erinegan
Latest
GOP and industry agree: Tech has a messaging problem
The government and the technology industry agree: They need to do a better job educating the public. During a policy forum hosted by the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) at the Republican National Convention this week, members of Congress and several industry veterans admitted they have not done enough to dispel myths around technology, nor have they found the proper way to push Americans toward degrees in STEM fields. Congressman Blake Farenthold from Texas said "everyone still wants an MBA," even though you'd probably make more money with a degree in engineering.
Google and Facebook come out against government spying
The Department of Homeland Security is setting up shop in Silicon Valley, with the agency's head Jeh Johnson pushing for easier access to our private data. Naturally, both Google and Facebook have started to openly resist this call to create backdoors for state surveillance. At the RSA security conference, Google's Keith Enright told MIT Technology Review that any attempt to breach his company's encryption would harm civil liberties.
Facebook launches Ask Our Chief Privacy Officer, says knowing is half the battle
There's no denying that Facebook's voting system for privacy policies is flawed -- when halting any measure requires enough votes to populate a large country, the attempt at democracy is more of a token gesture. As proposed, the company has launched an Ask Our Chief Privacy Officer page that's a tad more engaging. Fill out a short form and CPO Erin Egan just might offer a direct answer as to why Facebook chose a given privacy path, and possibly tackle any outstanding concerns head-on. Those curious users whose questions are picked will have to wait for a monthly public response to get their answers, so don't consider the page a personal hotline. It might, however, help make better sense of a company whose attitude towards our information is in constant flux.
