Federal ‘Fedware’ Apps Flagged as Spyware, Raising Alarm for Government CIOs
A review of recently released federal mobile applications, dubbed “Fedware,” uncovered extensive permission requests and embedded third‑party trackers, including sanctioned Chinese components. The findings warn public‑sector CIOs of heightened privacy and security exposure.
Tennessee Grandmother Wrongfully Detained for Five Months After Clearview AI Misidentifies Her
Angela Lipps, a 50‑year‑old Tennessee grandmother, was arrested in July 2025 and held for more than five months after Clearview AI facial‑recognition software mistakenly identified her as a fraud suspect. The case, described as the longest AI‑related wrongful detention in...
Has GSA Adopted DOD’s CMMC Requirements?
On January 5 2026 the General Services Administration issued an IT Security Procedural Guide that instantly raises cybersecurity requirements for any contractor handling Controlled Unclassified Information. The guide forces compliance with NIST SP 800‑171 Rev 3, selected SP 800‑172 Rev 3 controls, and privacy controls from...
Digital Government’s Moment Arrives in Europe
The OECD and Germany have launched a joint initiative to develop a shared reference architecture for "rules as code," a framework that translates laws into machine‑readable code. Announced at OpenFisca’s conference in Canberra, the effort aims to standardize how governments...
‘Not Accidental’: ESafety Sounds Alarm On ‘Major Gaps’ In Under-16 Social Media Ban
Australia’s under‑16 social‑media ban, effective 10 December, is facing serious compliance gaps across major platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat and YouTube. The eSafety Commissioner’s report finds that platforms have built workarounds into age‑verification systems, failed to close reporting pathways,...
Telecom News: Fiber Broadband Association, NFR, Bharti Airtel, Tata Teleservices
The Fiber Broadband Association unveiled a "fiber‑first" framework to help U.S. states accelerate middle‑mile fiber deployment, emphasizing cross‑agency coordination, dig‑once policies, and streamlined permitting. The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) rolled out an AI‑enhanced optical‑fiber‑cable (OFC) system at 50 level‑crossing gates,...
Telstra Overruled in Mobile Coverage Claims Stoush
Australia’s regulator ACMA confirmed its draft standard that classifies signal strengths below –115 dBm as ‘no coverage’, forcing carriers to label maps with four tiers: good, moderate, usable and no coverage. The rule means Telstra could have up to one million...
Savills Teams with Ricoh to Deploy AI‑Driven Drones for Hong Kong Building Inspections
Savills Property Management Group and Ricoh Hong Kong have struck a strategic partnership to roll out AI‑powered drone inspections of building façades across Hong Kong. The solution replaces scaffolding‑based checks, cuts inspection time and delivers data‑driven maintenance insights for the...
California Governor Issues Executive Order About AI
California Governor Gavin Newsom signed an executive order tightening AI procurement standards and requiring new safeguards for companies seeking state contracts. The order expands the state’s existing AI transparency framework, mandating vetting of bias controls, illegal‑content safeguards, and civil‑rights protections....
Data-Driven Safety Tech Reduces Crime, Saves Lives
There’s a lot of noise out there about public safety technology. Random people with hot takes or half-truths. People presenting themselves as experts after watching a few clips. Some more focused on their brand rather than building safer communities I care less...
Vietnam: AI for Early Detection of Non-Communicable Diseases
Vietnam is fast‑tracking AI integration into its healthcare system to improve early detection of non‑communicable diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and chronic respiratory illnesses. The government and hospitals are expanding electronic health records and centralised data platforms, enabling...
Fuel Finder Now Helping Drivers Shop Around for the Best Deals
The UK government’s Fuel Finder scheme has been integrated into seven leading apps and websites, giving drivers near‑real‑time access to pump prices across the country. By aggregating data from retailers, the service lets motorists compare stations with a tap, potentially...
