[isoc-ny] Internet Society North America Updates – April 2017

Tue Apr 18 06:31:53 PDT 2017

This month's roundup from the Internet Society North America Bureau

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Mark Buell <buell at isoc.org>
Date: Sat, Apr 15, 2017 at 9:32 AM

Welcome to the April 2017 edition of the Internet Society North American
Bureau’s monthly newsletter!

*In the News:*

Electronic Searches at the US Border Have Nearly Doubled
<https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/11/us/border-customs-officers-electronic-devises-search.html?_r=1>

“The border searches are also the subject of a lawsuit. The Knight First
Amendment Institute at Columbia University is suing the Homeland Security
Department for details of searches of travelers’ electronic devices by
customs officers since 2012.

The lawsuit claims that customs officers and special agents with Homeland
Security Investigations, a part of Immigration and Customs Enforcement,
have seized and searched the electronic devices of thousands of people,
including citizens, without suspicion — which it said could violate the
Constitution.”

Study Finds Few Americans Understand Cybersecurity
<http://www.king5.com/money/consumer/few-americans-understand-cyber-security-study-finds/430265704>

“The Pew study showed 73 percent of those surveyed understood that using
public wifi, even if pass protected, is not always safe for sensitive
activities, like banking.

However, only 48 percent were sure what Ransomware was. Johnson says that's
when a hacker encrypts all your files with a password or key that you don't
know.

"In order to recover your files and photos you have to pay the attacker
money," he said.

Of the 13 questions asked about cyber security, only 20 percent of those
surveyed answered eight questions correctly.”

Silicon Valley Gears Up for Net Neutrality Fight with Trump’s FCC
<https://www.recode.net/2017/4/12/15266200/trump-administration-net-neutrality-plan-lobbying-fcc-ajit-pai>

“Under Pai’s system, ISPs that break their net neutrality promises would be
subject to punishment not by the FCC, but another Washington agency, the
Federal Trade Commission. The Internet Association is no fan of that setup,
either, and it told Pai during their meeting that net neutrality should
continue to be “enforced by the expert agency, namely the FCC.” (The FTC is
seen as an easier cop to beat on net neutrality.)”

Trump Administration Cracking Down on High-Tech Worker Visas
<https://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2017/04/02/tech-industry-talent-shortage-claims-under-new-scrutiny/EsxYnPpoKBNv1iTjRl6lLL/story.html>

“Many economists who are skeptical of the tech industry’s assertions still
say the H-1B program is a net positive for the economy, allowing companies
to grow quickly, keep prices lower, and produce software and gadgets that
make other fields more productive.

But they also say there’s evidence of a large, underused pool of domestic
workers who could be tapped instead of guest workers.

Census figures, for example, show that half of the nearly 2 million college
graduates with degrees in computers, math, or statistics do not work in
STEM, the sector that encompasses science, tech, engineering, and
mathematics jobs.”

Is Internet Censorship a Bigger Threat Under Trump?
<https://backchannel.com/the-us-is-now-one-of-those-countries-threatening-the-free-web-a9fa304f4198>

“These developments don’t on their own spell internet censorship. Rather,
they lay the groundwork for it: They create the conditions that allow a
regime, whether it’s headed by Trump or another administration down the
line, to squelch dissent. It’s part of a broader trend around the world, in
which numerous governments are whittling away at internet freedoms.

“On a global level social media platforms have been facing growing
censorship over the past year,” says Jessica White, an analyst at Freedom
House, an independent watchdog organization. Twitter’s lawsuit put an end
to one attempt by the Trump administration to undermine free online
expression, but it is unlikely to be the last. It is just the freshest in a
long string of ploys by governments around the world to solidify their
power over online communities.”

New Startup Taps Canada’s Tech Community to Redesign Government
<http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/government-apps-software-tech-ontario-code-for-canada-1.4061964>

“The underlying problem is that governments aren't known for building great
websites or apps, and technology isn't typically one of its strengths (just
look at the saga of Healthcare.gov in the U.S., the website created to
support Obamacare, or the Canadian federal government's new email system,
perpetually delayed).

