Minnesota

Lawmakers are looking at data collection from minors, and how tech companies are using it. They’re also pushing for default privacy settings for social media users. Trade groups are opposed.

Gov. Tim Walz has announced over $50 million in grants to expand broadband access to an estimated 8,900 homes and businesses throughout Minnesota, and Mower County is one of the recipients of that money.

For the 14th annual Autonomous Snowplow Competition, organizers had to make snow, then shovel it onto the Dunwoody College of Technology parking lot so the robots could attempt to plow it away.

Election officials from 50 counties met with FBI and Homeland Security officials at a National Guard training center, running through scenarios and planning responses to what may happen in 2024.

Cities hold enormous amounts of sensitive data, including information provided by residents when paying monthly bills, by applicants seeking permits, by employees receiving paychecks and more.

Minnesota leveraged Google AI to create a multilingual virtual assistant. Data from a records request reveals how it’s really being used by a diverse population and potential limitations with the technology.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation has opened the application process for private and public entities to tap into federal funds to own and operate electric vehicle charging stations.

According to the Federal Highway Administration, the grant funding, allocated under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, aims to propel digital construction tools such as computer modeling and 3D design in 10 state DOTs.

At a virtual event co-hosted by the National Governors Association and Results for America, the 2023 Invest in What Works State Standard of Excellence was released, highlighting best practices in state data use.

The National Association of State Chief Information Officers named a new president this week and recognized visionary tech leaders who broke barriers to drive innovation, strengthen cybersecurity and further elevate the overall IT landscape.

The state of Minnesota’s Department of Public Safety uses translation AI tech in its Driver and Vehicle Services division, expanding access to government services for non-English-speaking constituents.

With the help of an outside firm investigating, the university learned in July that, as far back as 2021, a hacker accessed some 7 million Social Security numbers of applicants, students and employees dating to 1989.

Remote hearings, adopted as a pandemic necessity, could become common going forward in some states. Minnesota and Arizona have created guides indicating which hearings are suited for remote and which should be in person.

Attorneys for a former student and former employee alleged in federal court that the university violated the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act by not doing more to prevent a data breach.

Under a deal with the Minnesota Department of Human Services, approved by the St. Paul City Council in June, police officers have around-the-clock access to a controversial smartphone-hacking device called GrayKey.

After learning in July that an unauthorized party claimed to possess sensitive data taken from the university's systems, officials contacted the FBI and hired outside global forensics experts.

Multiple Minnesota law enforcement agencies face a civil rights lawsuit over the use of facial recognition technology in an arrest. However, the government denies facial recognition led to the arrest.

A cyber attack involving file transfer and encryption software called MOVEit exposed personal information of children in foster care, the Minneapolis and Perham school districts and Hennepin Technical College.