Brief #91 – Technology Policy Brief
by Mindy Spatt
A Google search for abortion services will often serve up just the opposite- ‘Pregnancy Crisis Centers’ and other fake clinics dedicated to preventing abortions rather than providing them.
Search Results
Fintech Loans: Breakthrough in Payday Lending or Just Another Way to Bilk Consumers?
Brief #91 – Technology Policy
by Mindy Spatt
Earned Wage Access app users are living paycheck to paycheck, and being sucked into loans that hide their full costs, which can add up to the same 400 percent APR payday lenders charge.
Important Tech Accountability Measures in California May Get Picked Up by Congress
Brief #88 – Technology Policy
by Mindy Spratt
Two measures being considered by the California State Legislature would rein in egregious practices by tech companies that critics have long complained about.
The Battle Over Gig Worker Protections Heads to the California Supreme Court and the US Senate
Brief #86 – Technology Policy
by Mindy Spatt
Rideshare companies have won the latest round in their fight to stop California’s gig worker protection legislation from becoming law.
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Meta’s Oversight Board Invites Comments on Martyrs
Brief #83 – Technology Policy
by Mindy Spatt
Meta’s Oversight Board has taken public comments on the way its platforms treat the Arabic word “Shaheed”, often deleting it from posts by posters Meta has deemed dangerous.
Banning TikTok Won’t Make the Data Safe
Brief #81 – Technology Policy
by Mindy Spatt
TikTok is under attack from all sides. The Biden Administration is threatening to ban the app altogether, the Justice department is investigating it, advocates say it is dangerous to children, a school district is suing, and governments in the US and the UK won’t allow their workers to use it.
Will Regulation Stifle Crypto, And Do We Care?
Brief #80 – Technology Policy
By Mindy Splatt
Fans of crypto have enthusiastically told me it enables lower income people to invest and earn money. They think it is more democratic and less corrupt than the stock market. And they eschew consumer protections, believeing that in order for it to accomplish these wonders it must not be hampered by a governmental bureaucracy.
Facebook’s Advertising Practices Run Afoul of Privacy Protection Rules in Europe
Brief #53 – Technology Policy
By Mindy Spatt
A groundbreaking decision by European regulators is pushing Meta, parent company of Facebook and Instagram, to make changes to its advertising policies. The ruling goes further than any US authority has gone in limiting Facebooks’ ability to collect users’ data. Meta is expected to appeal.
Location Data Still Putting Abortion Seekers At Risk
Brief #153 – Health & Gender
By Mindy Spatt
After the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs and resultant abortion bans, online access to abortion information became increasingly important, and advocates for choice began expressing concern about the vulnerability of location data.