contributes.

Massive Information and Communication Technology (ICT)

Activists call on the Senate to confirm Alvaro Bedoya as FTC commissioner "swiftly."

There are over 40 public interest and advocacy groups calling on Senators to approve Alvaro Bedoya to the Federal Trade Commission "swiftly," as they did on Monday.

In September, President Biden nominated Bedoya, the creator and head of Georgetown University Law Center's Center on Privacy & Technology, to be a commissioner at the Federal Trade Commission.

As soon as Biden announced his pick of Bedoya, advocacy organizations praised his record on civil liberties and government monitoring.

Thirty-seven organizations wrote to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Senate Commerce Committee Chair Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) urging them to confirm Bedoya "swiftly" and noting that he "showed a particular understanding of how these companies impact communities of color and other marginalized groups."

Due to the fact that former FTC Commissioner Rohit Chopra has been approved to be director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), the FTC is currently split 2-2. Chopra will be replaced on the panel by Bedoya.

"Regulators need to quickly crack down on big tech's abusive behavior," the letter states, citing evidence from Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen. A "prolonged impasse" that "only stands to create more difficulties for the agency as it attempts to hold large digital firms responsible" may be avoided if Bedoya is approved quickly by the Senate.

Several organizations, including Demand Progress, Accountable Tech, the Center for Digital Democracy, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, and Fight for the Future, signed the letter.