Australia: AI Facial Analysis Strengthens Forensic Investigations
Australian researchers at Murdoch University have created a face similarity linkage (FSL) system that quantifies facial geometry to uncover connections between crime victims and suspects. By extracting landmark ratios, the tool normalises variations in angle, lighting and scale, delivering more...
Why AI Sandboxes Matter for Responsible Innovation and Public Trust
AI regulatory sandboxes are emerging worldwide as structured testbeds for emerging technologies. Three primary models—regulatory, operational, and hybrid—offer varying degrees of oversight and infrastructure. These sandboxes intervene at different stages of policy development, often using waivers to permit experimentation before...
DoT, NOAA Develop Paths to Modernize Critical Systems
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration launched Motus, a cloud‑native, one‑stop platform that replaces five legacy registration systems for trucking companies. Motus leverages AI, automated identity verification, and auto‑scaling to streamline compliance and curb a 600%...
Improving Connecticut’s Public Health Through Cross-Sector Data-Sharing
Connecticut’s Prevention Data Portal, launched in 2018, showcases how cross‑sector data sharing can improve public‑health outcomes without massive new infrastructure investments. The portal aggregates local, state, and federal datasets, delivering free epidemiological profiles, data stories, and infographics on mental health,...
Demand Transparency: Test a Government CBDC for Tax Tracking
Americans do have the right to know exactly where our tax dollars are going. Test out a CBDC on the government https://t.co/670p3X4NoE
Hackers Hit Patel Email While Cyber Defenses Weakened by Shutdown
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) is operating with roughly 60% of its workforce furloughed amid a partial DHS shutdown, forcing the agency to shift from proactive threat hunting to merely reacting to imminent attacks. Within days, Iranian-linked hackers...
Unlocking ‘Digital Twins’ for Canada’s Infrastructure
The Future of Infrastructure Group (FIG) and design firm Arup have published a white paper, “Unlocking Digital Twins in Canada,” outlining a roadmap to accelerate digital‑twin adoption in Canadian infrastructure. The paper argues that digital twins—dynamic virtual replicas that exchange...
Enhancing Security Operations Builds on Zero Trust: Strengthening National Security Through Deception
The Pentagon is moving zero‑trust from policy to full‑scale execution, establishing maturity goals across the department. Recognizing that breaches are inevitable, defense leaders are adding cyber deception to actively engage attackers and gather intelligence. AI‑driven deception platforms now automate decoy...
APRA Pulls Data Submission System After Security Pentest
The Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) decommissioned its legacy Direct To APRA (D2A) data‑submission system after a routine penetration test on March 19 uncovered unnamed vulnerabilities. The regulator took the system offline on March 20 and urged all banks, insurers and superannuation funds to...
Traffic Safety Expo Is Like SEMA For Safety Equipment, And It's Filled With Cool Tech That Keep Roads And Workers...
The American Traffic Safety Services Association’s Traffic Safety Expo in Houston showcased a suite of new safety technologies aimed at reducing fatalities in road‑construction zones, which claim 50 to 150 lives annually. Highlights included the Alpha Overwatch LiDAR‑based intrusion alarm,...
Alaska Sees Efficiency Gains After Adopting a New Child Support System
Alaska’s Child Support Enforcement Division replaced its 25‑year‑old case management system with the cloud‑enabled ACSESS platform, going live in October 2025 after a two‑year, on‑budget project. The solution, built by Fast Enterprises, is the first commercial‑off‑the‑shelf child‑support system in the...
National Labs Drive Multi‑Agency Solar Cybersecurity Standards
National laboratories lead multi-agency push for solar cybersecurity standards #energysky -- via pv magazine usa: https://t.co/2zCsruApti
Public Health Providers Have to Obey Strict Cyber Security Rules – so Should Private Contractors
New Zealand’s recent cyber‑security strategy follows high‑profile health data breaches that exposed over 120,000 patients’ records. The government argues that existing privacy legislation does not impose enforceable cyber standards on private IT contractors supporting public health providers. It calls for...
