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
US Response to Cyberattacks? It Must Be More Than Just Biden’s ‘Off Limits’ List
President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin held a mid-June summit in Geneva, after which Biden told reporters, “I talked about the proposition that certain critical infrastructure should be off-limits to attack, period—by cyber or any other means.” The president said he handed over a list of 16 areas of critical infrastructure that are…Dustin Carmack -
- Opinion
Exposing Media Bias Is a ‘Bad Faith’ Argument?
The arrogance of the liberal media can be measured by their dismissal of all conservative criticism as “bad faith” attacks on the press. Assuming that conservative critics are dishonest and disreputable cynics is a common trope of CNN’s Brian Stelter when liberal journalists become mired in scandal. In a June 15 “Academic Minute” podcast, Marist…Tim Graham -
- Opinion
Biden Directive on Mitigating Threats From TikTok, Other Foreign-Owned Apps Is Insufficient
President Joe Biden on Wednesday revoked an executive order signed by then-President Donald Trump that targeted the Chinese-owned TikTok and WeChat apps by proposing these apps be banned due to their national security risks. In its place, Biden signed a new executive order with vague directions for the Commerce Department to evaluate software related to…Annelise Butler -
- News
China Lauds Biden’s TikTok Executive Order, Calls It a ‘Positive Step’
China on Thursday praised President Joe Biden’s repeal of former President Donald Trump’s executive orders seeking to ban TikTok and WeChat, calling the move a “positive step.” “We hope that the U.S. will treat Chinese companies fairly and avoid politicizing economic and trade issues,” Commerce Ministry spokesperson Gao Feng said at a news briefing Thursday,…Andrew Trunsky -
- Opinion
Facebook Censored My Video Questioning Climate Change Alarmists
Whom does Facebook trust to censor content posted on its platform? A Ph.D. graduate from France. Really. The Frenchman, Emmanuel Vincent, started a fact-checking group he calls “Climate Feedback.” It does “a new kind of fact-checking.” It sure is new—and wrong. I released a video in which some climate scientists argue that climate change is…John Stossel -
- News
Facebook Extends Its Ban of Trump to 2 Years or More
Facebook announced Friday it has extended its ban of former President Donald Trump for 19 more months—for a total of two years—and may ban him permanently at a future date. “Given the gravity of the circumstances that led to Mr. Trump’s suspension, we believe his actions constituted a severe violation of our rules, which merit…Fred Lucas -
- Opinion
How Google Is Attempting to ‘Newspeak’ the English Language
In a social engineering move that seems straight out of the pages of George Orwell, Google recently introduced an update to its Google Docs platform that encourages users to use more “inclusive” language. Inclusive language advocates argue that words like “he” and “she” are transphobic, or that phrases like “blind date” “build on the millennia…Douglas Blair -
- Opinion
North Korean Cyberattacks Pose Threat to US
A U.S. grand jury indicted three North Korean hackers in February on charges of attempting to steal or extort $1.3 billion from international financial institutions and companies. The egregious North Korean cyberattack was hardly an isolated event. Since 2007, the regime in Pyongyang has engaged in cyberespionage, disruptive and destructive attacks, cyberterrorism, and cyber bank…Bruce Klingner -
- Opinion
How This Independent Journalist Documents Media Bias
The left-leaning media sometimes uses the news to promote an agenda, independent journalist Drew Holden says. Holden has become known for his Twitter threads, in which he shows how news coverage changes depending on whether the subject is a liberal or a conservative. “What we’ve seen in the last couple of years,” Holden says, “is…Douglas Blair -
- Opinion
Even Without Social Media, Trump Finds a Way to Shape the News
Tim Murtaugh served as communications director for President Donald Trump’s re-election campaign last year, witnessing firsthand how a single tweet could dominate the news cycle. Now, with Trump banished from social media platforms, the former president is still finding a way to wield his influence. Through daily postings on current events and political issues, Trump…Robert B. Bluey -
