The Dead Law Theory: The Perils of Simulated Interpretation
Zachary Catanzaro argues that judges consulting ChatGPT for statutory meaning face a fundamental flaw, not merely a reliability issue. Large language models predict token sequences without true semantic comprehension, making computational legal interpretation a category error. He links this flaw to originalist jurisprudence, which already treats meaning as historical usage, and warns that AI‑generated text will contaminate future corpora. The resulting erosion of nuanced, marginal claims threatens the protections of life and liberty.
Purpose Drives Design: Functions of a Statewide Longitudinal Data System
Statewide longitudinal data systems (SLDS) can boost education and workforce outcomes, but designs vary based on intended functions—public reporting, research analytics, and individual support. The brief by Stefaan Verhulst explains how policymakers can align system architecture, governance, and legal frameworks...
Local Strategies for Engaging Youth with Data
Local organizations receiving grants from the Local Data for Equitable Communities program are training teenagers to collect, analyze, and present data on pressing neighborhood issues such as displacement, air pollution, extreme heat, and limited public spaces. The initiative, highlighted in...
SEALSQ Expands Japan Presence to Support 2035 Quantum Security Mandate
SEALSQ Corp is expanding its footprint in Japan by showcasing its production‑ready QS7001 secure System‑on‑Chip and QVault Trusted Platform Module at two March 2026 industry events. The move backs Japan’s National Cyber Command Office mandate to transition all government and critical‑infrastructure...
Victory! Tenth Circuit Finds Fourth Amendment Doesn’t Support Broad Search of Protesters’ Devices and Digital Data
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit reversed a district court ruling that had dismissed a civil‑rights suit over sweeping warrants targeting a protester’s devices and a nonprofit’s Facebook page. The appellate panel found the three warrants overbroad,...
A PIN to Protect Your Tax Return
The IRS offers a six‑digit Identity Protection PIN (IP PIN) to safeguard taxpayers from filing fraud using their SSN or ITIN. Anyone with a valid tax identifier can enroll, and parents may obtain PINs for dependents. The quickest method is through...
Two More States Are About to Jump Ship Onto Their Own ACA Marketplaces
Oregon and Oklahoma are set to launch their own state‑based ACA exchanges, bringing the total to 23 states (including DC) that will operate independent marketplaces by 2028. This shift will push state‑run exchanges past the 50 percent population mark, a milestone...
Reimagining Parliament Through Foresight
The article explains how parliamentary foresight is being institutionalized worldwide to help legislatures think beyond election cycles. It highlights EU's ESPAS, Finland’s Committee for the Future, Estonia’s Foresight Centre, and Chile’s Senate Committee on Future Challenges as leading examples. The...
One Stamp Every 40 Months
Poll the Vote, founded by Heather Nelson, offers a standalone civic‑engagement platform that lets constituents create free accounts and interact directly with candidates and elected officials. Unlike typical tools that piggyback on social media, it houses both campaign and governing...
Reveal: What FedRAMP Authorized Should Mean in eDiscovery
FedRAMP, the federal cloud security authorization program, is becoming a critical benchmark for eDiscovery solutions as U.S. courts anticipate over 400,000 lawsuits this year. Legal teams must verify that their cloud‑based discovery tools meet FedRAMP standards to prevent security breaches,...
Using LLMs to Enhance Democracy
The paper by Seth Lazar and Lorenzo Manuali evaluates whether large language models (LLMs) can improve democratic deliberation. It examines LLM‑driven summarization, opinion aggregation, and preference prediction, finding mixed outcomes. While AI tools can make political texts more accessible, they...
The Day Europe’s Data Stops Flowing
Europe’s digital economy is increasingly dependent on a complex data infrastructure that remains vulnerable to prolonged outages. The authors model how a systemic failure could evolve from brief inconveniences to widespread power loss, overwhelmed emergency services, and financial disruption within...
