01/17, 9:58am
Public statements first on the matter from the US President
President Obama has, for the first time, publicly acknowledged that encryption is a problem for law enforcement. With UK Prime Minister David Cameron alongside, the President said that there must be both ways to keep citizens' information private, but that there has to be a way to allow law enforcement to surveil both in real-time, as well as decrypt after-the-fact forensically, when a court deems it necessary. "Because this is a whole new world, as David [Cameron] says, the laws that might've been designed for the traditional wiretap have to be updated. How we do that needs to be debated both here in the United States and in the UK," said the President.
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01/15, 9:35pm
Increasing focus on FCC in ongoing struggle to codify access to broadband
February might not shape up to be such a great month if you're a large national Internet provider in the US. Not only will the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) be voting on the adoption of net neutrality rules FCC Chairman, Tom Wheeler, all but confirmed would be Title II-based in an interview at CES last week, but it's also possible the commission will be voting on petitions supported by President Obama to overturn laws in several states that are purported to block the build-out of broadband Internet access on the municipal level.
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01/12, 7:25am
Proposals require companies to reveal data breaches within 30 days
President Barack Obama will push for legislation forcing companies to be quicker in revealing major intrusions of their servers, White House officials have advised. In a speech set to take place at the Federal Trade Commission later today, Obama is expected to propose a new law, requiring disclosures over server hacks and other security breaches within 30 days of occurring.
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01/02, 10:44pm
'The Interview' now top-selling movie on Apple's iTunes Store
On Friday, US President Barack Obama placed new sanctions on North Korea as a "first measure" of retaliation against the country's cyber-attacks on Sony Pictures through an executive order that targets individuals and companies or other entities affiliated with the North Korean government. Obama referred to the North Korean government as "destructive and coercive," and painted the incident as an attack on both a US company and at attack on the right of free expression. The movie that North Korea objected to, The Interview, has since been released and sailed to the top of the iTunes movie charts.
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12/23, 10:08pm
'We're not even close to where we need to be,' President says
Last Friday, at President Barak Obama's year-end press conference, Carrie Budoff Brown of Politico asked the first question. Her inquiry was whether Sony had done the right thing in canceling the release of the Seth Rogan comedy The Interview, and what a "proportional" US response to the North Korean-led cyber-attack on Sony would look like. While discussing the answers to those questions, President Obama called on Congress to help create stronger cyber-security laws.
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12/21, 11:55am
US continues to claim NK responsible for Sony hack, pirate release of movie possible?
In an interview recorded on Friday, President Obama clarified his remarks last week regarding the Sony Pictures hack. The president denies swirling discussions about the hack being an act of war, and called it "an act of cyber vandalism that was very costly, very expensive." Additionally, late Sunday, tweets purport that hacker collective Anonymous is about to wade into the fray against North Korea for its role in the event.
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12/19, 12:18am
Double-talk from industry supports notion that some regulation would benefit consumers
Since President Barack Obama voiced his support for reclassification of ISPs as utilities, there has been much debate back and forth, and back again on the topic of "Title II" regulation of carriers. Would it be the dystopian nightmare anti-government zealots and the carriers proclaim, or would it provide a golden utopia of progress for consumers and American businesses alike?
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11/27, 5:41pm
Regulatory symbols on devices can be removed, shown in software instead
The backs of smartphones will become slightly better looking, after a bill concerning the labeling of electronic devices has been signed into law by President Obama. The E-Label Act, created by Sen. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), will allow manufacturers to leave off a large amount of the logos and other regulatory iconography from the device itself.
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11/10, 12:49pm
FCC should create net neutrality-protecting rules, insists Obama
President Barack Obama has voiced his support for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to reclassify Internet services under Title II of the Telecommunications act. Wading into the net neutrality debate again, Obama has issued a statement asking for the FCC to "answer the call of almost 4 million public comments, and implement the strongest possible rules to protect net neutrality."
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10/20, 1:57pm
Initiative adds EMV support to government channels, more identity theft protections, reporting
Last week, US President Barack Obama signed an executive order that will help consumers who are victims of identity theft, as well as speed up the adoption of the Europay, MasterCard, and Visa (EMV) chip standard for credit and debit cards. In the order, parts of the federal government will be adopting EMV measures, as well as strengthening the public's ability to monitor financial health or seek help when necessary.
