Overnight Tech: Trump meets Alibaba founder | Uber to make some data public | GOP Lawmakers tapped for key tech panels
TRUMP MEETS THE RICHEST MAN IN CHINA: President-elect Donald Trump met with Alibaba founder and executive chairman Jack Ma today to discuss how the online marketplace can help U.S. small businesses.
“[Alibaba] wants to create US jobs by helping US small businesses and farmers sell to China’s 300 million-strong middle class,” the company tweeted.
Ma, who with an estimated net worth of $27 billion is the richest man in Asia, said that his plan would create 1 million jobs in the U.S. His company is an online powerhouse in China.
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“We had a great meeting,” Trump told reporters in the lobby of Trump Tower, according to pool reports. He described Ma as a “great, great entrepreneur, one of the best in the world. And he loves this country and he loves China.”
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WALDEN ANNOUNCES SUBCOMMITTEE ROSTERS: Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.), the new chairman of the House Commerce committee, announced the Republican members for the panel’s subcommittees, including those overseeing technology and digital commerce.
The Republican members of the communications and technology subcommittee, where Walden recently handed off the gavel to Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), will be Reps. Leonard Lance (N.J.), John Shimkus (Ill.), Steve Scalise (La.), Bob Latta (Ohio), Brett Guthrie (Ky.), Pete Olson (Texas), Adam Kinzinger (Ill.), Gus Bilirakis (Fla.), Bill Johnson (Ohio), Billy Long (Mo.), Bill Flores (Texas), Susan Brooks (Ind.), Chris Collins (N.Y.), Kevin Cramer (N.D.), Mimi Walters (Calif.), Ryan Costello (Pa.) and Walden.
And the subcommittee on digital commerce and consumer protection, chaired by Latta, will include Republican Reps. Gregg Harper (Miss.), Fred Upton (Mich.), Michael Burgess (Texas), Lance, Guthrie, David McKinley (W.Va.), Kinzinger, Gus Bilirakis (Fla.), Larry Bucshon (Ind.), Markwayne Mullin (Okla.), Mimi Walters (Calif.), Costello and Walden.
A NEW LAW: President Obama on Friday signed into law the American Innovation and Competitiveness Act (AICA). It was originally sponsored by Sens. Cory Gardner (R-Colo.) and Gary Peters (D-Mich.) It aims to advance research innovations in science, technology engineering and math, by cutting red tape and boosting diversity in those fields.
“AICA increases U.S. competitiveness while creating jobs for hardworking Americans and will help to spur new businesses and industries,” Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Texas) one of its supporters and the chairman of the House Science Committee, said.
“On the whole, Americans will see improved accountability and transparency with a reduction in administrative burden on researchers as a result of this legislative effort. It has been an honor to help shepherd this bill across the finish line, and to see this meaningful legislation signed into law.”
EMAIL PRIVACY BILL IS BACK: Reps. Jared Polis (D-Colo.) and Kevin Yoder (R-Kan.) reintroduced the Email Privacy Act on Monday. The bill aims to update the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA) and force the government to get a warrant to search Americans’ digital correspondence.
The bill was killed in the last legislative session after Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) inserted an amendment that created exceptions allowing the FBI to avoid the bill’s warrant requirement. Critics called it a “poison pill” that would have gutted their intent of protecting email privacy.
An aide from Polis’s office expressed confidence the bill would advance this time.
BACKING OFF: The Supreme Court is letting stand a lower court’s decision on a controversial law that protected websites from being sued over the content of their users’ posts, reports Reuters. The law in question has helped protect social media and e-commerce sites from liability for user-generated content, including cases where third-parties posted ads selling stolen products or for other illegal activities.
The case in question before the high court on Monday involved the online classified website, Backpage.com Three women sued Backpage, alleging that they were forced to engage in sex work as minors and citing ads placed on the website. Their suit was dismissed by a lower court and the justices declined to take up their appeal.
Tech groups worried justices would allow the suit to proceed and open them up to new liability.
GIVE YOURSELF A ‘PATENT’ ON THE BACK: IBM broke the annual patent record, with 8,088 patents last year. Over 2,700 came in the field of artificial intelligence/cognitive computing and in cloud storage, major tech areas to watch in 2017. Other major tech companies like Microsoft, Samsung also made the top patent list. The only internet company represented in the top 10 was Google, whose developments in driverless car technology, mobile phones and even energy have taken the company increasingly into the realm of physical products.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:
Distracted by bowl games and the holiday bustle the last couple weeks? We’ve got you covered.
Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), was tapped to chair the House Energy and Commerce subcommittee on Communications and Technology. Harper takes a look into what that means.
Alibaba CEO Jack Ma met with Trump today. Tech companies’ relationships with the government are shifting as the White House prepares to change hands.
Uber is releasing some of its data to city officials, urban planners and researchers.
Julian Assange weighs in on Russian hacking intelligence. His take probably won’t surprise you.
To get you ready for the year ahead, here’s what to look for from the FCC in 2017.
Tech continues to grow at a rapid pace as lawmakers and regulators struggle to keep up. Here are five major areas that to keep an eye on in 2017.
Artificial intelligence gained a lot of ground in 2016 and will keep making strides in 2017. Here are five ways it can impact your life.