Sen. Jay Rockefeller's Violent Media Study Bill Offered as Amendment to Gun Control Bill

April 17, 2013

In a sneaky move to get his misguided legislation passed easier, Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.

5 comments | Read more

Civil Liberties Groups Send CISPA Opposition Letter to Members of Congress

April 17, 2013

Thirty-four civil liberties groups have signed onto a letter urging lawmakers in the House of Representatives to vote against the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA) when it comes up for a vote on the floor either today or tomorrow. The letter lays out the collective groups' continued opposition to the bill after a secret markup hearing last week was held and amendments put forward that would have added privacy protections for Americans were soundly rejected by hearing members.

| Read more

Four Democratic House Members Oppose CISPA, Want Changes on Privacy

April 16, 2013

Representatives Anna G. Eshoo (CA), Rush Holt (NJ), Janice Schakowsky (IL) and Adam B. Schiff (CA) have written a "Dear Colleague" letter coming out strongly against the current version of CISPA, saying that the bill "has major shortcomings and would undermine the interests of citizens and their privacy."

NJ Lawmaker Proposes Bill to Ban Non-Existent 'Mature Rated' Public Arcade Games

April 15, 2013

New Jersey State Assemblywoman Linda Stender (D-Union) plans to introduce legislation to ban violent video games in public places. The Assemblywoman has proposed a law that would ban all "M" rated and "Adults Only" games from public places such as amusement parks, movie theaters, bowling allies, retail stories and other public places. It is a move similar to what the Massachusetts Department of Transportation did on its thruways earlier this year.

2 comments | Read more

Democrats, White House Express Dislike for CISPA in its Current Form

April 12, 2013

While (most, not all) Republicans seems to largely embrace and support the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISP) sponsored by congressman Mike Rogers (R-Mich.) and Dutch Ruppersberger (D-Md.), Politico provides a ray of hope for those who oppose what rights groups are calling a slick "government surveillance" bill.

| Read more

Rep. Marsha Blackburn Re-Introduces SECURE IT Act

April 11, 2013

While Rep. Mike Roger rushes CISPA through a markup committee hearing this week, one Rep. is getting her own cybersecurity bill ready for a floor vote. While Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) called on the SEC to issue formal guidance on corporate disclosures related to cyber attacks, Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) re-introduced the SECURE IT Act. Her bill is an alternative to the Senate's Cyber-Security Act of 2012 (S. 2105).

| Read more

CISPA Overwhelmingly Approved at Secret House Markup Hearing

April 11, 2013

The Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA) has made it out of its markup hearing in the House by a vote of 18-2. That means that the bill could be voted on by the full House on the floor as soon as next week. Worst still members of the committee overwhelmingly voted down an amendment that would have added some privacy provisions into the bill.

Super Podcast Action Committee - Episode 47

April 11, 2013

Episode 47 of the Super Podcast Action Committee is finally available after a rocky start to the week for Andrew and EZK, who both are apparently very sick. Nevertheless, they tough it out to catch up on the last two polls (one about dying Xbox 360s and another about punishing politicians for creating unconstitutional laws) and take some time to give EA kudos for winning the Worst Company in America award for a second year in a row. Will 2014 make the third time the charm? Stay tuned!

| Read more

Report: SEC Filings Show No Financial Impact From Cyberattacks

April 10, 2013

Even as Congress tackles the issue of crafting decent legislation to deal with cyberattacks (and no, CISPA is not decent legislation in its current form) in a secret "closed to the public" markup meeting, Techdirt has uncovered the fact that 27 companies have told the SEC that cyberattacks have had no impact. According to this Bloomberg report, 27 companies reported cyberattacks in SEC filings.

| Read more

Poll Results: Should Lawmakers Be Punished for Passing Bad Laws?

April 9, 2013

Last week we asked you "Should lawmakers be penalized for passing patently unconstitutional legislation?" And here are the results of that poll. Exactly 652 votes were cast, with the majority of voters saying that the cost of bad legislation should come out of lawmakers' pockets. 15 percent of votes went to giving lawmakers jail time for passing laws found not legal under the U.S. Constitution, 14 percent said they should be fired, and 13 percent think they should be voted out of office (or that people should vote against them if they don't like the laws they pass).

6 comments | Read more

PSA: CISPA Meeting This Week, Have Your Say

April 8, 2013

Just a friendly reminder: this week the House of Representatives will hold a mark-up meeting for the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA) behind closed doors and hidden from the public.

2 comments | Read more

Advocacy Groups Ask Congress for Transparency in CISPA Hearing Next Week

April 4, 2013

On March 20 a coalition of advocacy groups, concerned citizens, academics, and web sites sent a letter to the White House urging the President of the United States to veto CISPA in its current state if it is passed by the House and Senate.

