Pros and Cons of the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act of 2015

Alliance for Citizen Engagement

Background In February 2015, Anthem became the first major healthcare provider to experience a cyber attack when attackers stole 80 million records from Amerigroup and Blue Cross Blue Shield health plan users. In June 2015, hackers stole the personal information of over 20 million people from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), which was the […]

Understanding the Government Face Surveillance Ban Debate

Alliance for Citizen Engagement

Background In modern society face recognition technology (FRT) is a part of many people’s daily lives. One common application of FRT that many are familiar with is using Face ID to unlock a smartphone. FRT captures unique facial measurements for each person, making it an important tool for confirming someone’s identity. In 1996, FRT gained […]

Pros and Cons of Biden’s National Cybersecurity Strategy

Alliance for Citizen Engagement

Background Cyber attacks during the Biden-Harris administration pushed cybersecurity to the forefront of domestic policy. In 2021, Colonial Pipeline, a large oil pipeline that transports almost half of all fuel used on the East Coast, suffered a ransomware incident from the hacking group Darkside. After stealing 100 gigabytes of data and threatening to release it, […]

Pros and Cons of the Fair Credit Reporting Act

Alliance for Citizen Engagement

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) is a federal law that regulates the collection, distribution, and use of consumer credit information. The FCRA defines the rights and obligations related to consumer reporting data, aiming to create a dependable and precise exchange of information that benefits lenders, landlords, and employers. It achieves this by setting up […]

Understanding the TikTok Personal Device Ban Debate

Alliance for Citizen Engagement

The TikTok ban debate revolves around the popular video-sharing application’s owner ByteDance. While TikTok gained popularity among U.S. users, the government banned the application on federal devices, as well as government-issued devices in some states, and a nationwide TikTok ban for non-government users is potentially imminent. What is TikTok? TikTok is a social media platform […]

Pros and Cons of the American Innovation and Choice Online Act

Alliance for Citizen Engagement

Introduction The American Innovation and Choice Online Act (AICOA) is a bill proposed in the United States Congress to promote competition in the digital marketplace by addressing antitrust concerns related to major technology companies. The bill aims to prevent monopolies and trusts by prohibiting dominant platforms from abusing their gatekeeping power, favoring their own products, […]

Introduction to the CHIPS and Science Act

Alliance for Citizen Engagement

The CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 invests $52.7 billion to strengthen U.S. leadership in semiconductor research, domestic manufacturing, and workforce development. The U.S. currently produces 10% of semiconductors globally, with the Asia-Pacific region producing 75%. Semiconductors form the foundation of every advanced technology, from artificial intelligence to quantum computing. Many view semiconductor production as […]