Center for Regulatory Ingenuity
The FAS Center for Regulatory Ingenuity (CRI) is launching a transpartisan effort to modernize stagnant government institutions, beginning with climate policy. It creates high‑trust brainstorming environments and a "network of networks" to help policymakers update outdated laws for the clean‑technology...
A Remedy for Medicine Procurement: How Brazil Is Improving Decision-Making in a $75 Billion Market Using Open Data and AI
Brazil spends roughly US$75 billion annually on medicines through its universal health system, but fragmented procurement across 5,000 municipalities creates price volatility and opaque documentation. A coalition of government agencies and civil‑society groups launched the Medicamentos Transparentes platform, which consolidates purchase...
Chat Control Is in the Final Stretch – but It Could Be a Marathon, Not a Sprint
The EU Council, led by Denmark, has rejected mandatory scanning of private messages and added safeguards for encrypted communications in the contentious CSA Regulation. While the Council now proposes a voluntary detection framework, the European Parliament still backs limited mandatory...
Broadband Grant Deadlines
Federal broadband grants from programs such as CAF II, RDOF, ReConnect, the Capital Projects Fund, ARPA, and NTIA face hard completion deadlines, many of which fall on December 31, 2026. The federal government has signaled no appetite for extensions, meaning...
Seeing in the Dark: Towards a Broad Construction of the Access to Data Provisions of the DSA
The Digital Services Act’s Article 40 gives vetted researchers EU‑wide data access to study systemic risks, but its “necessary and proportionate” test may limit that access. Past denials on privacy grounds show researchers often lack prior knowledge of what data they...
Planning Cloud Security Assessments with Third-Party Tools in Azure Government Cloud
Organizations using Azure Government Cloud struggle to balance automated security assessments with the nuanced architectural requirements of regulated environments. Third‑party compliance tools can scan thousands of resources against NIST, FedRAMP, and CIS benchmarks, delivering speed and broad visibility. However, these...
Tech Companies Shouldn’t Be Bullied Into Doing Surveillance
The U.S. Department of Defense has warned AI firm Anthropic that it could be labeled a “supply chain risk” unless the company lifts its self‑imposed bans on autonomous weapons and surveillance use. Anthropic, which was cleared for classified work in...
A New Approach to Auto Safety
The article proposes that insurers share hard‑braking telematics data with transportation agencies to pinpoint dangerous road segments. A Google study of ten years of crash records found a strong correlation between aggregated hard‑braking events and actual crashes, correctly flagging hotspots...
UK Pilot: Training Boosts Disabled Access to Shared Micromobility | Cities Today
A Salford pilot led by Collaborative Mobility UK and delivered by Cycling UK trained 41 disabled participants on shared e‑bikes and e‑scooters. The hands‑on programme boosted confidence and practical skills, with more than half of the cohort riding independently within...
Peru Begins Campaign to Block Further 100K 'High-Risk' Handsets
Peruvian telecom regulator Osiptel announced a new phase of its anti‑fraud campaign, blocking an additional 100,000 handsets deemed high‑risk. The devices are not listed in the official Renteseg database and are associated with repeated use of invalid or cloned IMEIs....
€1m Digital Mental Health Strategy for Ireland
Ireland has unveiled a €1 million digital mental health strategy that outlines a national roadmap for digital tools, shared records and technology‑enabled services. The plan builds on the 2020‑2030 "Sharing the Vision" policy and prioritises the HSE Health App, a national...
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At a recent round‑table, a speaker outlined how the NHS 10‑year plan can be accelerated by applying platform‑centric principles drawn from the Platformland framework. The presentation highlighted four pillars: digital ways of working, platform‑based clinical functions, converting the public into...
The Call to Create the Congressional Capacity and Technology Office
POPVOX Foundation has released a proposal to create a Congressional Capacity and Technology Office (C-TECH), aimed at equipping members and staff with AI and emerging technology expertise. The office would function as a change‑management and training hub, modeled on historic...
A Digital Omnibus: Identifying Interlinks and Possible Overlaps Between Different Legal Acts in the Field of Digital Legislation to Streamline...
