Week of February 26, 2024
We’re back with another week of congressional-induced anxiety as Friday marks the deadline for a partial government shutdown with another possible full government shutdown on March 8. House and Senate Leadership is at an impasse on how to proceed with government funding measures, setting up tensions for the week ahead. Unsurprisingly, the House and Senate did not release their proposed spending plans for Sunday. A very short term continuing resolution may be the fix, but it depends on how Speaker Johnson will be able to work with Republican hardline members.
The Senate is back in session today with the House to follow on Wednesday. On our radar this week is the Supreme Court’s oral arguments in pivotal social media cases with big stakes for the content moderation and Section 230 debates. We have a few hearings, including one in Senate HSGAC on U.S. tech in Russia’s war in Ukraine as well as one in the House Homeland Security Committee on port cybersecurity. We’re also tracking the new release of NIST’s Cybersecurity Framework 2.0.
What We’re Watching:
Supreme Court to Hear Oral Arguments in Social Media Cases: The Supreme Court today will hear oral arguments in two highly-watched cases that could have sweeping implications for social media companies. Justices will hear First Amendment challenges presented in Moody v. NetChoice and NetChoice v. Paxton, which pertains to laws in Florida and Texas, respectively, that prevent social media companies from banning certain political content, namely conservative content. Tech companies are fighting against the laws, arguing that hosting the laws’ required content is a First Amendment violation as well as infringing on their companies’ guidelines. On the opposite side, the states are arguing that the platforms should be treated as public utilities and common carriers, and therefore should be required to not censor user’s speech. The high court’s decisions could ultimately impact the content moderation practices of internet platforms large and small.
NIST Issues Cybersecurity Framework 2.0: The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) issued an updated version of its Cybersecurity Framework, which has been widely implemented through government and industry alike. The voluntary guidance includes expanded resources for entities to ensure their cybersecurity measures are secure to mitigate threats, as well as includes new implementation tools. The framework is centered on six key pillars including Identify, Protect, Detect, Respond and Recover, along with CSF 2.0’s newly added Govern function. The tools are designed in order to meet organizations' needs, skills, and level of cybersecurity knowledge, including entities that are target-rich and resource-poor. The first framework was released in 2014 per executive order 14028, Improving the Nation's Cybersecurity.
Tech at the Forefront of National Security Hearings: This week, experts will testify to two committees highlighting the role of advanced and emerging technology concerns and their national security implications. The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC) will be examining the use of U.S. technology in Russia’s war on Ukraine. Experts, including one on open source technology, will likely testify to the ways in which emerging tech are altering the warfighting landscape, and the measures Congress can take to ensure U.S. IP is not helping our adversaries. In the House Homeland Security Maritime Subcommittee, Members will be zeroing in on cybersecurity at America’s ports and the “insidious” threats posed by waning critical infrastructure and adversarial foot holes.
What’s Happening This Week:
Tech Hearings
Tech Events
Axios - “Modeling Innovation: Government’s Role in Leading Responsible AI Growth” - Wednesday, February 28 at 6:00 PM ET
Punchbowl - ”Pop-Up Conversation with Sens. Warner and Young” on AI policy - Thursday, February 29 at 9:30 AM ET
New America's Open Technology Institute - "The European Union Artificial Intelligence Act: Lessons for U.S. Policymakers" - Thursday, February 27 at 11:00 AM ET
What’s Interesting This Week:
Can’t Forget About AI… In light of the noticeable lack of AI hearings this week, this is a good time to point out that since the beginning of the 118th Congress, Members have held 46 hearings specifically on AI. Not to mention many more that inadvertently focused on AI...