Q&A: Hartford CIO Charisse Snipes on AI, Language Access and Building a Smart City Culture
Charisse Snipes, Hartford’s Chief Innovation Officer, says the city prioritized AI governance before rollout, embedding data ownership, security and cross‑department training into its framework. Partnering with Google Cloud, Hartford added real‑time, two‑way translation to its 311 system, supporting up to...
Congress Aims to Make Digital Dollars Easier to Use than Bitcoin Solidifying the ‘Digital Gold’ Narrative
Congress is moving ahead with the GENIUS Act, establishing a federal framework for dollar‑backed stablecoins that includes reserve backing, consumer protection, and cross‑border efficiency. The White House and Treasury have labeled these stablecoins as the next wave of payment innovation...
Orchestrating and Designing Data Collaboratives: What Governance Model Is Fit for Purpose?
Stefaan Verhulst’s paper surveys the surge of data‑governance models—data trusts, commons, cooperatives, intermediaries, unions, sandboxes and data spaces—and argues they are not competing solutions but purpose‑driven responses to distinct coordination challenges. He proposes a typology of seven governance archetypes, each...
New Contract for Background Investigations Raises Concerns About Scale and Risk
The Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) has released a draft solicitation for the next‑generation Case Processing Operations Center (CPOC 2.0), expanding its workload to include Continuous Vetting for real‑time monitoring of cleared personnel. Historically, CPOC processes over a million background...
Meet The FCC’s New CIO
The Federal Communications Commission has appointed Farhan Khan as its new Chief Information Officer. Khan, previously the FDA’s chief digital officer, will steer the FCC’s IT strategy, focusing on modernization and information security. His portfolio spans oversight of systems that...
Can Smart Freight Tech Fix Congestion on I-40 Near Memphis?
The Tennessee Department of Transportation has teamed with Cavnue, LLC to launch a smart freight corridor pilot on I‑40 between Memphis and the upcoming Ford Blue Oval City campus. The initiative will deploy connected and autonomous trucking technologies, installing temporary...
Gecko Robotics Lands $71 Million Navy Contract, Eclipsing Its Lifetime Revenue
Gecko Robotics, the pre‑IPO robotics specialist, won a five‑year, $71 million contract from the U.S. Navy to inspect 18 warships. The deal exceeds the $60 million in revenue the company has generated to date, underscoring the accelerating demand for autonomous inspection technology...
San Diego Transit Awarded $60 Million for Trolley, Electric Buses
San Diego’s Metropolitan Transit System has secured more than $60 million from California’s Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program. Approximately $48.3 million will be directed to the Orange Line Improvement Project, upgrading tracks and vehicles on the trolley network. An additional $12.1 million...
Niger Unveils New Biometric ID System to Boost Digital Sovereignty
Niger became the second member of the Alliance of Sahel States to launch a regional biometric national ID system, with President General Abdourahamane Tiani enrolling first on March 27. The program, built by Libyan firm Al Itissan Al‑Jadeed, issues cards to citizens...
Niger State Replaces Tech Ministry with New Agency to Cut Bottlenecks
Niger State has dissolved its Ministry of Communications Technology and Digital Economy, creating the Niger State Information Technology and Digital Economy Agency (NSITDEA) to streamline digital initiatives. Former ministry commissioner Sulaiman Isah will lead the agency as director‑general, replacing the...
‘Smart Data 2035 – The UK’s Smart Data Strategy’
On 26 March 2026 the UK Department for Business and Trade released the policy paper “Smart Data 2035 – The UK’s Smart Data Strategy.” The paper leverages powers granted by the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 to mandate firm participation in smart‑data...
MeitY Proposes To Make Advisories Legally Binding For Social Media Platforms
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has proposed amendments to the 2021 IT (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, making government advisories legally binding for social media platforms such as Meta, Google and X. Platforms must...