Perhaps the most egregious example in recent memory is the Canadian
government's IBM Phoenix payment system, which has underpaid and overpaid
some public servants, and failed to pay others at all.

Governments have complex and lengthy procurement processes — the very
antithesis of the agile development cycles and data products favoured in
tech. There are myriad rules and requirements unique to governments that
digital services must meet.

And to top it all off, design and development is happening within
sprawling, bureaucratic organizations that are highly resistant to change,
and reluctant to take big risks when critical services are involved.”

Mexico Sees Opportunity in Silicon Valley Business Migration
<https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-04-03/silicon-valley-s-trump-scare-spurs-bold-bid-by-mexico-s-tech-hub>

“That could, and should, be interpreted as a dig at U.S. President Donald
Trump, who has galvanized the industry with orders to ban immigration from
some mostly Muslim countries and freeze the expedited processing of H-1B
visas for specially skilled workers. And the Citizenship and Immigration
Services department just issued new guidelines for the visas, making it
more difficult for companies to use them to bring foreign tech workers into
the U.S.

“We had to raise our hand,” Sandoval said.

The governor toured Silicon Valley in February and said he talked with more
than 40 executives from companies including Microsoft Corp. who were “very
interested.” The companies declined to comment.”

Canadian Tech Community Reacts to 2017 Federal Budget
<http://betakit.com/canadian-tech-community-reacts-to-budget2017/>

“We’re pleased with the direction of this year’s budget and its focus on
innovation in Canada. There is a role government can play to develop and
support homegrown talent as well as Canadian companies. We believe this
budget was a step in the right direction.

“The $7.8 million in dedicated funding for the Global Skills Strategy is a
signal that the government is taking this program seriously. By bringing in
one great person it will enable us to hire hundreds of Canadians and expand
the workforce.

“The investments in computer literacy and STEM education is exactly what we
need to be doing in 2017. If we want to be known as an “innovative nation”
we need to be developing and investing in homegrown talent.”

Lawmakers Introduce Bill to Reinstate Online Privacy Regulations
<http://www.nextgov.com/cio-briefing/2017/04/lawmakers-try-roll-back-online-privacy-rollback-and-offer-vets-coding-boot-camps/136870/?oref=NextgovTCO&utm_content=buffera92ef&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer>

“President Donald Trump on April 3 signed the rollback of Federal
Communications Commission’s broadband privacy rules and on April 6, a group
of Senate Democrats introduced legislation that basically would require the
same things the repealed FCC rules did. The bill would require internet
service providers get customers’ consent to share information and that the
providers have “reasonable” data security.”

*ISOC’s Work:*

Internet Society Calls for Ubiquitous Encryption of the Internet
<https://www.internetsociety.org/blog/public-policy/2017/04/securing-our-digital-economy>
“Strong encryption is an essential piece to the future of the world’s
economy and the Internet Society believes it should be the norm for all
online transactions. It allows us to do our banking, conduct local and
global business, run our power grids, operate, communications networks, and
do almost everything else.

Encryption is a technical building block for securing infrastructure,
communications and information. It should be made stronger and universal,
not weaker.

However, rather than being recognized as the way to secure our online
transactions or our conversations, all too often the debate focuses on the
use of encryption as a way to thwart law enforcement.”

ISOC Joins Keep It On Campaign, Aimed at Countering Content Blocking and
Internet Shutdowns
<https://www.internetsociety.org/news/internet-shutdowns-and-content-blocking-not-answer-says-internet-society>

“The Internet Society today voiced its commitment to keeping the Internet
on for everyone, in response to the increasing number of government orders
to temporarily shut down or restrict access to Internet services.  Speaking
out at RightsCon 2017, the world’s leading conference on Internet and human
rights taking place 29-31 March in Brussels, the organization underscored
that any deliberate attempt to interrupt Internet communications or control
the flow of information over the Internet puts society at risk.

Internet shutdowns, including those that impact social media sites or
entire networks, occur when governments intentionally disrupt the Internet
or mobile apps, often used in the context of elections, demonstrations or
other tense social contexts. According to Access Now, there were 56
Internet shutdowns recorded worldwide in 2016, an upward trend from
previous years.”

