Securing Human Rights Online, Essential Services for Immigrants, and More

Economic change through digital transformation, why immigrants may be hesitant to apply for public assistance, and the NSO Group saga.

View in browser January 20, 2022 Lessons for policymakers from the NSO Group saga   After revelations that NSO Group's spyware was used to break into the phones of politicians, journalists, and civil rights activists, the Israeli company appears to be on the verge of collapse. The fallout from this saga offers important lessons for policymakers, researchers, and activists aiming to secure human rights online, Matt Tait, Runa Sandvik, and Tarah Wheeler write.   Read more It's time for the Biden administration to let immigrants know about the changes to the public charge rule   The Trump administration's public charge rule essentially counted the use of specific health or human services programs or expected future use of those services as a negative when evaluating specific immigration applications. Despite the rollback of this rule by the Biden administration, mixed-status immigrant families may still be hesitant to apply for public assistance programs in fear of jeopardizing their immigration statuses, says Gabriel Sanchez.   Read more How digital transformation is driving economic change   The digital economy can help create a more prosperous future. But to maximize its potential, opportunities must be expanded to smaller firms and wider segments of the global labor force. Zia Qureshi outlines ways to revamp policies for the digital era, with guidance on competition policy, education and training, the innovation ecosystem, and more.   Read more Help support Brookings with a donation   Brookings is committed to making its high-quality, independent policy research free to the public. Please consider making a contribution today to our Annual Fund to support our experts' work. The conclusions and recommendations of any Brookings publication are solely those of its author(s), and do not reflect the views of the Institution, its management, or its other scholars. The Brookings Institution, 1775 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, DC 20036 Unsubscribe Manage your newsletter preferences | Receive the Brookings Brief less often