The tech industry’s lack of disclosure to the federal government about computer processor design flaws was “baffling” and “inexcusable,” said Senate Commerce Committee ranking member Bill Nelson, D-Fla., Wednesday during a hearing on Spectre and Meltdown vulnerabilities (see 1807100057). He told us later that Intel’s absence gives him little confidence industry will alert the government in a “timely fashion” on future vulnerabilities.
The search of a person’s smartphone is more revealing than the search of that individual's home, said Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., Wednesday during a hearing on Department of Homeland Security border search policies. DHS allows customs and border officials to seize and search, without warrant or suspicion of wrongdoing, U.S. citizens’ smartphones and devices when they travel internationally. Paul and Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., are authors of the Protecting Data at the Border Act (S-823) to prohibit these searches. Lawmakers discussed the practice at a Senate Federal Spending Oversight and Emergency Management Subcommittee hearing. Chairman Paul said authorities have to worry about bad actors attacking the U.S., but “without question,” the Fourth Amendment should protect U.S. citizens. Wyden, who isn't a full committee member, said at the hearing that digital is “truly different,” calling the Supreme Court’s recent Carpenter (see 1807050025) decision “a step in the right direction.” Ranking member Gary Peters, D-Mich., also cited Fourth Amendment protections. Georgetown University Law Center professor Laura Donohue said “border searches of electronic devices are increasing at an alarming rate,” and the “time is ripe for Congress to take action.” American Civil Liberties Union Legislative Counsel Neema Singh Guliani called on Congress to pass S-823 and press DHS to amend its policy to “comport with the Constitution.” Cato Institute Director-Project on Emerging Technologies Matthew Feeney spoke against the “border exception” to the Fourth Amendment.
Senate Commerce Committee members Wednesday will weigh two newly discovered computer processor design flaws, one of which a researcher described as “probably one of the worst CPU [central processing unit] bugs ever found” (see 1807060015 and 1801260009).“I don’t think there are any solutions right now for what we’re going to be talking about,” Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., told us when asked about Wednesday’s hearing on Spectre and Meltdown vulnerabilities. “Hopefully, we’ll come up with some solutions. ... Maybe some of the professors can come up with something.”
Senate Commerce Committee members Wednesday will weigh two newly discovered computer processor design flaws, one of which a researcher described as “probably one of the worst CPU [central processing unit] bugs ever found” (see 1807060015 and 1801260009).“I don’t think there are any solutions right now for what we’re going to be talking about,” Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., told us when asked about Wednesday’s hearing on Spectre and Meltdown vulnerabilities. “Hopefully, we’ll come up with some solutions. ... Maybe some of the professors can come up with something.”
Senate Commerce Committee members Wednesday will weigh two newly discovered computer processor design flaws, one of which a researcher described as “probably one of the worst CPU [central processing unit] bugs ever found” (see 1807060015 and 1801260009).“I don’t think there are any solutions right now for what we’re going to be talking about,” Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., told us when asked about Wednesday’s hearing on Spectre and Meltdown vulnerabilities. “Hopefully, we’ll come up with some solutions. ... Maybe some of the professors can come up with something.”
Language the Senate Judiciary Committee included in its version of the Music Modernization Act (S-2334) (see 1806280062, 1806110051 and 1806080034) ensures DOJ would have proper oversight if the department were to try to eliminate the ASCAP and BMI consent decrees, said representatives from the MIC Coalition. But a music industry attorney accused Congress of catering to the coalition, pitting wealthy companies against songwriters.
Language the Senate Judiciary Committee included in its version of the Music Modernization Act (S-2334) (see 1806280062, 1806110051 and 1806080034) ensures DOJ would have proper oversight if the department were to try to eliminate the ASCAP and BMI consent decrees, said representatives from the MIC Coalition. But a music industry attorney accused Congress of catering to the coalition, pitting wealthy companies against songwriters.
Language the Senate Judiciary Committee included in its version of the Music Modernization Act (S-2334) (see 1806280062, 1806110051 and 1806080034) ensures DOJ would have proper oversight if the department were to try to eliminate the ASCAP and BMI consent decrees, said representatives from the MIC Coalition. But a music industry attorney accused Congress of catering to the coalition, pitting wealthy companies against songwriters.
The Supreme Court’s Carpenter decision is a victory for privacy advocates, said experts and observers in recent interviews, but the court didn't address some emerging police surveillance technologies in its narrow decision (see 1806220052 and 1806290064).
The Supreme Court’s Carpenter decision is a victory for privacy advocates, said experts and observers in recent interviews, but the court didn't address some emerging police surveillance technologies in its narrow decision (see 1806220052 and 1806290064).