In our pandemic age, high-speed internet has become a necessity. Whether paying utility bills, logging in for school, or sending job applications, the transition from paper and pen to browsers and email has been swift. It makes sense that President Joe Biden and the Democratic majority in Congress want major investments in internet development. “A […]
Are Consumers Getting the Short Stick on Data Privacy?
On a Monday, there is a data leak affecting half a billion Facebook accounts, by Tuesday a bot has scraped 500 million LinkedIn accounts. On Wednesday, Stanford University announces a hack that exposed thousands of social security numbers and financial details. Then Thursday, the world’s largest aviation IT company announces 90 percent of passenger data may have been accessed in a cyber-attack. And […]
Australia’s Attempted Blackmail of Facebook Shows the Pendulum Swings Back on Consumers
Imagine this scenario: At the behest of several large legacy news outlets, a government institutes a law requiring that every time a news story is linked to on social media, the social network must pay a fee to news outlets. In other words, to allow a newspaper column or celebrity gossip blog link to appear […]
The storming of the US Capitol fueled by demagoguery and a threat to republican democracy
On Wednesday, we saw the worst passions of the American Republic storm through the doors of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. For hours, people around the world watched as marchers and protestors transformed into rioters who ransacked various congressional offices, posed for photos on the House floor, and terrorized hundreds of congressmen and women, […]
Biden Can Channel Libertarian Ideas to Woo Some of the Trump Coalition
The 2016 Donald Trump coalition was one for the ages. These were far from typical Republican voters, made up of disaffected liberals, libertarians, nationalists, run-of-the-mill conservatives and skeptics of adventurous foreign policy. Rhetoric on “dismantling” of the administrative state, promises of low taxes and cutting down on wars abroad convinced many moderates and libertarians who […]
Halting Targeted Advertising Kills Industries and Dumbs Down Tech
When we hear gripes about social media, one of the top concerns is targeted advertising. On any given day, this type of segmented advertising is used by the local hair salon searching for new clients, an environmental group asking for signatures on a petition and a city council candidate seeking your vote. These are all […]
Americans Need to Divorce Health Insurance From Our Jobs
In between the jabs during the first presidential debate, both President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden stumbled through their vision for healthcare reform. While Biden wants to expand a “public option,” a kind of Obamacare plus, Trump focused on his executive orders mandating cheaper drug prices and the congressional repeal of the […]
Beware Those Coming After Your Delivery Apps
The pandemic has, for better or worse, forced us to live online. That has made internet retail, digital services and delivery apps a godsend for millions of us sequestered at home. This entirely new sector of the economy has allowed us to safely buy and enjoy without the risk of coronavirus. At the press of […]
Coronavirus Will Blow Up Our Legal System, but a Liability Shield Will Help
As customers slowly trickle back into stores and workers punch back in at reopened businesses, there’s one thought on all our minds: caution. Protective plastic shields and screens, face masks and gloves are a new reality, and it is a small price to pay for coming out of state-mandated lockdowns. But months into the all-encompassing […]
We Need the Gig Economy Now More Than Ever
Forced to limit our social interactions to get through this pandemic, millions of us are using apps and online services to try to bring some measure of normalcy and convenience to our lives. Demand for food and alcohol delivery is through the roof and thousands of other platforms are still popular and ripe for a […]