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10/12, 2:18pm
Administration has made it clear to FCC that rules don't create tiered Internet
During a question-and-answer session at Cross Campus in Santa Monica last week, US President Barack Obama reaffirmed his stance on net neutrality, which he has held since first running for office. Holding that the concept of an open Internet is important to innovation, the President said that he expects that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will not end up creating a tiered Internet.
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08/16, 12:00pm
Staff deluged by comments for and against the controversial plan
Under an onslaught of remarks, both slamming and supporting Federal Communication Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler's Net Neutrality proposal, the agency has extended the second public comment phase five days, now ending September 15. The alteration was made "to ensure that members of the public have as much time as was initially anticipated to reply to initial comments in these proceedings," according to the agency.
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08/06, 3:47pm
No comment given regarding possible Title II regulation of ISPs
President Obama, fielding a question at a press event, has decried part of US Federal Communications Commission chairman Tom Wheeler's "net neutrality" proposal. Speaking before the US Africa Leaders Summit, the president claims that "you don't want to start getting a differentiation in how accessible the Internet is to different users" and that the proposal needs to "leave it open so the next Google and the next Facebook can succeed."
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07/25, 7:34am
NTIA may be called to create voluntary best practices for commercial drones
President Barack Obama may issue privacy guidelines for commercial drones in the United States, claims a report. Plans to issue an executive order allegedly involve the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) working with consumer groups, and companies planning to operate drones in the future, to create "voluntary best practices" for the unmanned aircraft.
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02/07, 1:25pm
Agrees to measures requiring court approval for NSA metadata searches
The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court has given its approval to changes President Barack Obama has requested as part of a surveillance reforms speech last month. Two measures in the reforms have been accepted by the court, which will affect the way the National Security Agency (NSA) searches its phone records database in the future.
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01/31, 12:55pm
Plans still nebulous
Apple is among of a number of US corporations that have agreed to change hiring practices to avoid discriminating against the long-term unemployed, says the New York Times. The pledge comes at the behest of President Obama, who is hosting a meeting of CEOs at the White House later today to promote his efforts. White House officials say that about 300 businesses have agreed to alter hiring policies, including 21 of the 50 biggest American corporations, and 47 out of the top 200.
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01/17, 12:45pm
Collected data to be handed to third party, judicial findings required for access
The United States government will reform the way it uses surveillance data, President Barack Obama has announced. Addressing concerns over the National Security Agency (NSA) and the various programs employed to monitor potential threats, Obama outlined a number of changes in how the data will be accessed by security agencies as he attempts to ease the concerns of US citizens.
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12/16, 8:46pm
On the agenda are NSA surveillance, Obamacare, income inequality
President Obama is spending part of December 17 in conference with an assortment of Silicon Valley executives in order to "address national security and the economic impacts of unauthorized intelligence disclosures." On tap to meet at the White House are Apple CEO Tim Cook, Yahoo President and CEO Marissa Mayer, Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt, AT&T Chairman and CEO Randall Stephenson, and 11 others.
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12/05, 12:07pm
Obama sticks with BlackBerry due to security risks
President Barack Obama's administration is likely the most tech savvy the United States has seen, but the Commander in Chief can't rely on the best selling smartphone in the world for personal use. In a summit at the White House today, Obama revealed that he cannot use an iPhone for official business due to "security reasons." The President still uses a BlackBerry in the course of his daily duties, but even that device is quite limited in what it can be used for.
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06/04, 4:34pm
Legislative proposals added; order could arrive as soon as June 5
President Obama has signed a host of executive actions intended to tighten down on the rash of lawsuits from non-practicing entities, colloquially known as "patent trolls." The President's orders aim at firms that collect patents without using them in products, and use them as weapons to force primarily technology companies into expensive and time-consuming litigation.
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02/20, 8:30pm
Five prong program hopes to minimize impact and efficacy of theft
As expected, the Obama administration announced its plan to curtail the increasing theft of US trade and military secrets. The response is wide-ranging but a limited response to the growing problem of cyber theft and espionage. While the buildup to the strategy focused on China, the country was not specifically targeted by the guidance. Attorney General Eric Holder announced the plan, saying that indications that economic espionage is on the rise. "Particularly in this time of economic recovery, this work is more important than it ever has been before," Holder said at the White House announcement of the administration's strategy.