The European Parliament commissioned a study to dissect the European Commission’s Digital Omnibus package released on 19 November 2025. The report separates administrative simplification from substantive changes to safeguards in data protection, privacy, cybersecurity and artificial intelligence. It flags three hot‑button issues...
Predicted: How AI Is Restructuring Social Life
Mona Sloane’s new book *Predicted* argues that artificial intelligence has moved beyond a technological breakthrough to become a core social infrastructure shaping daily interactions and institutional processes. The work frames AI as a co‑produced arrangement built on prediction, classification, and...
UNICEF’s Learning Cabinet and EdTech for Good
UNICEF’s Global Learning Innovation Hub unveiled its EdTech for Good initiative and the Learning Cabinet during a February 3 webinar hosted by the International Centre for EdTech Impact. The Learning Cabinet is an online repository that vets EdTech tools for...
Bhutan's Crypto Experiment, Malta's AI Officer, and Exploring India's Digital Summit
India’s AI Impact Summit in New Delhi positioned the country as a diplomatic bridge between the United States and China, showcasing its ambition to shape global AI governance. The event highlighted public‑oriented, human‑governed AI built on India’s extensive digital public...
The GeoAI for Humanitarian
Geospatial AI (GeoAI) is emerging as a powerful tool for rapid disaster assessment, predictive early‑warning models, population mapping in data‑poor regions, and real‑time tracking of displacement and infrastructure damage. The technology promises the speed, scale, and accuracy humanitarian actors need...
ZIDA Urges Swift Rollout of E-Cadastre System as Investor Demand for Clarity Grows
The Zimbabwe Investment Development Agency (ZIDA) is pressing the government to fast‑track the launch of an E‑Cadastre system that digitally records mining tenements. The platform, long delayed, is now slated for a 2025 rollout after recent investor inquiries at the...
Demand UK Digital Sovereignty
The Open Rights Group is urging the UK government to adopt a digital sovereignty strategy that reduces reliance on foreign tech giants such as Amazon, Microsoft, Google and Palantir. It argues that over‑dependence creates strategic fragility, citing the Trump‑ordered shutdown...
Micrologic Partners with Cohesity to Become the Leading Sovereign Cloud Data Protection Solution in Canada
Micrologic, a Canadian sovereign‑cloud provider, has teamed with AI‑driven data‑security firm Cohesity to launch a fully Canadian‑jurisdictional data‑protection platform. The joint solution combines Micrologic’s Canada‑only cloud infrastructure with Cohesity’s backup, disaster‑recovery and isolated recovery environment technology. It promises recovery speeds...
BBC – Police to Scan Football Fans’ Faces in Liverpool Using Live Facial Recognition
Police in Liverpool will employ live facial‑recognition technology during the Everton versus Manchester United Premier League match. The deployment is presented as a tool to manage crowds while respecting attendees' rights. Advocacy group Big Brother Watch criticised the move, urging...
Bridging the Gap Between Technical Innovation and Development Impact
The article argues that open‑source software can bridge the gap between technical innovation and development outcomes, noting that roughly 80% of government digital‑transformation projects fall short of their goals. It cites high‑impact examples such as Linux, OpenSSL, and OpenMRS, which...
Geopolitical Union: Europe’s Attempt to Take Back Control of Technology Regulation
The European Commission is repositioning itself as a “Geopolitical Commission,” aiming to reclaim control over technology regulation. The strategy, outlined in Benjamin Farrand’s book *Geopolitical Union*, targets standards, micro‑chip access, online platform oversight, industrial data, and artificial intelligence. By blending...
Israel Considers Updating 50-Year-Old Building Codes to Enable 3D Concrete Printing
Israel is reviewing its 50‑year‑old building construction regulations to accommodate 3‑D concrete printing (3DCP). The push follows exposure to advanced construction tech at the World of Concrete expo and a severe labor shortage caused by the Gaza conflict. Officials argue...
