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
Sprint Wanted to Offer a Facebook-Only Internet Plan for Phones. The Government Blocked It.
Like Theodore Roosevelt, Barack Obama knows that the presidency makes an effective bully pulpit — even when you have historically low approval ratings. He showed that earlier this month when — in an unusually deep wade into the decision-making process at the supposedly independent Federal Communications Commission — the president came out four-square in favor…James Gattuso -
- News
Can Facebook Predict This Year’s Winning Candidates? These 9 Charts Could Hold a Clue
Facebook's massive reach and emergence as a top source of news make it a critical component to any political campaign. But even in 2014, with less than two weeks until Election Day, there are wide disparities how Democrats and Republicans are leveraging the platform to win on Nov. 4. This week, Facebook made available a…Rob Bluey -
- Opinion
Social Media Prove Double-Edged Sword for ISIS
ISIS has issued a warning to its members about their use of social media. A new directive from the group’s leaders, first reported by the Financial Times, warned against the dangers presented by metadata and other information contained in digital postings. A new ISIS hashtag has appeared in Twitter in recent weeks, Himlat Takteem Ialami—the…Helle Dale -
- News
Liberals Most Likely to Defriend You on Facebook — and in Real Life
If you’ve sensed over the years that your liberal friends are “unfriending” you on Facebook, you might be right. A new Pew Research study concludes that “consistent liberals” are the most likely ideological group in America to block or defriend someone else because they disagree with that person’s politics. “Roughly four-in-10 consistent liberals on Facebook…Kelsey Bolar -
- Opinion
The Government Created a Facebook Profile for This Woman (Without Telling Her)
A woman is suing the Drug Enforcement Administration after an agent copied pictures from her cellphone in order to create a fake Facebook profile in her name–all without her knowledge or consent. Sondra Arquiett, the plaintiff in the suit, was arrested in 2010 on charges of possession with intent to distribute cocaine. Law enforcement officials…Jordan Richardson -
- News
Journalists Seek a Way to Stop White House Censorship of ‘Pool’ Reports
White House reporters are testing a system to circumvent White House involvement in the distribution of press “pool” reports. As The Daily Signal previously reported, Obama administration officials have come under fire recently from journalists who accuse them of delaying and altering the reports. “No one should ever assume that the White House is approving or…Kate Scanlon -
- Opinion
Are We Advancing in the Social Media War on Terror?
We appear to be making progress when it comes to combating ISIS propaganda online. That is the message from Rick Stengel, undersecretary of state for public diplomacy, in an interview with CNN. “We have evidence that there are young people who are not joining because we have somehow interceded,” said Stengel, who had just returned…Helle Dale -
- News
Wow: This Duggar Was Totally Censored by TLC
On a recent episode of TLC’s show 19 Kids and Counting, the message on a pro-life T-shirt was blurred by the network. The show follows the Duggar family, known for their Christian lifestyle. They frequently express their pro-life views. On this week’s episode, one of the Duggar children wore a shirt that reads “I Survived…Kate Scanlon -
- News
‘Notice! You Have Been Sued’: Judge Allows Summons to Be Served Via Facebook
A family court judge in New York City is allowing a Staten Island man to deliver a summons to his ex-wife via Facebook—the first time it has happened in the United States. Judge Gregory Gliedman said it was OK after Noel Biscocho couldn’t locate his ex-wife at a physical address or via text, email and phone. He did, however,…Daily Signal Staff -
- News
Google Chairman: Climate Change Skeptics Are ‘Making the World a Much Worse Place’
More than 150 state lawmakers are firing back at Google after the technology company left the American Legislative Exchange Council and its chairman, billionaire Eric Schmidt, said those who oppose vigorous policy action to fight global warming are “just literally lying” about the climate. “Everyone understands climate change is occurring and the people who oppose it…Josh Peterson -
- News
Journalists Sound Alarm on White House Censorship
The “most transparent administration in history” is under fire once again. And this time the complaints are coming from journalists who cover the White House. A dispute over “pool” reports has some White House correspondents crying foul and accusing President Obama’s team of altering and censoring details before the information is distributed more widely to…Kate Scanlon -
- News
Is the IRS Going to Censor Sermons at Your Church?
An atheist group wants to censor what priests, pastors, rabbis and other clergy say in their sermons by threatening an IRS challenge of their tax-exempt status. Generally, the leaders of houses of worship in America have the constitutional right to preach and promote anything short of an outright endorsement of a political candidate. But now,…Kelsey Bolar -
- Opinion
Are You Facebook Friends with a Terrorist?
You can easily follow the developments of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and other terrorist groups on every major news outlet, but few Americans realize how social media savvy terrorists are. Recently, ISIS has even deployed kittens and guns to gain followers on Twitter. Over the past 15 years, terrorists have fallen…Travis Klein -
- News
Journalists Say Obama Administration’s ‘Censorship’ Threatens Free Press
A coalition of 38 journalism advocacy groups penned an open letter to President Obama urging him to better foster transparency and curb systemic censorship within his administration and the federal government. Released yesterday, the letter chastised the president for failing to live up to his own promises, and endangering the critical role of a free…Philip Wegmann -
- News
Did Facebook Secretly Manipulate Your News Feed?
Facebook is facing backlash from users and researchers over the ethics and legality of a recently revealed week-long experiment, which the company conducted in January 2012. The company secretly manipulated the news feeds of nearly 700,000 users and found that the information posted by a user’s friends can influence that user’s mood. The experiment took…Josh Peterson -
- Opinion
House Intel Committee Chairman, Member Warn FCC Against Increased Cybersecurity Regulation
On June 16, House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers (R–MI) and committee member Mike Pompeo (R–KS) sent a letter to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Tom Wheeler warning against regulatory cybersecurity measures. The lawmakers were responding to a speech Wheeler gave at the American Enterprise Institute on June 12 in which he called for a…Andrew Tucker -
- Opinion
Second Chinese Military Group Identified in Cyber Attacks
CrowdStrike, a private security technology firm, released a report last week condemning Unit 61486 of China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) for cyber espionage against U.S. corporations. This report follows the Justice Department’s symbolic indictment of five Chinese military officers for similar cyber misconduct, whose crimes were detailed by Mandiant—another security technology firm—in February 2013. Both…Drew Tucker -
- Opinion
In Europe, You Can’t Google Those Embarrassing Photos Anymore
Do you ever wish that that video of you dancing at your cousin’s wedding could just be erased from the Internet? Or that photo of you from 1975 sporting a leisure suit? So, apparently, do thousands of people in Europe. In one of the worst public policy decisions in European history (and that’s saying a…James Gattuso -
- News
‘Gosnell’ Filmmaker Glad Kickstarter ‘Got the Message That People Won’t Stand for Censorship’
After stirring controversy over its handling of the movie “Gosnell,” crowdsourcing website Kickstarter is altering its policies. In a blog post Tuesday, the company announced two changes: a “Launch Now” feature and “dramatically simplified rules.” “Gosnell” filmmakers say it’s a big win for diversity of opinion. Earlier this year, filmmakers Phelim McAleer and Ann McElhinney…Kelsey Bolar