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As Privacy Concerns Grow, States Create Bold Policies

Americans want more control over their data, but little is being done at the federal level to update regulations for the digital age. Here's what some state IT leaders are doing to fill the gaps.

Facing the Privacy Costs of Biometric Identification

Thanks to massive gains in accuracy and lower costs, facial recognition is better than ever and its applications for governments are growing. But with the technology’s adoption come increased threats to personal data.

5 Ways Gov Tech Companies Work to Safeguard User Data

Many tech companies that sell to government agencies are working to minimize the personal data their products collect — because in an increasingly connected world amid growing concerns around privacy, citizens demand it.

Cybersecurity Strategies

Cybersecurity Leaders Prepare for a New Decade of Threats

The security challenges governments face continue to evolve. And while the stakes are higher than ever before, the responsibilities of public- and private-sector chief information security officers remains the same.

Four Questions

Maryland’s CIO on Workforce, Security and the Outlook for 5G

Michael Leahy, Maryland Secretary of Information Technology, explains his approach to cybersecurity, the challenges of competing with the private sector for tech talent and how he’s handling privacy concerns.

Department

Locking Down Data: The Rise of the Chief Privacy Officer

As government collects more citizen data and cyberattacks increase in frequency, states are hiring chief privacy officers to keep all that data secure. Here’s a data-driven look at who’s doing the job and where.

Point of View

States Step Up in the Quest to Protect Citizen Privacy

While the U.S. currently lacks comprehensive regulation around how Americans’ data is collected and used, states like California, Washington and Maine offer their own approaches to protecting personal information.

Data Points

5 Lessons the U.S. Can Learn from European Privacy Efforts

GDPR has been in effect in the EU for one year, and regulators, consumers and businesses are facing its unintended consequences. Other countries can take those outcomes and do better with their own data protections.

GovGirl on Social

GovGirl: Specific Messaging Is Key to Relevant Social Media

Social media isn’t valuable to an audience if communications are too broad. Governments should work to understand what different kinds of information constituents might want and target their messaging accordingly.

Spectrum

Bird Pilots Electric Motorcycle, Increases Accessibility

Plus, a laser that turns moon dust into material that can be used to print 3-D objects and build structures on the lunar surface, and the stunning number of fake accounts Facebook reports removing from its site.