Platforms

Our working definition of a digital platform (with a hat tip to Harold Feld of Public Knowledge) is an online service that operates as a two-sided or multi-sided market with at least one side that is “open” to the mass market

For Years, Prison Life Was Isolated From Tech. Now Tech Is Beginning to Define It.

Around 1.9 million people are currently incarcerated in the United States, and an estimated 45 percent of Americans have at some point experienced the incarceration of an immediate family member. For many years, prisons have largely been tech bunkers, keeping incarcerated people isolated from the world outside. But things have started to change. In some cases, they changed because prison leaders recognized the need to connect incarcerated people to their communities.

US is leading "AI for good" push at United Nations

The United States is leading a new diplomatic push at the United Nations to mobilize all governments to support "AI for good and for all," according to US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield. Despite the need for new tools to tackle urgent problems like climate change, the richest and most powerful governments that back international responsible-AI initiatives have steered away from the deeply divided UN as an AI forum—until now. The US wants the UN to explicitly affirm that AI will be deployed consistently with the UN's founding documents—the 

Sen Edward Markey (D-MA) Introduces Legislation to Mandate Civil Rights Offices in Federal Agencies That Handle Artificial Intelligence

Senator Edward Markey (D-MA) introduced the Eliminating Bias in Algorithmic Systems (BIAS) Act to ensure that every federal agency that uses, funds, or oversees artificial intelligence (AI) has an office of civil rights focused on combatting AI bias and discrimination, among other harms. The legislation would also require every civil rights office to report their efforts to Congress and provide recommendations for congressional action. Many federal agencies lack civil rights offices whose principal mission is to protect vulnerable communities across the United States.

Biden team wades into open source AI controversy

The Biden Administration has big plans to tackle one of the AI boom's sharpest controversies—whether op

Artificial Intelligence: Agencies Have Begun Implementation but Need to Complete Key Requirements

While there are varying definitions of AI, they generally refer to computing systems that “learn” how to improve their performance. AI has the potential to rapidly change the world and holds substantial promise for improving government operations. However, AI poses risks that can negatively impact individuals, groups, organizations, communities, and society.

Google Loses Antitrust Court Battle With Makers of Fortnite Video Game

A jury ruled that Google violated antitrust laws to extract fees and limit competition from Epic Games and other developers on its Play mobile app store, in a case that could rewrite the rules on how thousands of businesses make money on Google’s smartphone operating system, Android. After deliberating for a little more than three hours, the nine-person federal jury sided with Epic Games on all 11 questions in a monthlong trial that was the latest turn in a three-year legal battle.

US Debates Data Policy to Avoid a Fragmented Global Internet

The White House is racing to overcome internal differences and hash out a new policy over how the US and other governments should view the rapid rise of global data flows that are fueling everything from artificial intelligence to advanced manufacturing. In a series of sessions due to begin on December 13, 2023, President Joe Biden’s national security and economic teams will meet with companies, labor and human rights advocates, and other experts on the digital economy as part of a review launched last month, according to people directly involved.

Teens, Social Media and Technology 2023

Despite negative headlines and growing concerns about social media’s impact on youth, teens continue to use these platforms at high rates—with some describing their social media use as “almost constant." Here’s a look at the key findings related to online platforms:

  • YouTube continues to dominate. Roughly nine-in-ten teens say they use YouTube, making it the most widely used platform measured in our survey.

News Publishers Are Fighting Big Tech Over Peanuts. They Could Be Owed Billions.

A bitter battle is taking place between Big Tech and the free press over how to share in the income that news content generates for technology giants. The future of our news ecosystem, a linchpin of democracy, depends on the outcome. Platforms gained their audience in part by sharing news content free.

European Union Agrees on Landmark Artificial Intelligence Rules

European Union policymakers agreed to a sweeping new law to regulate artificial intelligence, one of the world’s first comprehensive attempts to limit the use of a rapidly evolving technology that has wide-ranging societal and economic implications. The law, called the A.I.