Lawmakers To Hold CISPA Hearing Behind Closed Doors Next Week

April 4, 2013

Next week when the House Intelligence Committee takes up the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA - HR 624) it will hold its markup hearing behind closed doors and away from the prying eyes of the general public and critics of the bill. Not only will this hide the discussion lawmakers have about this bill, but it will also allow them to stealthily make any amendments to the bill they like without having to worry about immediate scrutiny from anyone.

4 comments | Read more

CDT: Cyber Security Bill 'Basically Authorizes Hacking'

April 4, 2013

Watchdog and online advocacy group the Center for Democracy and Technology says that the new cyber security bill makes its way through Congress is so badly written that it effectively authorize hacking.

| Read more

Sen. Dianne Feinstein Talks Guns and Games at San Francisco Gathering

April 4, 2013

Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) said that the National Rifle Association (NRA) and gun manufacturers are to blame for what she categorized as the "disconnect between the broad public support for gun control and the reluctance in Congress" to support legislation that would ban assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines." Feinstein made her comments at a gathering of about 500 people in San Francisco on Wednesday.

12 comments | Read more

California Crafting New Energy Efficiency Standards that Include Video Games

April 3, 2013

California state regulators want video games and other devices to be more energy efficient and are making some moves towards creating regulations, according to an LA Times report. The state has in the past put strict regulations in place for household appliances, furnaces, air conditioners and big-screen televisions to use less energy.

6 comments | Read more

Watchdog Groups and Concerned Citizens Urge Lawmakers to Add an Exception to the DMCA for Unlocking Mobile Devices

March 28, 2013

A letter signed by 33 organizations and nine individuals asks the top ranking lawmakers in the House of Representatives (Reps. Bob Goodlatte and John Conyers) and the United States Senate (Sens. Patrick Leahy and Charles Grassley) to make an exception for unlocking electronic devices to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). Recently a petition signed by over 110,000 Americans asked President Barack Obama's administration to make the same exception.

| Read more

NJ Assemblyman Proposes Bill to Fine Video Game Retailers

March 28, 2013

Oblivious to a Federal Trade Commission report released this week that said that only 13 percent of under-age secret shoppers it deployed (as part of a Secret Shopper Survey program in 2012) were able to buy video games from national retailers (see the story here) New Jersey Assemblyman Sean T.

11 comments | Read more

If CISPA is Passed, Who Gets Access to Your Data?

March 21, 2013

The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) offers some pretty frightening information on which government agencies could be given access to your private information under the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA).

3 comments | Read more

ECA Action Alert: Provide Your Own Testimony to Frank Wolf's One-Sided Video Game Violence Hearing

March 19, 2013

Last week you told you about a one-sided hearing being put on by Congressman Frank Wolf (R-Virginia) today to discuss the recent report created by National Science Foundation's director Subra Suresh and Dr. Brad J. Bushman about violent video games and real world violence like the horrific tragedy that occurred in Newtown late last year.

| Read more

Super Podcast Action Committee - Episode 45

March 18, 2013

On this week's show we talk about Congressman Frank Wolf's hearing this week to slam "violent video games," changes being made to the ESRB, the ESA's plan for a PSA campaign, the latest SimCity news, and the results of the latest GamePolitics poll. Download Episode 45 now: SuperPAC Episode 45 (1 hour, 12 minutes) 66.6 MB.

House Subcommittee Schedules One-Sided Oversight Hearing on Media Violence Next Week

March 15, 2013

On March 19 the House Appropriations Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Subcommittee will hold an oversight hearing on the National Science Foundation and Youth Violence Research report.

8 comments | Read more

Top U.S. Tech Companies Urge Lawmakers to Reform Immigration Policy

March 15, 2013

The top executives of over 100 U.S.-based tech companies have sent a letter to President Barack Obama and U.S. lawmakers imploring them to reform immigration and address skill shortages by issuing more special visas so that talented individuals outside the U.S. can come here to work.

3 comments | Read more

Report: Facebook No Longer Supporting CISPA

March 14, 2013

Facebook is no longer listed as a supporter of the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA), according to this CNET report. Facebook and its CEO were singled out by activist group Demand Progress, who sent an avalanche of emails to CEO Mark Zuckerberg with the message:

4 comments | Read more

France Considers Net Neutrality Law

March 13, 2013

Is France about to join the "net neutrality club?" According to this Ars Technica report that is a distinct possibility, but some things need to be worked out first… The French government has put forward a new plan that could enshrine net neutrality into national law, and should it pass it would become the second country in Europe.

| Read more

ACLU to Congress: Keep the Military Out of Cybersecurity Efforts

March 13, 2013

The American Civil Liberties Union had a simple message for Congress today about CISPA or any other plans for sharing internet user information between corporations and government intelligence agencies: keep cybersecurity information sharing out of military hands.

