Georgetown Law
Technology Review

On September 28, California governor Jerry Brown signed SB-327 into law, making California the first state to pass a cybersecurity law regarding connected devices, which comprise what is popularly known as the Internet of Things (IoT). SB-327was introduced in February 2017 and passed the California State Senate in late August. It will go into effect […]

On September 12, 2018, as anticipated, Apple revealed their new line of iPhones. Apple also introduced the new generation of the Apple Watch. For the first time, the watch contained features that were approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The sensors and the associated application (app) on the Apple Watch can produce […]

On May 14th, 2018, the Supreme Court of the United States overruled a federal law from 1992 entitled the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA). PAPSA made it unlawful for all states except Nevada to legalize betting on professional and collegiate sporting events. Esports, or competitive computer gaming, has risen sharply over the last […]

In September, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) announced its plan to invest up to $2 billion over the next five years toward new programs advancing artificial intelligence (A.I.). DARPA describes the new investment as working toward what it calls the “third wave” of A.I. The “third wave” campaign is aimed at developing machines […]

In August, Congress passed the Foreign Investment Risk Review Modernization Act (FIRRMA) as part of a $717 billion defense spending bill. FIRRMA focuses on the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), a group that reviews proposed foreign investment deals and evaluates them for potential national security risks. It expands the scope of […]

Amidst allegations that Cambridge Analytica used the personal data of millions of Facebook users to target voters and help sway the 2016 U.S. presidential election, public spotlight is on the data management practices of social media platforms—particularly the transfer of data between the platform and third parties. Collaboration between social media platforms and outside entities […]

Recent months have seen several states moving to embrace blockchain technology and its promise of making governmental services more efficient and secure. On March 22, 2018, Tennessee passed legislation that establishes the legal authority of smart contracts in the marketplace. The Tennessee Senate Bill, referred to as SB 1662, acknowledges that smart contracts “may exist […]

On March 14, 2018, the Federal Election Commission (FEC, or Commission) issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) and released two alternative proposals that would amend its disclosure requirements for online political advertisements. Both proposals would require advertisers to disclose the sponsors for public communications on the internet that “contain express advocacy, solicit contributions, or […]

Autonomous vehicle companies still appear all-in on the development of self-driving cars—despite recent accidents and hesitation from states to grant the companies expanded testing authorization. On March 18, an Uber self-driving vehicle struck and killed a pedestrian crossing the street in Tempe, Arizona. Uber responded by stopping testing in Arizona and San Francisco, Toronto, and […]

On April 11, 2018, the President signed FOSTA/SESTA into law. The bill combines largely similar House and Senate versions, both intended to target sex trafficking online. Though each passed with broad bipartisan support in Congress, FOSTA/SESTA has been highly controversial within the tech community and, notably, among anti-trafficking advocates and sex worker advocates. The Internet […]