Op-Ed

[Commentary] Individuals certainly need to be aware of how any company, or other entity, is using the information collected. Individuals have the responsibility to read the relevant portions of privacy policies and licenses. But data is not evil. Government regulation is not the answer, or even an answer. Technology companies should not be subject to regulations for using data consumers voluntarily hand over in exchange for services or products those very consumers value so long as that usage is consistent with their disclosed terms.

[Commentary] On our individual phone bills a line item is typically included for 9-1-1 service. It’s a relatively small fee that states and localities charge to support emergency calling services. But too many states are stealing these funds and using them for other purposes, like filling budget gaps, purchasing vehicles, or worse.  It’s time for 9-1-1 fee diversion to stop.

[Commentary] The recent repeal of network neutrality regulations has concerned cities across the country about how the rollback will impact their communities.  Cities, with the guidance and leadership of their citizens, must begin to form oversight of Internet service providers themselves. And location intelligence is critical to this task.

[Commentary] Our thoughts are still being documented more than ever. In a world where we’re increasingly communicating through our phones rather than in person, app developers are making it easier than ever to communicate exactly what we want to exactly who we want. The most successful apps, moreover, are the ones which most effectively reward the greatest quantity of communication: we’ve been trained by highly sophisticated Silicon Valley behaviorists to tweet or Snap or otherwise communicate almost every thing—really, everything—we think or feel or see.

[Commentary] There are different ways — as different as black and white — in seeing the world depending on whether you get your political news and analysis from Fox News and Breitbart News or CNN and The New York Times. One narrative today is crafted by platforms that have become political weapons for the Trump administration, while the other is largely the function of news organizations operating under traditional journalistic standards, like The Baltimore Sun, The Washington Post, The New York Times or CNN. One is propaganda, the other journalism.

[Commentary]  As communities across the United States wait to learn how high-speed mobile networks will figure in a long-promised infrastructure plan, some cities are already attracting private investment in next-generation 5G networks. They are doing so by finding new ways to collaborate with network and equipment providers, creating a set of “best practices” that other local governments can follow. Forward-thinking officials at the federal, state and local levels are hurrying to update their processes, looking for new approaches that maximize community value and minimize delay.

[Commentary] The solution to the country’s digital divide isn’t going to come from private-market competition, but rather from massive government mobilization. Just don’t call it “nationalization.”

[Commentary] Until recently, it was unthinkable that newspapers would become major recipients of charitable subsidies. But as newsroom layoffs continue with no apparent end, increasingly they are seeking philanthropic support, and the nonprofit world is delivering.

[Commentary] If tech companies start to include seniors in their business models from the start, they will find a significant upside. Seniors are a vast and underserved market. If technology becomes friendlier to the whole population, especially the booming numbers of older Americans, companies will find their business landscapes expanding along with their consumer base. Everyone will benefit from having happy, healthy, active grandparents — not least of all, grandparents themselves.

[Commentary] China is racing to become the first to implement a pervasive system of algorithmic surveillance. Harnessing advances in artificial intelligence and data mining and storage to construct detailed profiles on all citizens, China’s communist party-state is developing a “citizen score” to incentivize “good” behavior. A vast accompanying network of surveillance cameras will constantly monitor citizens’ movements, purportedly to reduce crime and terrorism.