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02/14, 9:45pm
Circular language in previous bill, address labels pirates as terrorists
In a clarification of language seemingly against the aims of the executive order, the White House has defined some terms found in the President's call to arms for US Internet security. Actions noted as a "cyber threat" include, but are not limited to, web site defacement, espionage either against a government or a business, denial of service attacks, destructive malware, and theft of intellectual property.
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02/13, 12:06am
New measure grows on existing measure from 2010, changes little
President Obama on Tuesday night debuted a new executive order, spelling out a national response to the growing cyber-security threat. He introduced the measure during the State of the Union address, saying that the US and allied nations must take action to stem the tide of the attacks, as "we cannot look back years from now and wonder why we did nothing in the face of real threats to our security and our economy."
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02/11, 5:52pm
Powell Jobs, Instagram founder were guests last year
As happened last year, at least one influential tech-sector figure will sit with the First Lady in the Congressional gallery to watch President Obama's State of the Union address, which will happen Tuesday evening. Apple CEO Tim Cook will sit with Michelle Obama, along with Bobak Ferdowsi of NASA's Mars Curiousity rover team, military families, immigration reform advocates and gun violence victims, among others. Other tech CEOs have been invited by various congressmen.
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11/19, 12:36pm
JPMorgan's Jamie Dimion
US President Barack Obama recently called several CEOs for advice on dealing with the upcoming "fiscal cliff" faced by the federal government, according to a White House official in contact with CNN. Four executives have been named, including Apple's Tim Cook, JPMorgan Chase's Jamie Dimon, Boeing's Jim McNerney, and Costco's Craig Jelinek. The calls follow meetings with other CEOs last week, including conversations with General Electric's Jeffery Immelt and American Express' Kenneth Chenault.
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08/29, 6:46pm
President's IAMA logs 12,058 comments
In a first for an American President -- and perhaps any President in the world -- Barack Obama hosted an IAMA ("I am a...") discussion on social news site Reddit. The President took questions on the site over the course of about half an hour starting this afternoon at 4:30 pm EST. News spread quickly of Obama's appearance on the site, and the resulting traffic caused the page hosting the discussion to be unavailable multiple times over the course of the IAMA.
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06/01, 8:32pm
Stuxnet developed by US and Israel, only to escape
The Stuxnet malware said to have ravaged Iranian nuclear facilities two years ago, and long thought to have been deliberately planted, was indeed the result of a joint collaboration between the United States and Israel. In a lengthy, in-depth examination of Stuxnet's history, The New York Times has examined the development of the worm, its survival through the end of the Bush administration, and the Obama administration's decision to press ahead with cyberattacks as a means of slowing Iran's alleged progression toward the development of nuclear capabilities.
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05/24, 10:10am
Obama order forces agencies to make two public apps each
President Barack Obama has ordered all major federal agencies to make more services available on mobile devices in the next year. The administration wants to increase governmental technology use, with agencies ordered to make services available for public access within 12 months. The news comes at the same time as reports that the US Navy will add LTE capabilities to three of its ships, allowing Android smartphones to be used out at sea.
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03/14, 9:30pm
Part of a 'Brit Pack' of guests to honor Cameron
Sir Jonathan Ive, Apple's senior VP of Industrial Design, will be attended a White House state dinner this evening in honor of British Prime Minister David Cameron's visit to the US, but he and Cameron will not be the only UK citizens at the affair -- the Obama adminstration has invited a clutch of notable British names to also attend, including actor Hugh Bonneville from Downton Abbey, which the President is said to be a fan of; golfer Rory McIlroy; Sir Richard Branson, and UK rock band Mumford & Sons, which the Prime Minister is said to enjoy.
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01/27, 5:50pm
Steps down to follow political ambition
Aneesh Chopra, the nation's first Chief Technical Officer, has
tendered his resignation. Although no official reason was given, it's unofficially considered most likely he is stepping down so he can follow his own political ambitions. Chopra has been in the CTO position since May 2009.
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01/16, 5:35am
Rupert Murdoch attacks Google, Obama over SOPA
Media mogul Rupert Murdoch has ripped into Google over what he alleges is its complicity in propagating pirated content in its search results. Murdoch, CEO of News Corporation, and a strong backer of SOPA, also accused President Obama of permitting piracy go on unabated after reconsidering his position on certain provisions in the legislation. Since signing up to the Twitterverse in the past few weeks, Murdoch has let his position on SOPA be known to the world.
