Hey everybody, I’m Joe Miller and here’s what’s going on in the world of tech law & policy this week. 

So the White House confirmed earlier this afternoon that it had shot down another object floating 40,000 ft. above Alaska. No word yet on whether it’s part of China’s balloon festival, but this one was much smaller than the one they shot down last week. Feds are investigating.

Americans want privacy legislation but – as Colorado Attorney General Phill Weiser noted to the Washington Post with quite a bit of frustration – there doesn’t really seem to be a lot of governance coming from Congress. A new study from the University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg School found most Americans simply do not understand how companies use their data. I’d venture to guess that many tech companies want to keep it that way.

For example, eighty-two percent of those Americans surveyed reported that they had no idea that the Health Insurance Privacy and Portability Act (HIPPA). I didn’t even know that, if I’m being honest with you.

And TSA is collecting facial data at more and more airports – with the Washington Post reporting that some 16 major U.S. airports collect facial recognition data. 

At Tuesday’s State of the Union, President Biden ardently called for action from Congress to do more to protect kids online, as the current minimum age to advertise to kids is currently just 13. And the U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy said that 13 is too young. Republican Senator Josh Hawley is calling for 16 to become the minimum age for kids to be allowed to join social media networks. 

Meanwhile, over at Twitter, Elon Musk says cleaning up the platform of child abuse content is his top priority. But plenty of that material is still showing up, according to a New York Times exposé. This coincides with these repulsive individuals who were once banned, now being reinstated. And the Center for Digital Hate released a report saying these accounts spreading vile hate speech make millions for the company. And major brands’ advertisements are still showing up next to hate speech – with Fiverr, NFL, Amazon, & Apple TV among them. 

The University of Exeter reports an Eight-fold increase of misogynistic, dehumanizing content posted by incels on Twitter. Incels, as you may recall, are men who are “involuntarily celibate” and are furious at women for not genuflecting before them. Ofcom, the communications oversight agency in the UK is calling for amending the online safety bill to further protect women by putting a code of practice in place. This is happening as women struggle with defending themselves against all sorts of monsters on the internet creating deepfake porn using their likenesses. And a new Pew report on online dating found that some 38% of online daters, mostly women, reported receiving unwanted, sexually explicit material. 

And the New York Times reports that a District Court in Louisiana is now considering whether the government should have any discretion at all when it comes to putting any measures in place to combat disinformation. It is Republicans who primarily oppose any government intervention to combat harmful information, even though former Twitter employees reported that that company kept Republicans’ requests to remove progressive speech, including requests from former President Trump, whom Meta reinstated to Facebook and Instagram last week. 

In Turkey, victims of the horrifying earthquake that killed10s of thousands of people weren’t able to get on Twitter at all to ask for help. That’s because the Turkish government has a long history of blocking access to Twitter.

So that’s what’s going on! It is astonishing   how much has changed in only the last few weeks. 

To go deeper, you can find links to all of these stories in the show notes. Stay safe, stay informed, and have a great week. Ciao.

Analysis | Biden puts children’s privacy at the forefront, again
The president is pushing for U.K.-style children's online safety rules.
washingtonpost.com
VIEW MORE








 









TSA now wants to scan your face at security. Here are your rights.
16 major domestic airports are testing facial-recognition tech to verify IDs — and it could go nationwide in 2023.
washingtonpost.com
VIEW MORE








 









Americans overwhelmingly want Congress to pass data protection laws
A new study found that 79% of Americans think Congress should act urgently to regulate companies' use of user data.
dailydot.com
VIEW MORE








 









Musk Pledged to Cleanse Twitter of Child Abuse Content. It’s Been Rough Going.
Child sexual abuse imagery spreads on Twitter even after the company is notified: One video drew 120,000 views. “Sewer rats,” as one regulator described bad actors, remain.
nytimes.com
VIEW MORE








 









Age 13 and younger is 'too early' for kids to be on social media, surgeon general admits
As Vivek Murthy, the U.S. surgeon general, shared comment on the appropriate ages for kids to use social media, other experts weighed in with perspective and advice for parents and families.
foxnews.com
VIEW MORE








 









Extremist influencers are generating millions for Twitter, report says
The report attempted to estimate the dollar-value to Twitter of Musk's restoration of formerly suspended accounts.
washingtonpost.com
VIEW MORE








 









Incels are becoming 'more extreme' online, study finds
Researchers at the University of Exeter analysed millions of posts across the network of forums known as the 'incelosphere' over the past six years.racist language'.
dailymail.co.uk
VIEW MORE








 









‘Making the digital streets safe’: Calls for greater protection for women online
British peers propose amendment to online safety bill requiring social media sites to consider how to keep female users safe
theguardian.com
VIEW MORE








 









