IT & Technology News
Reporting on information technology, cybersecurity, and tech policy. The Daily Signal includes analysis, commentary, and opinion on technology’s impact.
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news
FREE OF CHARGE: Protesters Flock to Supreme Court to Oppose Ban on ‘Gender-Affirming Care’
Organizations in favor of child sex changes will protest the Supreme Court as the nine justices hear oral arguments Wednesday in a case that will decide whether states may ban irreversible transgender medical interventions for children. LGBTQ+ activists with the American Civil Liberties Union, Lambda Legal, Human Rights Campaign, Gender Liberation Movement, Young Feminist Party, and… -
news
Former Democrats, First-Time Voters Flock to Trump Rally in Michigan
NOVI, Michigan—Concerns about the economy, religious freedom, and border security are driving unlikely Michigan voters to the polls to vote Republican for the first time. One of the most hotly contested swing states, with its 15 Electoral College votes, Michigan may determine the outcome of the 2024 presidential election. Members of Naomi Steury’s Amish community in… -
news
Rand Paul Wants Answers From TSA About Alleged Surveillance Abuses
Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky is attempting to get to the bottom of the Transportation Security Administration’s watchlist and blacklist programs following several high-profile cases and whistleblowers scrutinizing these TSA systems. “Recent disclosures from whistleblowers raise serious concerns that these mechanisms may have been improperly employed to target individuals based on their political views and… -
news
Republicans Call for Enhanced Northern Border Security as Gazans Flock to Canada
THE CENTER SQUARE—Republicans are calling on the Biden administration to increase security at the northern border after the Canadian government began issuing visas to Gazans who may be connected to the terrorist organization Hamas. The Canadian government’s program includes giving Gazans a “Refugee Travel Document,” which replaces their passport and is accepted by U.S. Citizenship… -
news
Why Michigan Republicans Side With Democrat AG Who Threatened to Prosecute Over Facebook Posts
The Donald Trump-backed candidate for state attorney general says he supports the move by his former opponent—Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, a Democrat—to threaten to prosecute a GOP township candidate over her Facebook posts. Matthew Deperno, Nessel’s former opponent and the lawyer for Michigan’s Kalamazoo County Republican Party, said Kerry Lynn Elieff likely broke a… -
opinion
‘You Need to Make Your Products Safe for Kids,’ Tennessee AG Demands of Social Media Giants
Instagram’s parent company, Meta, knew the harm the platform was inflicting on minors and did nothing to mitigate it, according to a lawsuit filed against the social media giant. In 2023, Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti filed a lawsuit against Meta Platforms Inc., calling on the company to prioritize the protection of minors. “Over about… -
opinion
Florida Can and Should Lead on Social Media Safety for Kids
Kids’ social media safety is at a crossroads in Florida. Gov. Ron DeSantis is considering whether to sign HB 1, which—if it becomes law—would become the new national gold standard for protecting kids online. Critics claim that the bill, which the Florida Legislature approved on Feb. 22, is inconsistent with privacy and parental rights, but… -
news
Moms Inadvertently Expose Daughters to Predators on Instagram
Mothers inadvertently are exposing their young daughters to male predators on Instagram in a quest to garner money and fame, an investigation published Thursday by The New York Times found. The Instagram accounts, numbering in the thousands, reveal how social media platforms are altering the definition of childhood and the increasing commodification of young girls,… -
news
Graham to Social Media Execs: ‘You Have Blood on Your Hands’
Sen. Lindsey Graham on Wednesday told Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and other social media executives to their faces, “You have blood on your hands” and that their product “is killing people.” The CEOs of the largest social media companies testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee about online child exploitation. The CEOs in the committee hot… -
opinion
EXCLUSIVE: Inquiries on Hunter Biden and FISA Surveillance Meet With Biden Admin Obstruction
