The Technology 202: House hearings may reveal tensions over post-Roe data collection

Democrats fear authorities will seize on sensitive data to... | Presented by Meta ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

View in browser Presented by Meta   By Cristiano Lima Happy Tuesday! I'm looking forward to moderating this discussion on trust and safety online Thursday. Hope you can make it.  Below: Apple faces an antitrust lawsuit, and Uber settles a discrimination case with the Justice Department. First: House hearings may reveal tensions over post-Roe data collection House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.). (J. Scott Applewhite/AP) Two congressional hearings Tuesday are poised to explore how data collection by both authorities and private companies could put those seeking abortions at risk with Roe v. Wade overturned.  Those privacy concerns have gained renewed prominence amid Democratic fears that government officials in states where abortion is illegal may use data to prosecute cases. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) plans to kick off a hearing on "digital dragnets" and government access to data by highlighting that women are "at particular risk" to government data surveillance, according to prepared remarks shared with The Technology 202.  Nadler will warn that state law enforcement will be able to "use available data to keep track of who searches online for the words 'miscarriage' or 'abortion'" and "purchase geolocation data to monitor which phones travel out of state to go to a medical provider." But the session may also offer a preview of the political minefield companies will need to navigate as they weigh demands for reproductive health data and other sensitive information.  Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, the top Republican on the panel, has been a vocal critic of federal surveillance and at times an ally to Democrats looking to bring about legislative reform. Jordan is also an outspoken foe of abortion, as are other committee Republicans.  They may take issue with calls by Democratic lawmakers for companies to limit their data collection post-Roe, or with attempts by companies to resist government demands for data. A spokesperson for Jordan declined to offer comment on his plans for the hearing.    Content from Meta Doctors can practice high-risk situations risk-free in the metaverse In the metaverse, future surgeons will be able to practice advanced procedures hundreds of times before seeing real patients – helping them gain experience and master their skills. The metaverse may be virtual, but the impact will be real. Learn how Meta is helping build the metaverse.     A separate hearing by a House committee currently negotiating a landmark data privacy bill is poised to touch on the collection of sensitive data by tech companies. A memo prepared for the hearing by majority staff on the House Energy and Commerce panel highlighted President Biden's executive order calling on federal agencies including the Federal Trade Commission to take greater steps to safeguard reproductive health data. The issue has been a major focus for many Democratic panel leaders.  The session could also offer a window into how much lawmakers are factoring data privacy concerns post-Roe into their broader negotiations over a federal privacy bill. One top Democrat has voiced concern that their proposal would still leave women too vulnerable to privacy risks.  House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has separately said the caucus is exploring legislation that "[p]rotects women's most intimate and personal data stored in reproductive health apps." "Many fear that this information could be used against women by a sinister prosecutor in a state that criminalizes abortion," Pelosi wrote in a recent letter to House Democrats.  While Democrats have called on tech companies to limit their data collection and for agencies to monitor for any overreach post-Roe, there's also growing pressure from tech groups for the federal government to check its own privacy practices.  The Chamber of Progress, a center-left trade group that receives funding from top tech companies, recently urged the Justice Department to reconsider its position on digital privacy. The group wrote in a letter first reported by The Technology 202 that federal prosecutors have "repeatedly made arguments that undermine the Fourth Amendment protections for data." The group argued that those same tactics could be used to "target reproductive health organizations and clinics that may advise women on the availability of abortion services in other states or to create a dragnet to identify women who may seek reproductive services out of state." The missive highlights how there's growing scrutiny from all sides on both public and private collection of sensitive data and how it could be used in a post-Roe landscape.    Our top tabs Apple accused of antitrust violations in Apple Pay lawsuit The lawsuit accuses Apple of antitrust violations. (Dado Ruvic/Reuters) The class-action lawsuit accuses Apple of "using its market power in the mobile device industry to fend off competition from other payment card issuers and charging them fees to boost its bottom line," Bloomberg's Malathi Nayak reports. "Apple bars competitors from accessing the near-field communication interface from working with the technology giant's devices, and 'charges payment card issuers fees that no other mobile wallet ventures to impose,' " the Iowa-based Affinity Credit Union alleged in a lawsuit filed Monday in federal court in California, Bloomberg reported. It's the latest sign of mounting antitrust scrutiny for Apple, which is under the glare of regulators in the Europe and the United States. Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Bloomberg. Uber, DOJ settle case alleging company overcharged people with disabilities The Justice Department had sought unspecified monetary damages and civil penalties in the case. (Seth Wenig/AP) Uber has agreed to pay "several million dollars in compensation" to more than 65,000 users with disabilities who were charged wait times while using the service, according to an announcement Monday by the Justice Department, the Wall Street Journal's Preetika Rana reports. "The wait-time fee usually applies two minutes after a standard Uber arrives at a pickup location and is charged until the car begins its trip. Uber previously said the average wait-time fee charged to riders is less than 60 cents," according to the report.  "This agreement sends a strong message that Uber and other ride-sharing companies will be held accountable if their services discriminate against people with disabilities," said Kristen Clarke, an assistant attorney general at the Justice Department. Uber said Monday it was pleased to have reached the agreement. DHS advisory panel says there's no need for disinformation board Republicans grilled Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas about the disinformation board. (Evan Vucci/AP) "Department of Homeland Security advisers urged the agency Monday to scrap the disinformation governance board the Biden administration created this year only to watch it implode amid confusion and partisan quarreling over its role," my colleague Maria Sacchetti reports. The board drew blowback from Republicans who cast it as an Orwellian attempt to censor speech. Michael Chertoff, co-chair of the council subcommittee that drafted the recommendation and a former DHS secretary, did not explain the panel's reasoning before the broader council voted to approve the recommendation Monday. He said the subcommittee is working on a full report on disinformation due Aug. 3.   Rant and rave Pictures of Elon Musk vacationing in Greece ahead of his team's trial against Twitter surfaced online Monday. The internet had thoughts. Ryan Mac of the New York Times:  Bloomberg opinion columnist Matt Levine: Bloomberg's Mark Bergen:   Agency scanner Uber agrees to pay penalties after overcharging people with disabilities By Wall Street Journal ●  Read more »   The definition of broadband internet may change. Here's why. By Chris Velazco ●  Read more »     Hill happenings STEM immigration measure hits dead end as competition hopes dim By Bloomberg Government ●  Read more »   Chip designers warm to U.S. bill despite big benefits to Intel By Reuters ●  Read more »     Inside the industry In first hearing, Twitter to push for speedy trial against Elon Musk By Elizabeth Dwoskin ●  Read more »   Amazon sues Facebook group admins over fake reviews By TechCrunch ●  Read more »     Competition watch Meta's Giphy purchase is getting a new U.K. investigation By Protocol ●  Read more »     Trending How Elon Musk became a new kind of celebrity By Ashley Fetters Maloy and Nitasha Tiku ●  Read more »   In 'The Metaverse,' a leading evangelist shies away from prediction By Shannon Liao ●  Read more »     Daybook The House Judiciary Committee holds a hearing on government access to personal data today at 10 a.m. The House Energy and Commerce Committee holds a markup on data privacy legislation Wednesday at 9:45 a.m. The Senate Commerce Committee holds a hearing to consider President Biden's nomination of Arati Prabhakar to lead the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy on Wednesday at 10 a.m. FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr, a Republican, discusses broadband grants at an American Enterprise Institute event on Thursday at 10 a.m.   Before you log off That's all for today — thank you so much for joining us! 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