It’s Time for an End to Two-Tier Tech in the NHS
The NHS is rapidly adopting AI and patient‑facing tools, yet back‑office staff such as roster managers remain stuck with outdated systems. This digital divide fuels stress, mismatched rotas, and higher temporary‑staff costs, contributing to the wider retention crisis. Trusts that...
Latitude59 2026 to Advance “The Global Village Experiment” In Tallinn, Bridging Nordic, African, and Asian Startup Ecosystems
Latitude59 2026 will convene in Tallinn, Estonia, under the theme “The Global Village Experiment,” bringing founders, investors, and ecosystem builders from more than 70 countries across the Nordics, Africa, and Asia. The three‑day conference spotlights artificial intelligence, quantum computing, biotechnology,...
Voice Is Nothing But an App
The author filed FCC comments urging the agency to drop Title II regulation for voice services and reclassify them as Title I information services. He argues that traditional copper‑based POTS is obsolete and that today’s voice is delivered by a myriad of...
BDUK Release Gigabit Figures for October to December 2025
Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK) announced that 56,000 premises received gigabit‑capable service in the October‑December 2025 quarter, bringing the cumulative total to 1,373,800 premises – roughly 4.1 % of UK households. The bulk of the new connections came from Project Gigabit contracts...
Gov.UK: Update on the Serious Fraud Office’s E-Discovery Review
The UK Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has completed its e‑discovery review of historic fraud convictions that relied on the legacy Autonomy system. Out of 66 identified cases, only three remain under final review, and the SFO reports no material that...
Resident Engagement Initiatives Local Governments Are Using Today
Resident engagement is evolving as local governments blend digital and in‑person tactics to meet higher citizen expectations. Examples include Banff, Alberta’s use of Pinterest for visual storytelling, extending community visibility and civic pride, and Rockingham County, North Carolina’s free eight‑week...
Government Strategy Needs Reimagining: An Experiment From Argentina
Red de Innovación Local (RIL) launched an internal experiment to redesign municipal strategy by first applying its new AI‑driven process to its own team. Using PortalRIL, a platform built on ten years of local‑government data, staff answered a structured “Questions...
OMB Rescinds the “Common Form” Secure Software Attestation Requirement
On Jan. 23, 2026 the Office of Management and Budget issued Memorandum M‑26‑05, rescinding the Biden‑era mandate that all federal agencies obtain a CISA “Common Form” software attestation. The new memo replaces the one‑size‑fits‑all requirement with a risk‑based, agency‑specific approach while...
Buy versus Build an LLM: A Decision Framework for Governments
Large language models are emerging as core digital infrastructure for governments, offering capabilities from routine citizen services to high‑stakes policy analysis. Policymakers must decide whether to purchase commercial offerings, build domestic models, or adopt hybrid solutions, each with trade‑offs in...
Czech Ministry Apologizes to Journalist for Blanket Collection of Mobile Phone Data
The Czech Supreme Court ruled that the country's blanket retention of mobile phone metadata violates EU law, labeling the practice a long‑term and serious rights infringement. Following the decision, the Ministry of Industry and Trade issued a formal apology to...
Europe’s Digital Sovereignty Starts with Open Source
EDRi, together with Access Now and Vrijschrift.org, submitted a response to the EU’s Open‑Source Digital Ecosystems Strategy, arguing that free and open source software (FOSS) is a strategic foundation for Europe’s digital sovereignty. The brief highlights how Europe’s current reliance...
Ensuring Human Rights-Based, Global Perspectives in the DSA Enforcement: The DSA Human Rights Alliance’s Guidelines
The DSA Human Rights Alliance released an eight‑principle guide urging the European Commission and national regulators to embed a human‑rights‑centered approach as the Digital Services Act moves into enforcement. The recommendations stress cross‑border effects, inclusion of diverse civil‑society groups, and...
How Recommender Algorithms Threaten Election Integrity
A study by ApTI examined how Facebook, Instagram and TikTok recommendation algorithms delivered political content during Romania’s 2025 presidential election. Using four controlled accounts, the researchers found that algorithms routinely overrode explicit user choices, showing adult users political posts from...