Technology and foreign policy experts have mixed opinions on how the U.S. should handle challenges to innovation and its technology sector due to "harmful" Chinese trade and market practices. During an event Thursday hosted by the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF), public and private sector speakers presented examples of China's market strategy and what it has done to American businesses, particularly in the areas of technology and the Internet. ITIF released its own report on the topic Thursday.

Technology and foreign policy experts have mixed opinions on how the U.S. should handle challenges to innovation and its technology sector due to "harmful" Chinese trade and market practices. During an event Thursday hosted by the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF), public and private sector speakers presented examples of China's market strategy and what it has done to American businesses, particularly in the areas of technology and the Internet. ITIF released its own report on the topic Thursday.

The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation released a report Thursday on the “Privacy Panic Cycle,” named after the phenomenon the report's authors, ITIF IT Vice President Daniel Castro and Research Assistant Alan McQuinn, say occurs when new technologies are introduced. It’s striking how often the same old privacy arguments are brought up when new technology appears, Castro said. Privacy experts who reviewed the report before its release raised some concerns with its findings during an ITIF event Thursday, calling it a road map the government could use to rebut anyone who criticizes its mass surveillance programs.

The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation released a report Thursday on the “Privacy Panic Cycle,” named after the phenomenon the report's authors, ITIF IT Vice President Daniel Castro and Research Assistant Alan McQuinn, say occurs when new technologies are introduced. It’s striking how often the same old privacy arguments are brought up when new technology appears, Castro said. Privacy experts who reviewed the report before its release raised some concerns with its findings during an ITIF event Thursday, calling it a road map the government could use to rebut anyone who criticizes its mass surveillance programs.

The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) urged the FTC in comments filed with the commission last week, to support the sharing economy by taking a light-handed regulatory approach and fighting "anti-competitive laws" tailored to incumbent businesses. The comments are among nearly 2,000 filings submitted to the FTC in response to its June workshop on various issues raised by the sharing economy (see 1508050043). The FTC should launch an effort "to use its authority to provide continuous oversight of anticompetitive regulations that impede innovation in the market" by identifying policies that limit the sharing economy and recommending changes "to ensure that competition in the sharing economy flourishes," ITIF said.

The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) urged the FTC in comments filed with the commission last week, to support the sharing economy by taking a light-handed regulatory approach and fighting "anti-competitive laws" tailored to incumbent businesses. The comments are among nearly 2,000 filings submitted to the FTC in response to its June workshop on various issues raised by the sharing economy (see 1508050043). The FTC should launch an effort "to use its authority to provide continuous oversight of anticompetitive regulations that impede innovation in the market" by identifying policies that limit the sharing economy and recommending changes "to ensure that competition in the sharing economy flourishes," ITIF said.

Congress should quickly take up, debate on and pass Rep. Jackie Speier’s, D-Calif., soon-to-be introduced revenge porn legislation, the Intimate Privacy Protection Act, said Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) Vice President Daniel Castro and research assistant Alan McQuinn in a report Wednesday. While a number of states and private businesses have taken up the cause to reduce the online harassment known as revenge porn, Congress needs to take action because victims have inadequate means available to fight back, the report said. ITIF recommends Congress pass legislation criminalizing the nonconsensual distribution of sexually explicit images, create a special FBI unit to provide immediate assistance to victims of nonconsensual pornography, and direct the Justice Department to work with the private sector on developing best practices for online services to remove nonconsensual pornography quickly, the report said. To ensure the legislation doesn’t criminalize less malicious behavior or infringe on free speech it should include an intent clause and a knowledge standard, the report said. ITIF also recommended federal legislation not change Section 230 of Title 47 of the U.S. Code, which protects online providers from liability for the content posted by others, so law enforcement can focus on the perpetrators of the crime, and for “sexually explicit material” to be defined in a manner that can evolve over time. Nonconsensual pornography is an “egregious invasion of privacy” predominantly affecting women that “severely damages reputations, endangers safety, and inflicts unjust financial, emotional, and social costs,” Castro said in a news release. “While 24 states and some private companies have taken a stand to slow this insidious crime, we need a consistent, nation-wide policy that adequately brings remedy to the victims and dissuades future violations,” he said.

Congress should quickly take up, debate on and pass Rep. Jackie Speier’s, D-Calif., soon-to-be introduced revenge porn legislation, the Intimate Privacy Protection Act, said Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) Vice President Daniel Castro and research assistant Alan McQuinn in a report Wednesday. While a number of states and private businesses have taken up the cause to reduce the online harassment known as revenge porn, Congress needs to take action because victims have inadequate means available to fight back, the report said. ITIF recommends Congress pass legislation criminalizing the nonconsensual distribution of sexually explicit images, create a special FBI unit to provide immediate assistance to victims of nonconsensual pornography, and direct the Justice Department to work with the private sector on developing best practices for online services to remove nonconsensual pornography quickly, the report said. To ensure the legislation doesn’t criminalize less malicious behavior or infringe on free speech it should include an intent clause and a knowledge standard, the report said. ITIF also recommended federal legislation not change Section 230 of Title 47 of the U.S. Code, which protects online providers from liability for the content posted by others, so law enforcement can focus on the perpetrators of the crime, and for “sexually explicit material” to be defined in a manner that can evolve over time. Nonconsensual pornography is an “egregious invasion of privacy” predominantly affecting women that “severely damages reputations, endangers safety, and inflicts unjust financial, emotional, and social costs,” Castro said in a news release. “While 24 states and some private companies have taken a stand to slow this insidious crime, we need a consistent, nation-wide policy that adequately brings remedy to the victims and dissuades future violations,” he said.

Before artificial intelligence technology advances too far, policymakers, researchers and regulators must talk about what is and isn’t acceptable, speakers said Tuesday at an Information Technology and Innovation Foundation event. Artificial intelligence can bring many benefits to humans, but if constructed poorly, AI comes with a lot of risks, said Machine Intelligence Research Institute Executive Director Nate Soares. Others said artificial intelligence is part of the evolution of humanity, and restrictions shouldn’t be put on a technology when researchers are still discovering its capabilities.

The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation and NAB support some of the Consumer Drone Safety Act introduced by Sens. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., and Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. The legislation “strikes the right balance by imposing meaningful guidelines on recreational use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles,” an NAB spokesman said in a written statement Thursday. “UAVs hold great potential in improving newsgathering capabilities at local stations.” Though ITIF Vice President Daniel Castro generally commended the legislation, he said Friday that its anti-tampering proposed requirements go too far. “UAS as we know them today were created due to a culture of innovation, in which amateur inventors and model aircraft hobbyists built and improved upon the technology organically,” Castro said of unmanned aircraft systems. “This bill would prohibit consumers from ‘jailbreaking’ their drones and put the brakes on permission-less innovation.” Castro proposed steep penalties be imposed on those who violate Federal Aviation Administration safety rules. “The Consumer Drone Safety Act is a small, but important, step forward,” he said. “Congress and the FAA should continue to look for opportunities to enable commercial UAS usage that is risk-based and technology-neutral,” he said. “By modernizing its FAA safety rules, the United States can promote innovation and remain competitive in the rapidly growing global market for drone technology.” Some have said the chances of Congress passing any comprehensive drone privacy legislation are low (see 1506180020).