Fast Company

Obama Campaign’s “Targeted Share” App Also Used Facebook Data From Millions Of Unknowing Users

In 2012 the Obama campaign was desperate to reach twentysomethings who were hard to access because they had only cell phones. So it sought to reach them on Facebook. Two GOP campaign analytics sources said the Obama camp used a common Facebook developer API – the same one used to access the data for Cambridge Analytica – to create a Facebook app that could capture the personal data not only of the app user, but also of all that person’s friends.

This California Bill Would Bring Back Net Neutrality With A Vengeance

On Dec 14, the Federal Communications Commission voted to abolish network neutrality regulations. The same day, California State Senator Scott Wiener (D-CA-11) released a video saying that he wanted to revive those policies in state law. Now his bill, SB822, hits the California legislature, with co-sponsors – all of whom are Democrats – in the Senate and Assembly. If the legislation passes, and allies in states like New York and New Jersey also introduce bills, a huge chunk of the US population and economy would be subject to regulations that the federal government adamantly opposes.

This New Wave Of Satellite Broadband Could Challenge Cable And Fiber

satellite internet has been the service of last resort for people who live in places where cable and telco broadband can’t reach. But that may begin to change as a next wave of satellite technology begins entering orbit over the earth over the next few years. The “last alternative” role of satellite service may not last forever, though. Changes are afoot in the industry. These new satellites, called Low Earth Orbit or LEOs, will be smaller and lighter and could soon cost less than $1 million each.

Critics on both the left and right say Ajit Pai’s FCC is hurting poor people

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai says he wants to help poor people. “I have often said that my highest priority as chairman is closing the digital divide–the gap between those who have access to next-generation technologies and those who don’t,” he told a Senate committee in September when talking about reforms to a subsidy program called Lifeline. But critics say he’s doing the opposite, including with that very program. Unlike in the net neutrality debate, critics of Chairman Pai’s latest efforts are now coming from the left and the right.

Why Low-Income Communities Are Building Their Own Internet Networks

With major telecommunication companies not offering broadband in poorer neighborhoods, community organizers are training locals to manage and implement their own networks to create equity and opportunities. In Detroit (MI), the Equitable Internet Initiative (EII) is stepping up to meet that need.

Erasing History: YouTube’s Deletion Of Syria War Videos Concerns Human Rights Groups

YouTube hosts 4 million videos related to Syria that have been uploaded since the outbreak of the war in 2011, according to Keith Hiatt, vice president of the human rights program at Benetech, a technology nonprofit. But YouTube wasn’t designed to be the world’s largest repository of war footage. Over the summer of 2017, YouTube introduced a machine-learning-based algorithm to flag videos for terms of service (ToS)-related violations.

Washington State just passed the country’s toughest net neutrality legislation

Washington State has passed sweeping legislation to regulate internet access for its residents. The bill cleared the state senate on a 35-to-14 vote, with bipartisan support. It had already blown through the house of representatives by 93-to-5 on February 9, and Gov Jay Inslee (D-WA) is on record as ready to sign it. Washington’s law applies to all Internet service providers that serve residents, whether or not they have state deals. All internet service offered in Washington would have to be free from blocking or throttling of legal online content.

The Net Neutrality Defender Fighting President Trump From The Other Washington

After the Federal Communications Commission and the US Congress scrapped federal regulations protecting both network neutrality and privacy for Internet service provider customers, several states started working on their own safeguards. With broad support from the governor, attorney general, and legislators of both parties, Washington State has been one of the most aggressive. That could make it a test case not only for telecom policy but for the country’s perennial power struggle between federal and state governments.