Policy

Age verification laws create myriad privacy risks, and requiring platforms to collect government IDs or face scans opens the door to potential exploitation by hackers and enemy governments.

Jason Benshoof, Nevada’s first-ever state chief data officer, said teamwork among agencies will help keep data initiatives in line with community priorities. A state staffer since 2009, he was named CDO Feb. 12.

The new Government Coordinating Council will work with all levels of government to open channels of structured communication and put best practices into action in K-12 districts nationwide.

In Arkansas, Florida, Georgia and Utah, lawmakers this session are trying to balance digital privacy and children’s mental health issues as they seek to implement social media mandates.

Lawmakers are considering laws that would let officials reduce the number of voting machines and put pictures of all ballots online. Others would criminalize deepfake campaign ads and eliminate using ballot QR codes to count votes.

A new report from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration calls for better visibility into AI systems, independent evaluations of those that are highest-risk, and consequences for potential risks or harm.

With budget negotiations underway, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul's proposal to create an Empire AI consortium to lead responsible development of artificial intelligence is likely to get the $275 million it needs.

Some experts say the new European Union Artificial Intelligence Act could have implications for U.S. ed-tech developers who sell products in the EU, especially if it influences domestic policy changes in the U.S.

In the wake of a foreign cyber attack last year that impacted the state’s online court system, lawmakers are considering a bill that would set timelines for agencies to meet national cybersecurity standards and penalize those that do not.

The bill would prevent kids younger than 16 from creating a social media account without parental consent as well as compel social media companies to better monitor group chats with minors.

The Legislature’s Energy and Technology Committee approved a bill requiring scrutiny of a proposed data center — and any data center proposed in the state that would bypass the electrical grid. The bill heads now to the full state Senate.

Complete bans, age verification and new online tools are in play as government, the tech industry and parents contend for influence and control in determining how to keep minors safe online.

Several ideas are afoot to update the Congressional Research Service, sometimes known as Congress’ think tank. One would eliminate the weighty print version of the Constitution Annotated, known as CONAN, making it digital-only.

Gov. Tina Kotek addressed Oregon’s Artificial Intelligence Advisory Council Tuesday at its first-ever meeting. She created the council Nov. 28 by executive order; it has 12 months to deliver a final recommended action plan.

With the state Legislature back in action this week for the first time in months, there is considerable talk but little action on bills that could stymie harmful uses of artificial intelligence, or AI.

The state attorney general, Democratic lawmakers, parents and a child safety advocate rallied in Albany on Wednesday for legislation they say will take significant steps to protect children on the Internet.

Building an AI program is a daunting proposition, but government has to start somewhere. From strengthening cybersecurity to improving 311, a handful of early adopters are finding safe and practical uses.

The Alabama Genetic Privacy Data Act, now under consideration by legislators, would require DNA testing companies to get consent from consumers before sharing their genetic information. Currently, no such privacy guarantee exists in the state.