Belgium Travel Congestion Delays EES Entry
Belgium’s interior ministry has postponed its rollout of the EU Entry/Exit System (EES) biometric registration after test runs caused significant queue buildups at border checkpoints. The EU‑wide deadline for full EES implementation remains 10 April, but several member states, including Belgium,...
Rollout Delays Extend Austria’s EES Biometrics Contract with Secunet Again
Austria has extended its Entry‑Exit System (EES) contract with German security firm secunet, raising the deal’s value from €14.6 million (≈US$16.7 million) to €22 million (≈US$25.2 million) and lengthening the term to March 2029. The increase reflects repeated delays, as the European Commission postponed the...
South Korea Extends Facial Recognition SIM Registration Pilot to June 2026
South Korea’s Ministry of Science and ICT has pushed back the end of its facial‑recognition SIM registration pilot to June 30, 2026. The trial, which began in December, requires users to scan their face at activation to match identity‑document data, targeting fraud...
MOSIP, OpenCRVS Develop Age Verification PoC to Help Prevent Child Marriage
A collaboration between MOSIP and OpenCRVS has produced an open‑source proof‑of‑concept that lets marriage officiants verify the ages of prospective spouses using national digital IDs or civil registration data. The system works across formal registry offices and informal religious or...
FCC Router Ban Threatens 11.2 Million Homes' Internet Access
The FCC router ban is a digital divide bomb hiding in plain sight. The industry isn't talking loudly enough about what this actually means for 11.2 million American households. 🧵🚨 #Telecom #Broadband
The Defense-in-Depth Question the United States Has Not Asked
The United States bases Tier‑1 critical‑infrastructure protection on Post‑Quantum Cryptography (PQC) alone, diverging from its broader defense‑in‑depth doctrine. A new ICIT paper shows that PQC and Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) are technically coupled, sharing authentication and downgrade vulnerabilities, yet U.S....
Crescenta Valley, CA Reduces Leakage Using Smart Pressure Monitoring
The Crescenta Valley Water District (CVWD) deployed Mueller remote pressure loggers and altered pump operations to combat frequent leaks caused by aging pipes and pressure surges. Real‑time data fed into its water‑management platform enabled staggered pump scheduling, expanded tank levels,...
IRS IRIS System: What Filers Must Do Before 2027
The IRS will retire the legacy FIRE system on December 31 2026, making the newer Information Returns Intake System (IRIS) mandatory for all 1099 and 1042‑S filings. IRIS, live since 2023, offers real‑time validation and multiple submission routes, from a web portal...
Sri Lanka Building Data Minimization Into Digital ID to Protect Privacy
Sri Lanka is set to launch its first digital ID, SL‑UDI, later this year, embedding data minimization and purpose limitation at the core of the system. The platform uses role‑based access controls, encryption, immutable audit logs, and secure API integrations...
No, Your City Doesn't Need Another Dashboard
City governments are drowning in data, spending roughly $143 billion annually on IT and juggling about 112 applications per municipality. The overload fuels burnout—nearly half of city employees feel emotionally drained—while dashboards often miss critical information, as New York City’s recent...
Rwanda Races to Meet 2027 Deadline for Digital ID Rollout
Rwanda aims to complete its Single Digital ID System (SDID) by 2027, aligning with the National Strategy for Transformation and a $200 million World Bank‑funded Digital Acceleration Project. So far, 1.5 million citizens have been biometrically enrolled, and the mobile registration drive...
GAO: 5 Out of 6 Federal Agencies Not Using Cyber Workforce Dashboard
The Office of Personnel Management introduced a Cyber Workforce Dashboard in 2023 to give federal agencies a unified view of cyber staffing and enable benchmarking. A GAO review of six agencies found that five agencies—and OPM itself—do not use the...
Britain’s March Towards a Spy State
The blog warns that Britain is rapidly evolving into a surveillance‑heavy state as AI‑driven monitoring tools move from niche law‑enforcement use to nationwide deployment. Facial‑recognition cameras, predictive analytics and data‑sharing agreements are being rolled out under the banner of public...