- Opinion
Cyberattack on Pipeline Shows How Jones Act Is Threat to National Security
The Eastern European or Russian hacking ring DarkSide’s cyberattack has wreaked havoc on the Colonial Pipeline, which transports a large percentage of the gasoline, jet fuel, and other refined petroleum into several states throughout the southeastern U.S. and mid-Atlantic. News of the pipeline’s shutdown sparked a panic-fueled run on gasoline, and caused gas prices to…Patrick Tyrrell -
- Opinion
First Trump, Then Who? Facebook Makes Wrong Call in Censoring Trump
Facebook’s Oversight Board decided Wednesday to uphold Facebook’s and Instagram’s suspension of former President Donald Trump from their platforms. This decision is the wrong one, and one that all Americans, regardless of political affiliation, should be concerned about. However, the Oversight Board was entirely appropriate to admonish Facebook for the fact that its penalty was vague and…Kay C. James -
- News
Facebook Is Keeping Trump Off Its Platform
Facebook’s oversight board upheld the company’s decision to ban former President Donald Trump Wednesday morning. “The Board found that, in maintaining an unfounded narrative of electoral fraud and persistent calls to action, Mr. Trump created an environment where a serious risk of violence was possible,” the board said in a statement. It also found, however, that…Andrew Trunsky -
- Opinion
Steven Crowder Calls Out YouTube Censorship
The most viewed conservative commentator on YouTube is Steven Crowder with his channel, Louder with Crowder. His fans love his politically incorrect jokes. He also sets up a table at college campuses, invites people to debate, and airs the debate unedited. One such video, titled, “There Are Two Genders: Change My Mind,” has been viewed…John Stossel -
- Opinion
When Government Demands Social Media Censorship, Americans of All Political Beliefs Lose
In what’s becoming a Capitol Hill ritual, lawmakers recently called the leaders of Facebook, Google, and Twitter back before Congress to give them their latest pummeling. This particular session focused on “misinformation” and how social media companies purportedly played a role in the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, but it easily could have been mistaken…Douglas Blair -
- News
Big Tech Censors Conservative Comedians
It’s a situation so funny that a growing number of ostracized comics forgot to laugh: Conservative-leaning material, they say, is increasingly subject to arbitrary online censorship by Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and other social media giants—treatment that appears to have no other explanation except the targets’ bucking of leftist orthodoxy. Openly conservative stand-up Nick Di Paolo…Christian Toto -
- Opinion
With the Return of Parler, Social Media Users Have More Choices
Parler’s social media service restarted on Sunday after being offline for over a month due to Amazon, Google, and Apple removing Parler from their platforms and app stores. Parler now has a new interim CEO, a new logo, new servers, and a renewed commitment to provide a place where users can speak freely. Parler calls…Lora Ries -
- News
In Farewell Video, Trump Decries ‘Political Censorship,’ ‘Blacklisting’
In a farewell address on his last full day in office, President Donald Trump defended free speech, wished “luck” to his successor, and thanked his vice president, whom he has criticized in recent weeks. As with other outgoing presidents, Trump talked in his videotaped message, released Tuesday afternoon, about the achievements of his administration as…Fred Lucas -
- Opinion
Corporations’ Worrying Embrace of Censorship
In recent days, some of the nation’s most powerful corporations have engaged in a concerted effort, at the behest of a major political party, to limit the speech of millions of Americans who engaged in wrongthink. First, Twitter permanently banned the sitting president. As is its right. And when millions of his fans left and…David Harsanyi -
- Opinion
Hack of US Agencies, Fortune 500 Firms Highlights Need for Cybersecurity
Russians are the prime suspects in a major hack this month against U.S. computer networks, compromising the data of the departments of Commerce, Treasury, and Homeland Security, as well as a number of Fortune 500 companies, in one of the largest reported cyberattacks ever. The full scope of the hack will not be known for…James Di Pane