Anti-CISPA Petition Surpasses 100K Signature Threshold

March 12, 2013

The deadline for a petition submitted to the White House's "We The People" site to stop the passage of the newest version of the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA) is March 15, but the petition has already passed the 100,000 signature threshold needed for the White House to recognize it. The petition expresses concerns that citizens and privacy groups have over the privacy implications of the bill sponsored by Reps.

Who Currently Supports CISPA?

March 11, 2013

ReadWriteWeb has an excellent article that gathers the names of all of the organizations and individuals that are either for or against the newest draft of the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act, or CISPA. While many technology and Internet firms are marked down as supporting the bill, a number of them do so as long as privacy concerns are addressed first.

1 comment | Read more

Rep. Zoe Lofgren and Friends Introduce Bipartisan ECPA Reform Bill

March 6, 2013

Reps. Zoe Lofgren (D-San Jose), Ted Poe (R-TX) and Suzan DelBene (D-WA) have introduced bipartisan legislation that seeks to modernize the 1986 Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA). The changes focus on providing better protections for those who utilize new technologies in the internet age like cloud computing and location-based services. Lofgren was one of a handful of lawmakers that strongly opposed SOPA and PIPA from the very beginning.

1 comment | Read more

EFF Calls for Support of The SHIELD Act

February 27, 2013

The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) is asking the Internet community to let their elected representatives in Washington D.C. know that they support H.R. 845, better known as the SHIELD Act (check it out here (PDF)). What is the SHIELD Act? "SHIELD" stands for "Saving High-Tech Innovators from Egregious Legal Disputes."

1 comment | Read more

 
Forgot your password?
Username :
Password :

Shout box

You're not permitted to post shouts.
DorthLousPWAHAHAHAH, the MS spinning sound woke me up :)06/19/2013 - 4:27pm
Andrew EisenMicrosoft's new console shall now be known as the Xbox One-Eighty.06/19/2013 - 4:17pm
Andrew EisenI imagine we were typing our respective shouts at the same time.06/19/2013 - 4:14pm
MaskedPixelanteSo Andrew... is there going to be a new poll now? I mean, the one about the XBO DRM is kinda no longer relevant.06/19/2013 - 4:13pm
Andrew EisenIn light of Xbox One's furious backpeddling on its DRM policies, I'm closing the poll for now. I'll probably write a new one later today or tomorrow.06/19/2013 - 4:11pm
IanCFound three people whining about this so far. Saying that its because of cheapasses and that its going to be horrible online now. W T and indeed F.06/19/2013 - 4:09pm
Andrew EisenTechnogeek - I agree but: "After a one-time system set-up with a new Xbox One, you can play any disc based game without ever connecting online again." Why do I need to connect online to set up a system I'm not going to use online?06/19/2013 - 4:07pm
Technogeek@Andrew Eisen: I can't really see any other possible use for the one-time setup given the listed changes.06/19/2013 - 3:58pm
PHX Corphttp://news.xbox.com/2013/06/update it's available as of now06/19/2013 - 3:49pm
MaskedPixelanteBackpedal! Backpedal like the wind!06/19/2013 - 3:47pm
Andrew EisenHere's a telling bit: the page with the updates to the DRM? Yeah, it's down right now. And MS wonders why this "online check" stuff irks us so much.06/19/2013 - 3:40pm
ImautobotDamage is done, I am not going to give them another chance.06/19/2013 - 3:38pm
Andrew Eisen"Online authentication will still be required, but only during a console's initial setup" Hopefully, that means setting up Xbox Live and such.06/19/2013 - 3:38pm
PHX Corp@EZK one down, one to go06/19/2013 - 3:37pm
IanCYeah, too little, too late. They lost my trust, and this sint enough to get it back. Theres just this lingering fear that one day it will come back, in some way.06/19/2013 - 3:35pm
E. Zachary KnightGamasutra has confirmed it. They are reversing their DRM policies. Not sure what it all entails though. http://gamasutra.com/view/news/194649/Microsoft_reverses_Xbox_One_DRM_policy.php06/19/2013 - 3:33pm
E. Zachary KnightRumor has it that Microsoft is just going to up and ditch its DRM policies before launch. http://www.giantbomb.com/articles/microsoft-to-pull-complete-reversal-on-xbox-one-dr/1100-4673/06/19/2013 - 3:13pm
E. Zachary KnightIt is the same price as the existing slim, uses all new cables (power and composite) and does not have optical audio. So you have to use HDMI if you want HD video and surround sound.06/19/2013 - 2:12pm
E. Zachary KnightInteresting. IGN is recommending that you just skip the new 360 redesign. http://www.ign.com/videos/2013/06/18/unboxing-the-xbox-360-super-slim06/19/2013 - 2:12pm
Papa MidnightRumor - Steam to Allow Game Borrowing06/19/2013 - 1:24pm
 

Be Heard - Contact Your Politician