Technology

The legislative session that started Jan. 3 — and kept going and going, other than spring break and summer recess — is set to end tonight.  Lawmakers are wrapping up after numerous rallies by state workers and advocacy groups, countless committee hearings and floor debates and a leadership change in the Assembly. But they still […]

Laboratories working with potentially dangerous pathogens are not required to share information about their work with their local communities, which heightens mistrust and leads to blanket restrictions, as California saw this summer. Reporting requirements could improve safety and increase oversight.

Despite a court ruling that says local utility laws don't cover streaming services, several California cities are considering taxing the companies similar to cable. As TV broadcast groups lobby federal regulators for additional rule changes, tech advocates are concerned about the impact on consumers.

As the first generation to grow up in a digital world, teens are susceptible to influencer marketing, staged content and misinformation. A legislative proposal would help add media literacy to K-12 education so California children are better equipped for life on social media.

A recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling involving free speech protections and immigration law reaffirmed a longstanding view that could help lawmakers in California and elsewhere attempting to regulate harmful social media algorithms.

While some California college professors remain concerned about students using generative AI such as ChatGPT to cheat in class, a growing number are choosing to encourage its limited use in classroom assignments. From analyzing films to writing research proposals, the assignments seek to convey the benefits of AI as a research tool while acknowledging its limitations and propensity for error.

California is considering banning the use of "reverse search warrants," which compel tech companies to disclose the identities of individuals based on the location of their phone and internet search history. Abortion activists call it vital.

In March, the San Mateo County School Board became the first California school district to sue social media companies for their role in the youth mental health crisis. As state lawmakers struggle to overcome the power and influence of tech giants, local schools are now looking to the courts for help.

The California Privacy Protection Agency is currently drafting regulations sought by voters in 2020 that, if done effectively, will increase transparency for algorithms and help consumers opt out of automated decision-making. But the law is under attack from tech giants and special interest groups.

Now that California has opted to phase out diesel trucking, the state will find out in the years to come which was right: the aspirations of environmentalists or the warnings of the trucking industry.  On Friday the California Air Resources Board unanimously voted to ban the sale of new diesel big rigs, delivery and garbage […]