There's Not Much We Can Legally Do About Deepfake Porn — Yet
Deepfake porn has a very real-world impact, but there’s a long way to go when it comes to laws against it
refinery29.com
VIEW MORE








 









GOP lawmakers allege Big Tech conspiracy, even as ex-Twitter employees rebut them
A hearing about Elon Musk’s "Twitter Files" will fan allegations that Democrats pressure Silicon Valley to censor conservative views.
washingtonpost.com
VIEW MORE








 









Finding love, sex and harassment on dating apps
What online dating is like now, who feels safe, and how likely you are to find love, according to a new Pew survey.
washingtonpost.com
VIEW MORE








 









Free Speech vs. Disinformation Comes to a Head
The outcome of a case in federal court could help decide whether the First Amendment is a barrier to virtually any government efforts to stifle disinformation.
nytimes.com
VIEW MORE








 









Twitter Kept Entire 'Database' of Republican Requests to Censor Posts
Elon Musk’s “Twitter Files” focus on Democrats, but former administration officials and Twitter employees say Trump’s team and other Republicans routinely demanded posts be taken …
rollingstone.com
VIEW MORE








 









48 arrested in Europe over encrypted app used in drug trade
BERLIN (AP) — European investigators have shut down an encrypted communication service that was used as a secure channel for organized crime, particularly in the drug trade, and arrested 48 people, German authorities said Monday.
apnews.com
VIEW MORE








 









Turkish residents struggle to access Twitter in earthquake aftermath
The government has a history of cracking down on social media giants after emergencies or scandals.
washingtonpost.com
VIEW MORE








 






 

Analysis | Biden puts children’s privacy at the forefront, again The president is pushing for U.K.-style children's online safety rules. washingtonpost.com VIEW MORE   TSA now wants to scan your face at security. Here are your rights. 16 major domestic airports are testing facial-recognition tech to verify IDs — and it could go nationwide in 2023. washingtonpost.com VIEW MORE   Americans overwhelmingly want Congress to pass data protection laws A new study found that 79% of Americans think Congress should act urgently to regulate companies' use of user data. dailydot.com VIEW MORE   Musk Pledged to Cleanse Twitter of Child Abuse Content. It’s Been Rough Going. Child sexual abuse imagery spreads on Twitter even after the company is notified: One video drew 120,000 views. “Sewer rats,” as one regulator described bad actors, remain. nytimes.com VIEW MORE   Age 13 and younger is 'too early' for kids to be on social media, surgeon general admits As Vivek Murthy, the U.S. surgeon general, shared comment on the appropriate ages for kids to use social media, other experts weighed in with perspective and advice for parents and families. foxnews.com VIEW MORE   Extremist influencers are generating millions for Twitter, report says The report attempted to estimate the dollar-value to Twitter of Musk's restoration of formerly suspended accounts. washingtonpost.com VIEW MORE   Incels are becoming 'more extreme' online, study finds Researchers at the University of Exeter analysed millions of posts across the network of forums known as the 'incelosphere' over the past six years.racist language'. dailymail.co.uk VIEW MORE   ‘Making the digital streets safe’: Calls for greater protection for women online British peers propose amendment to online safety bill requiring social media sites to consider how to keep female users safe theguardian.com VIEW MORE   There's Not Much We Can Legally Do About Deepfake Porn — Yet Deepfake porn has a very real-world impact, but there’s a long way to go when it comes to laws against it refinery29.com VIEW MORE   GOP lawmakers allege Big Tech conspiracy, even as ex-Twitter employees rebut them A hearing about Elon Musk’s "Twitter Files" will fan allegations that Democrats pressure Silicon Valley to censor conservative views. washingtonpost.com VIEW MORE   Finding love, sex and harassment on dating apps What online dating is like now, who feels safe, and how likely you are to find love, according to a new Pew survey. washingtonpost.com VIEW MORE   Free Speech vs. Disinformation Comes to a Head The outcome of a case in federal court could help decide whether the First Amendment is a barrier to virtually any government efforts to stifle disinformation. nytimes.com VIEW MORE   Twitter Kept Entire 'Database' of Republican Requests to Censor Posts Elon Musk’s “Twitter Files” focus on Democrats, but former administration officials and Twitter employees say Trump’s team and other Republicans routinely demanded posts be taken … rollingstone.com VIEW MORE   48 arrested in Europe over encrypted app used in drug trade BERLIN (AP) — European investigators have shut down an encrypted communication service that was used as a secure channel for organized crime, particularly in the drug trade, and arrested 48 people, German authorities said Monday. apnews.com VIEW MORE   Turkish residents struggle to access Twitter in earthquake aftermath The government has a history of cracking down on social media giants after emergencies or scandals. washingtonpost.com VIEW MORE