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
Trump: ‘No One Should Be Censoring Sermons or Targeting Pastors’
President Donald Trump asked two nuns with the Little Sisters of the Poor to join him in front of a Rose Garden audience Thursday before he signed an executive order easing enforcement of Obamacare regulations forcing religious organizations to pay for employee health plans covering contraception and abortion-inducing drugs. “Freedom is not a gift from government….Fred Lucas -
- Opinion
By Choosing Trump Hater as Dinner Speaker, Mainstream Media Embraces ‘Opposition Party’ Status
Apparently the mainstream media doesn’t have a problem being seen as the “opposition party” to President Donald Trump, to use the phrase of Trump adviser Stephen Bannon. On Tuesday, the White House Correspondents’ Association announced that the comedian to be featured at the group’s fundraising dinner—the biggest annual event for D.C. political journalists—is Hasan Minhaj….Katrina Trinko -
- Opinion
The Myth of an Unbiased Mainstream Media
The attention on The Daily Signal’s Fred Lucas’ role as occasional White House pool reporter has made one thing very clear: For many, the illusion still remains that the mainstream media is unbiased. “It’s concerning that news organizations with a clear and stated bias are serving as the eyes and ears of the White House…Katrina Trinko -
- Opinion
How to Win Friends and Influence People (on Social Media)
The Trump administration is less than one month old and unity seems like a pipe dream, especially if you log on to social media. Everyone has an opinion and they’re not afraid to share it, which is both the beauty and tragedy of the internet—it allows great access to information, but also erects a barrier…Beverly Hallberg -
- Opinion
How the Private Sector Can Remake US Cybersecurity
President Donald Trump recently reiterated a pledge to build a team that will provide him, in his administration’s first 90 days, with a plan to “aggressively combat and stop” cyberattacks. Topping the list of the new administration’s priorities should be the need to articulate a comprehensive strategy of cyber deterrence. In outlining policies to shape…Frank Cilluffo -
- News
Newt Gingrich Explains Why the Media Can’t Comprehend Trump
President-elect Donald Trump’s successful candidacy is the result of an unequivocal disconnect between elite media and average Americans, says former House Speaker Newt Gingrich. Speaking Tuesday at The Heritage Foundation at the first of a six-part series on Trumpism, Gingrich explained how the media’s disdain for the American people ultimately led to Trump’s victory in…Morgan Walker -
- News
Georgia Student Sues After His Public School Censored Him From Sharing His Faith on Campus
A student in Georgia has sued his school after he claims the public college prohibited him from sharing his Christian faith on campus. Lawyers for Georgia Gwinnett College student Chike Uzuegbunam filed a lawsuit against the school on Monday. Uzuegbunam “believes it is his duty to inform others” of his evangelical Christian beliefs and “for…Leah Jessen -
- News
What a Special Committee Investigating Russia’s Cyberattacks Could Do
A bipartisan group of senators is pressing for the creation of a special panel—known as a select committee—to investigate and provide the definitive account of Russian cyberattacks on the U.S. political system. Sens. John McCain. R-Ariz., and Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., along with incoming Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York and Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I.,…Josh Siegel -
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How Russia’s Cyberattacks Have Affected Ukraine
KYIV, Ukraine—Ukraine’s May 25, 2014, presidential election was a pivotal moment for the country. A revolution that February, in which more than 100 died, had overthrown pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych. Two weeks prior to the election, on May 11, pro-Russian separatists in the eastern Ukrainian cities of Donetsk and Luhansk declared their independence from Kyiv….Nolan Peterson -
- Opinion
Cyberattacks Are a Major Security Threat. Here’s How to Deter Them.
Nearly two years ago, North Korea launched a cyberattack against Sony that nearly crippled the movie giant. The U.S. responded by imposing yet another round of feckless sanctions against the Hermit dynasty. But ironically, if members of the North Korean army had landed in Los Angeles and blown up Sony’s studios with dynamite, they would…Albert Wolf -
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- Opinion
Facebook’s Reliance on Liberal Fact-Checkers Means Your News Is About to Be Censored
Facebook doesn’t think you know what’s “fake news” and what’s not. In an announcement Thursday, the social media giant said it was going to crack down on fake news through a variety of ways, including letting users report what they deem to be fake news. >>> The 4 Steps Facebook Is Taking to Crack Down on…Katrina Trinko -
- News
The 4 Steps Facebook Is Taking to Crack Down on ‘Fake News’
Facebook announced Thursday an aggressive plan to combat so-called “fake news,” giving users more power to report hoaxes and empowering fact-checking outlets as arbiters. The social media giant faced criticism internally and from liberals following the election of Donald Trump last month. Critics pointed to “fake news” sites spreading false information as a factor in…Robert B. Bluey -
- News
Conservative Group, Liberal Bloggers Trade Shots Over Elon Musk’s Taxpayer Subsidies
A conservative advocacy group has a special name for liberal bloggers who have rushed in to defend the business practices of Elon Musk, the multibillionaire co-founder of taxpayer-funded renewable energy and space technology companies. It calls them “stoogers.” Despite “mounting evidence of cronyism by his crumbling empire, Elon Musk has tapped stooge-like left-wing bloggers to come…Kevin Mooney -
- Opinion
After Royally Screwing Up the Election, the Media Want Control Over Your Facebook News
The modern American media may have just had their worst year yet, and for their efforts, they have announced they’d like to reward themselves more power than they have held in decades. The past year has seen a declining trust in the media that is fully deserved. Debate moderators have been exposed as shills; network employees have been busted tipping the scales…Christopher Bedford -
- Opinion
It’s Time to Stop Spending Taxpayer Dollars on Elon Musk and Cronyism
From Enron to Bernie Madoff, at the end of every great American financial scandal, the totality of the perpetrators’ greed seems to be matched only by the public’s incredulity at how such a thing could be allowed to happen. And thanks to Elon Musk, there’s a good chance we may all be asking this question…David Williams -
- Opinion
US Must Remain Vigilant to Counter Cyberattacks
Dyn, a New Hampshire-based computer firm whose specialty is in providing the means to access websites through its servers, was brought offline by a sequence of large cyberattacks last Friday. This recent attack highlights the continued challenges that persist in cybersecurity and how the cyberthreat landscape is ever-changing. Dyn’s servers were compromised via a distributed…Riley Walters -
- Opinion
ISIS Social Media Campaign Falters Under Military Assault
Military advances against Islamic State-, or ISIS, held territory in Iraq and Syria have produced a welcome byproduct: a marked decline by 70-80 percent in the output of social media propaganda by the terror group. ISIS fighters were recently chased out of the Syrian village of Dabiq by Syrian rebel forces without offering much resistance…Helle Dale -
- Opinion
What the US Needs to Do About Russia’s Cyberattacks
The U.S. finally is ramping up its response to Russian cyberattacks. Good. The bad news is our response shows how ill thought-out both our strategy toward Russia and our policies for retaliating against malicious cyber operations are. Russia has been linked to many cyber incidents, most notably the hack of the Democratic National Committee and…Ginny Montalbano -
- News
Germany Threatens Facebook With Criminal Action for ‘Hate Speech’ Violations
Last month, German Justice Minister Heiko Maas suggested that Facebook and Twitter could be held criminally liable if they do not step up their efforts to remove content considered “incitement to hatred” according to the Financial Times. Among Maas’ contentions were that Facebook was more likely to remove content that was flagged by a government-funded…Jamie Gregora