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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opinion
Senate’s ‘Conditional’ AI Moratorium Is a Trojan Horse
Tucked inside the Senate’s 940-page reconciliation package is a controversial provision that would discourage states from enforcing almost any law related to artificial intelligence or algorithms for 10 years. The moratorium on state AI laws has undergone multiple revisions to survive the Senate’s arcane rules governing reconciliation legislation. Under the final language, states would be… -
opinion
High Stakes for High Tech: Virginia’s Data Center Controversy
Once again, the issue of building new data centers for tech companies is coming up in Virginia as many local governments are making plans to set up “commissions” to study more regulations on the industry. The naysayers point to the massive energy load required by these centers and the infrastructure needed to deliver that energy… -
news
Newly Adopted WHO Pandemic Pact Is a Step Toward ‘Global Surveillance Superstate,’ Expert Warns
After three years of negotiations, delegates to the World Health Organization’s annual meeting have adopted a global pandemic agreement that threatens national sovereignty, requires the transfer of vaccines during global pandemics, asks nations to fight “misinformation,” and authorizes such “social measures” as lockdowns and mask mandates. The 78th World Health Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland, adopted the final… -
opinion
Marco Rubio Says Uncle Sam Is Monitoring Social Media. Who Doesn’t Believe Him?
WASHINGTON—Secretary of State Marco Rubio said this bombshell during Wednesday’s White House Cabinet meeting: “We had an office in the Department of State whose job it was to censor Americans.” Rubio offered that he is surprised a federal agency monitoring the social media posts and commentary of American citizens is not a bigger story. Maybe… -
news
Netanyahu Denies Israeli Security Chief’s Surveillance Allegations
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has denied allegations that he asked Israel’s domestic spy chief to surveil protesting citizens and demanded personal loyalty. The claims come from Ronen Bar, the head of Israel’s internal security agency, Shin Bet. Bar’s allegations are from an affidavit made public on Monday as part of a legal case about… -
opinion
Why the Push Against Data Centers That Bring Billions to the Virginia Economy?
It was 2001 when I realized the city of Buffalo, where I was living and doing radio at the time, was never going to come back from being a ghost town. That’s because there was this little art house startup tech firm called Microsoft that wanted to build a data center out of the abandoned… -
news
Why Does Trump Dislike the CHIPS Act?
In his address to Congress last week, President Donald Trump suggested undoing one of the cornerstones of former President Joe Biden's legislative legacy—the CHIPS and Science Act. “Your CHIPS Act is a horrible, horrible thing,” said Trump. But why does Trump hate it so much? The CHIPS and Science Act was one of Biden’s main… -
news
‘Surveillance State’: Bill Would Tackle Government Collection of Investor Data
Republicans in Congress are pushing back on what some consider another front on the surveillance state—in this case, the Securities and Exchange Commission’s collection of investors’ personal data. Rep. Barry Loudermilk, R-Ga., is the lead sponsor of the Protecting Investors’ Personally Identifiable Information Act, which would restrict the SEC’s automatic collection of investors’ personal identifiable… -
opinion
Mark Zuckerberg Wants Us to Forgive, Forget Facebook’s Sins
Mark Zuckerberg is waging a charm offensive. His company, Meta, just agreed to pay $25 million to settle a lawsuit that President Donald Trump filed back in 2021 after being suspended by Facebook and Instagram. The settlement comes on the heels of Zuckerberg’s attendance at Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20, Meta’s purported shift away from… -
news
California’s Volunteer Fire Unit Vanishes From Web, Social Media After Controversial Dismantling
Fire-ravaged California is grappling with the threat of floods, mudslides, and toxic ash this week as the state’s embattled leaders face more questions about their decision to dismantle an emergency response volunteer firefighting unit—and now attempt to erase its existence. In the latest twist, the website and social media accounts for the firefighting unit, known… -
opinion
The Fall of the Censorship Wall at Facebook
Since Donald Trump won reelection, the fiercest Trump-bashers in the press have raged against any sign of media titans softening their approaches before the second term begins. Visits to Mar-a-Lago? Outrageous! Donating to Trump’s inauguration? Unconscionable! Then Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg announced his Meta sites would be abandoning the censorship of “fact-checkers,” in place since… -
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…