Those 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.
Yesterday, the Council of the European Union, under the guidance of the Estonian Presidency, agreed on a common position on the Draft regulation on the free flow of non-personal data in the EU. The regulation aims at banning “data localization” and removing barriers to the free movement of data across borders.
The free-flow of data is fundamental to a vibrant digital economy. Impediments which restrict the flow of data across borders create fragmented and inefficient markets without scale economies, stifle innovation, limit competition, and drive up consumer costs.
Late 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.
Who’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.
On Thursday 7 December, the Developers Alliance hosted a Tech Policy Dialogue entitled “ePrivacy: Regulatory implications and impact on digital SMEs.”. The event brought together industry representatives and policy-makers to discuss the ePrivacy Regulation and its potential consequences on small, innovative European businesses.
Gender inequality is a very big problem worldwide. This is especially true in technology, where women are under-represented at all professional levels and there are not enough initiatives towards creating inclusive policies and welcoming diverse talent.
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.
In response to the European Commission’s announcement of the intention to introduce new legislation to govern the relationship between platforms and businesses, the Developers Alliance conducted a survey of European-based developers and publishers to examine the need for such intervention. Over the course of several weeks in October 2017, we surveyed over 110 European-based developers and publishers on their experiences.
Yesterday, the House passed its tax overhaul bill (HR 1). House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA 23) has praised a provision that would allow employees of not (yet) public companies who exercise stock options to defer paying the taxes they owe for up to five full years.
Today the House Judiciary Committee passed the Protect and Grow American Jobs Act, HR 170, which aims to curb companies from abusing the H1B visa system. Alliance members and tech employers rely on H1B employees who bring valuable skills from foreign countries. But companies that hire large numbers of H1B-dependent employees, often underpaying them market rate salaries, make the already tough visa system more cumbersome and difficult for employers to find quality, high skilled talent they need to innovate and compete.
One year after the launch of the New Skills Agenda for Europe, the European Commission pushed its ambitions even further this week with the publication of a Communication setting out its vision for creating a European Education Area by 2025.
Tax reform is finally here. While the House and Senate undergo amendments, markups, and debate, the tech community is engaging to stop a provision that changes the way stock options are taxed. Those who should be most concerned? Startups.
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