ISOC is Looking for Young People Using the Internet to Make a Difference
<https://www.internetsociety.org/25th/25-under-25>

“25 years ago, the Internet Society was founded by a group of people who
believed the Internet is for everyone. Now we want to meet the next
generation of online innovators, who are using the Internet in ways we can
only imagine.

We are looking for the entrepreneurs. The social change agents. The
community game-changers. And we need your help to find them.

Please use this form to tell us about how you or someone you know is using
the Internet to make a difference. They can be based anywhere in the world.

The awardees will be flown to Los Angeles, where they will be honoured in a
special ceremony before participating in three days of networking and
leadership development. These several days will provide a fantastic
opportunity to connect with other young innovators from around the world —
and some of the people who made the Internet what it is today.”

Privacy is Key to Creating Trust Online
<https://www.internetsociety.org/blog/north-america-bureau/2017/03/privacy-key-reinforcing-user-trust-internet?platform=hootsuite>

“All data collectors have responsibilities to uphold end-user privacy and
be transparent in how data is being collected and used. By taking a
proactive approach to data collection and handling, companies across the
Internet ecosystem can help ensure that their customers have trust in their
online communications and transactions. The Internet Society would like to
see all Internet-related companies and organizations adopt this approach.
That trust is a critical factor in growing the digital economy and in
enhancing the quality of life for all citizens around the globe.”

Internet Society Board of Trustees 2017 Election Results
<https://www.internetsociety.org/news/internet-society-board-trustees-2017-election-results>

On behalf of the Internet Society Elections Committee, I wish to extend our
appreciation and thanks to all of the nominees and candidates for the Board
of Trustees elections in 2017. We are pleased and honored that such
well-qualified individuals stepped forward and offered to serve on the
Internet Society board.

OTA and ISOC Combine Resources to Enhance Online Trust, Security and Privacy
<https://www.internetsociety.org/news/ota-and-isoc-combine-resources-enhance-online-trust-security-and-privacy>

Online Trust Alliance to operate within Internet Society as key initiative

The Online Trust Alliance (OTA) and the Internet Society (ISOC) today
announced that the two global non-profit organizations have combined
resources, expanding the reach and impact of the Internet Society to a
broader group of stakeholders and industry members.

*Upcoming Events:4/20/17 – CDT, **Tech Prom*
<https://cdt.org/annual-dinner/>*, Washington, DC*

*4/22/17 – Mozilla/NSF, National Science Foundation WINS Launch Event
<https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScILWp1JB-HpG16gX-mYXuo86a0d4ZED6MarVbmF9Zc50EdXw/viewform>,
New York, NY*

*4/26/17 – NAAG, **Presidential Initiative Summit,*
<http://www.naag.org/meetings-trainings/annual-meetings/presidential-initiative-summit.php>*
New
York, NY*

*4/27/17 – Cleveland State University, **Cybersecurity & Privacy Protection
Conference 2017* <https://www.law.csuohio.edu/cybersecurityconference2017>*,
Cleveland, OH*

*4/27-29/17 – **DigiFest 2017* <http://torontodigifest.ca/2016/>*, Toronto,
Canada*

*4/28-30/17 – Creative Commons, **2017 Global Summit*
<https://summit.creativecommons.org/>*, Delta, Toronto*

*5/14-17/17 – International Telecoms Week, ITW 2017, Chicago, IL*

*5/15-25/17 – ITU, **2017 Session of the ITU Council*
<http://www.itu.int/en/council/2017/Pages/default.aspx>*, Geneva,
Switzerland*

*5/22-25/17 – IEEE, **38th IEEE Symposium on Security and Privacy*
<https://www.wisporg.com/events-calendar/2017/5/22/38th-ieee-symposium-on-security-and-privacy>*,
San Jose, CA*

---------

If you have any events, news or announcements you would like to include in
the North American newsletter, please let me know.

Mark Buell

Regional Bureau Director, North America

Internet Society

Skype: mark_at_isoc

Twitter: @mebuell <https://twitter.com/mebuell> and @isoc_na
<https://twitter.com/ISOC_NA>

www.isoc.org

-- 
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Joly MacFie  218 565 9365 Skype:punkcast
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