A review by The Heritage Foundation’s Oversight Project of documents recently released by the Justice Department reveals that for nearly three years, the agency actively has hindered congressional probes into a Chinese businessman associated with Hunter Biden, the president’s son. Patrick Ho, also known as Hé Zhìpíng, is a Chinese national who was a prominent… -
news
Americans Turn on TikTok: 54% Support Banning Social Media App
FIRST ON THE DAILY SIGNAL—TikTok might be popular among America’s youth, but a majority of voters view it as a threat to the United States. An even higher percentage favor a federal ban of the social media platform. RMG Research, a polling firm led by Scott Rasmussen, shared its latest survey data exclusively with The… -
opinion
‘Fog of War’ Intensified by AI and Social Media, Tech Policy Expert Says
As the war between Israel and Hamas rages on, Jake Denton, research associate for The Heritage Foundation’s Tech Policy Center, breaks down the role of artificial intelligence in the conflict. “I think the one that everyone jumps to is the AI-generated content, deepfakes, things of that nature,” Denton says on this episode of “The Daily… -
news
EXCLUSIVE: As White House Pushed Facebook to Censor COVID-19 Vaccine Content, Facebook Employees Leaked to White House
FIRST ON THE DAILY SIGNAL: Facebook staffers were leaking to the White House as the tech company and the Biden administration battled over COVID-19 vaccine content and whether Facebook should be censoring it, according to emails obtained by The Daily Signal. In an April 18, 2021, email that Meta, the parent company of Facebook, produced… -
opinion
Popular Social Media Platform’s New AI Feature Gives ‘Advice’ to Kids About Gender Confusion
It’s attractive, easily accessible, and easily understood. It’s also nearly impossible to remove from this popular social media app. And it’s primed to deliver dangerous gender ideology narratives to vulnerable children. Meet Snapchat’s latest feature, which goes by the catchy name “My AI” (artificial intelligence). Snapchat is an instant messaging smartphone application that allows users… -
opinion
FBI’s Misuse of Surveillance Tool Underscores Need for Conservative Oversight
Recent disclosures have plunged the FBI back into a storm of controversy due to its abuse of the robust surveillance tool Section 702, with almost 300,000 incidents recorded in 2020 and early 2021. The unsettling instances of misuse encompass searches connected to the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol, and the Black Lives… -
news
‘Incredibly Irresponsible,’ Tech Expert Says of Whitmer’s TikTok Use After Michigan’s Ban
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is still using the popular Chinese-owned app TikTok despite a ban in her state for state-owned devices that went into effect on March 1. “It is banned for state devices,” Jayson Cavendish, Michigan’s acting chief security officer, said in an interview with the MLive media group. The ban applies to state-owned devices except… -
news
Google Tries to Discredit Study Showing Google News’ Left-Wing Bias
Google News heavily skewed in favor of left-leaning media outlets—both in the news articles featured on its homepage and in the search results for specific topics—in five of the days leading up to the 2022 midterm elections, according to an AllSides study Google criticized as "deeply flawed" in comments to The Daily Signal. "Imbalanced or… -
news
Federal Agencies Must Ban Chinese-Owned TikTok, White House Memo Says
Government agencies have less than a month to ban the popular Chinese-owned app TikTok from federal devices, according to an Office of Management and Budget memorandum issued Monday. OMB Director Shalanda Young issued the memorandum for executive departments and agency heads about implementation guidance for banning TikTok on government-issued devices, Reuters first reported. "The Consolidated… -
news
Libs of TikTok Creator’s New Book Aims to Protect Kids From ‘Predators’ Who Seek to ‘Sexualize Them, Confuse Them About Their Identity’
Libs of TikTok creator Chaya Raichik is set to release a children’s book aimed at protecting children from those who she says want to “sexualize them and confuse them about their identity.” “We need to be proactive in this fight. Instead of reacting to all the new ideas from bad actors who are talking to children, we need to… -
opinion
Supreme Court to Decide Future of Section 230 Protection for Social Media Platforms
Social media companies might have to make significant changes to their platforms, depending on the outcomes of two Supreme Court cases. This week, the justices hear arguments in two cases that involve a federal law referred to as Section 230, which protects social media platforms from being held liable for the content users post. The…