US House of Representatives Bans TikTok on Official Devices
TikTok has been banned from all devices owned and managed by the U.S. House of Representatives.
Congress Introduces Bill to Ban TikTok from the U.S. Amid Spying Fears
Members of both the United States House of Representatives and the Senate have introduced a new bipartisan bill that aims to completely ban TikTok from operating in the country amid spying concerns.
New Bill to Limit Copyright to 56 Years, Would be Retroactive
Senator Josh Hawley has introduced a bill that would cap copyright on intellectual property to a maximum of 56 years, with no extensions. If passed, the bill would also retroactively apply to existing copyrights.
New Bill Would Strip Protections Specifically from Facebook’s News Feed
A new bill proposed by four lawmakers aims to strip Section 230 protections from algorithm-based recommendations like Facebook's newsfeed and hold social media companies accountable for what is fed to its users.
Facebook is ‘Pausing’ Development of Instagram for Kids
Instagram's head Adam Mosseri has announced that the company is pausing development for an "Instagram for Kids" amid outside pressure from lawmakers and regulators, although Mosseri says Instagram still believes it's "the right thing to do."
Senators to Investigate Instagram: Congress Members Say Facebook Lied
Two leading members of the Senate Commerce Committee's panel over consumer protection have said they will launch an investigation into Facebook following the report that the company was aware its product was harmful to teens.
44 State AGs Call on Facebook to Abandon Instagram for Kids
In early March, a report alleged that Facebook was working on a version of Instagram designed specifically for children. In the two months since, the company has faced repeated pressure to abandon the program, the latest comes from a swath of State Attorneys General (AG).
Lawmakers Want Details on Facebook’s Instagram for Kids
In March, Instagram was reportedly working on a version of its app that was designed specifically for children. Today, four Democratic lawmakers have expressed concern over the project, and have written a letter to CEO Mark Zuckerberg asking fourteen pointed and technical questions about the initiative.
Rioters at the U.S. Capitol Destroyed Thousands of Dollars of Journalists’ Equipment
Yesterday, a mob of protesters turned violent at the U.S. Capitol Building, and footage shows multiple groups of rioters destroying press equipment as they were pushed away from the area by police.
The Supreme Court Just Decided that States Cannot be Sued for Copyright Infringement
Earlier today, the Supreme Court of the United States dealt a major blow to photographers' copyright protections when it declared that states cannot be sued for copyright infringement because they have "sovereign immunity."
Reuters Photographer Kicked Out of Impeachment Hearing for Taking Photos of Congress Members’ Notes
Reuters photojournalist Joshua Roberts was escorted out of yesterday's Impeachment Hearings after a Republican member of the House Judiciary Committee noticed him taking photos of the papers on one of the Democratic members' desks at the dais. Reuters maintains that Roberts was doing nothing wrong.
Congress Passes Bill That Lets the U.S. Govt Shoot Down Drones
The U.S. Senate has passed a bill that will give authorities permission to shoot down private drones that are determined to be "threats." The proposed law has sparked an outcry from civil liberties organizations.
Arkansas Privacy Bill Vetoed, Street Photography Lives Another Day
We reported over the weekend that Arkansas lawmakers had passed a privacy bill that could potentially kill street photography by requiring (in most cases) that photographers get written consent from strangers they photograph. Photographers who don't could get sued by their subjects.
The photography world was in an uproar over the bill and worked hard to get it vetoed by the deadline at the end of the day today. There's now some great news: the bill has been vetoed by Governor Asa Hutchinson.
The Truth in Advertising Act Seeks to Rein in Excessive Photoshop Use in Ads
Excessive Photoshopping has gotten a lot of press in recent years, and anti-Photoshop advocates might finally get what they've been seeking thanks to a new bill that just hit Congress.