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10/21, 10:30am
Exec crticized but supported Obama
More details from Walter Isaacson's Steve Jobs biography -- due on the 24th -- are making their way to the media. Jobs almost, for instance, reportedly missed meeting President Barack Obama in the fall of 2010, as he insisted that Obama personally ask him for a meeting, even after Jobs' wife said that Obama "was really psyched to meet with you;" in all Jobs is said to have held out for five days, but finally conceded and met the President at the Westin San Francisco Airport.
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09/16, 4:45pm
Laws expected to mitigate patent trolling
After passing a Senate vote by a margin of 89-9, the America Invents Act has become law after receiving a signature from President Obama. The legislation is hailed as the first major reform of the patent system in decades, bringing a wide range of changes, including a first-to-file system, that have been commonplace in many other countries for years.
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03/28, 6:45pm
Still using a Blackberry for phone, however
President Obama, speaking at a Univision-hosted "Town Hall" meeting in Washington DC, confirmed that he owns an iPad in response to a question about his use of technology. He also mentioned that he is still using a Blackberry device as his personal phone, a habit he has had since before his election.
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02/18, 12:35pm
Jobs, Zuckerberg get prominent seats
Several major US technology executives have been officially photographed with President Obama at a dinner meeting on Thursday night. As expected, three people on the guest list included Apple CEO Steve Jobs, Google's Eric Schmidt, and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Jobs and Zuckerberg were notably given the most prominent positions during the dinner, seated directly to the left and right of the President.
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02/17, 9:35am
Topics to include R&D, education, energy
Several major tech CEOs will be meeting with President Obama at a San Francisco event this evening, sources tell ABC News. Amongst the business heads attending the event will allegedly be Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg, Google's Eric Schmidt, and Apple CEO Steve Jobs. A White House official explains that the assembly will talk about "promoting American innovation," as well as the Obama administration's interests in funding education, clean energy, and research and development.
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01/25, 11:30pm
Goal tied with infrastructure spending
President Barack Obama has called for wireless broadband Internet expansion well beyond the goals previously set by the FCC's National Broadband Plan. The president has bumped the availability target up to 98 percent of all Americans. Moving toward the higher number is touted as a way to help boost the economic recovery through increased infrastructure spending.
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12/23, 4:50am
Someone Americans 'should expect to be rich'
President Barack Obama has cited Apple CEO Steve Jobs as an embodiment of the American dream, according to a report. In discussing the issue of how the wealthiest people in America today are wealthier than ever in America’s history, Obama said, “And something that's always been the greatest strength of America is a thriving, booming middle class, where everybody has got a shot at the American dream…” Obama then moved to talking about Apple and its iconic CEO.
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07/06, 6:40pm
Grants and loans to be matched by $200m investment
President Barack Obama has promised an additional $800 million for loans and grants related to broadband expansion throughout the country. The funds represent a portion of the latest federal stimulus package, which totals approximately $800 billion.
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08/21, 5:15pm
Obama art controversy
Apple has reversed course on the rejection an iPhone app featuring art of President Obama, the title's developer says. Start Mobile comments that it today received a letter from the iPhone Developer Program, claiming that after "further investigation," Start Mobile Wallpaper Gallery is fully compliant with all rules. It must be resubmitted to the App Store, but an Apple representative is promising an "expedited review."
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01/20, 6:30pm
Adobe Sweepstakes
In brief: FastMac has announced that it is now offering a special line of Obama inspired T-shirts to celebrate his inauguration as the 44th President of the United States. iRingPro has announced that they will now begin to donate a portion of every sale to a charity that seeks to provide education, meals and medical cares to children in Nepal. Meanwhile, Adobe has started a contest where users must use Acrobat 9 to create a media rich PDF to be entered into a gallery. Adobe is looking for a wide range of entries from general to industry-specific, allowing users of any experience level to win prizes.
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11/10, 4:00pm
Obama revealed as Mac user
The United States' 44th President will be a Mac user, as President-Elect Barack Obama and his children have been revealed as having two MacBooks for personal use. Newsweek notes that Michelle Obama, the soon-to-be First Lady, recently purchased the two MacBooks so Barack and his two daughters can video-chat while he is on the road, something likely to be frequent in his new position.
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