Posted by Jeff MeisnerEditor, Microsoft on the Issues
In this edition of The Week in Tech Policy, we have stories on California banning employers and universities from asking for Facebook and social media information from employees and students, new Internet radio legislation and a new privacy bill that would require law enforcement to obtain a warrant before gaining access to Americans’ e-mail and cell phone data.
California bans employers from asking for Facebook passwords. “California Gov. Jerry Brown signed two bills into law on (Sept. 27) that would block universities and employers from requiring that applicants hand over their passwords for email, Facebook and other social media accounts,” Hillicon Valley reports. One bill would ban employers from demanding social media account information from employees and job applicants while the other bill would ban universities from doing the same to current and prospective students as well as student groups.
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Today, in front of 2,000 students and teachers at Federal Way High School in Washington state, Microsoft General Counsel and Executive Vice President of Legal & Corporate Affairs Brad Smith joined Free The Children founder Craig Kielburger and Seattle Seahawks’ Head Coach Pete Carroll to announce We Day Seattle - an exciting new, year-long program at that will educate, engage and empower 15,000 youth in Washington to become involved global citizens.
Editor’s Note: This is a guest post from Stephen Balkam, chief executive officer of the Family Online Safety Institute.
Today, we at the Family Online Safety Institute are launching “A Platform for Good,” a unique interactive website designed to help change the national dialogue about kids and technology, and to promote conversations between teens, their parents and teachers about using the power of the Internet and social media for good.
There is plenty of bad news about how digital technology affects our kids. Cyberbullying, sexting, over-use, over-sharing and concerns over the 3 P’s: porn, predators and privacy. Certainly, discussions among adults, whether they are parents, policy makers or politicians, are often focused on the dangers and pitfalls of technology. This is fueled by fear-based messaging with provocative headlines and scary-sounding news stories that create an atmosphere of concern and worry over what might happen to our kids if we let them loose online.
In this edition of The Week in Tech Policy, we have stories on a new Pew Center study focused on mobile app privacy, the Federal Communications Commission’s plans to measure mobile broadband speeds and more.
Pew Center study: app users are worried about privacy. A study released by the Pew Center on Sept. 5 indicates that “than half of mobile application users have uninstalled or avoided certain apps over privacy concerns,” according to a report in Hillicon Valley. “The study found that 54 percent of app users have avoided an app when they discover how much personal information it collects or shares. About 30 percent have uninstalled an app that was already on the phone when they learned how it was using their data.”
Editor’s Note: This post is part of a monthly series from Microsoft’s Citizenship team that appears at 6 a.m. PT on the second Wednesday of every month. Pulse on Citizenship provides insight and commentary on topics and trends in corporate citizenship.
Posted by James RooneyProgram Manager, Technology for Good, Microsoft
In less than a month, Microsoft will host the annual NetHope Summit here on campus. More than 150 IT officers from 34 of the world’s largest international development agencies will attend, including World Vision, CARE, Red Cross, Mercy Corps, Save the Children, Oxfam, The Nature Conservancy and many more. It gives everyone a chance to listen, learn, share information, and think about how the power of technology can change the world.
When looking at this year’s agenda, it’s clear that the nonprofit technology space is changing. It’s not immune to some of the complicated side-effects of the fast pace of innovation. The shift from on-premise to the cloud for, well, everything. The democratization of IT with every employee wanting his or her personal devices connected to the network.