Contributing Author & Director, US Innovators Policy Council
This week Senator Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), Chairman of the Senate Republican High-Tech Task Force, introduced amendments to the Senate’s immigration legislation that target high-skilled workers. The amendments are part of a broader immigration reform package that’s pending in Congress and we’re glad high-skilled workers aren’t being overlooked in the process.
Read MoreWe encourage our members to take a closer look at their own data practices, not just in preparation for new regulations like GDPR, but for your long-term success. As you do this deep-dive, let us know if you have any best practices that you’d want to share for our data and trust project. Connect with us soon as we’re preparing materials to launch.
Read MoreEarlier this year (and we’re only on day 11!) reports surfaced that the administration was planning to cut the option for H-1B renewals beyond six years, regardless of whether visa holders were in the application process for a permanent residency green card. This proposal is guided by Trump’s “Buy American, Hire American” initiative. Under the current framework, H-1B visa holders can apply for an extension up to six years (two, three year terms) and if they have a pending green card application, they can apply for an additional extension.
Read MoreThose that have spent a few years watching how Washington works know the patterns Congress falls into. For instance, when Congress is struggling to find its legislative footing, there tends to be a flurry of hearings on complex but populist issues in an attempt to show THINGS ARE HAPPENING. So while it seems like all the oxygen in DC is taken up by the political circus, there are a few worrisome items appearing on the congressional agenda. Data, algorithms, and privacy are the ones developers should be watching closely.
Read MoreLate last week the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) quietly announced plans to revoke H-4 visas. Since 2015, the H-4 visa has allowed spouses of H-1B visa holders seeking permanent residency to work in the U.S. This rule has especially benefited the tech community since many of the high-skilled H-1B visas are awarded to programmers, software engineers, and other high-skilled technology and IT professionals.
Read MoreWho’s to blame when data breaches, hackers, or developer mistakes cause harm in the real world? This is a topic we should all be thinking about, before courts and regulators start making up new rules or allocating the costs. This week the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) hosted an all day workshop to examine consumer injury when it comes to data privacy and security. The four panels featured speakers from academia, policy, and public interest groups with diverse backgrounds – from data engineering and privacy to law and policy.
Read MoreTech knows the future of business is digital, and that digital means global. Entrepreneurs and developers make concepts a reality, refine software, and launch new products all within the digital space. But what about when your customer base expands beyond your home country’s market, or your data enters the cloud? ill you even notice? How does your existing and new consumer data cross borders, and what regulations guide this expansion? What happens if you just do nothing? (For more on this, see our news item on the EU GDPR from a US perspective)
Read MoreWe encourage our developer audience to read a recent post on Hackernoon from developer Bryan Soltis on the new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in Europe. GDPR is something all our members should know about as it will impact their business and the software they create.
Read More
When there’s gridlock in Washington, like we’ve seen for most of 2017, Congress reacts by holding hearings both to appear busy and to lay the foundation on policy priorities they’ll act upon once movement resumes. Wednesday, the House Energy and Commerce Committee held a hearing focused on data. Data drives the digital economy and our members use it daily to reach and serve users. Changes to how it’s regulated will impact developers across the globe, how they build apps, work with platforms, and collect and use consumer information. If you’re a developer or rely on them to operate, you should be on alert and at the ready to ensure your ability to conduct business and innovate isn’t significantly hindered when Congress inevitably takes action on data.
Read MoreNatural disasters seem to be occurring at an increased rate. This year alone we’ve seen earthquakes rattle Iran-Iraq and Mexico, wildfires torch parts of California, monsoons consume Bangladesh, and the list goes on. The widespread damage impacts infrastructure, electrical grids, and access to clean water and food in many cases. Yet the power of these natural disasters is no match for the help apps provide in times of crisis.
Read MoreYesterday we wrote about digitalization influencing future jobs, but even the current state of the digital workforce is a significant change from 10, 15, 20 years ago. A recent report, “Digitalization and the American workforce,” by Brookings Institute explores how digitalization has influenced nearly every industry and workforce in the past decade, not just startups and software-focused jobs.
Read MoreYour data is everywhere. This isn’t anything new – your data has been widely available in the offline world for decades. What’s changed is that data has moved online. What’s new is our ability to USE that data to solve complicated problems by identifying patterns and trends in rapidly changing or highly complex systems. What’s also new is the heightened insecurity that comes from not knowing what data is out there and how it’s being used. Trust is in short supply.
Read More
