Washington, D.C. (08/05/2022) – New pieces in The Wall Street Journal and Newsweek outline why legislative proposals like the American Innovation and Choice Online Act (AICOA) pose significant threats to U.S. national defense and cybersecurity and expose Americans to cyber threats from foreign adversaries. Together, the pieces show how the legislation will have a larger and more significant impact on the international stage than the bill’s authors currently admit.
…Technology is often thought of as apolitical: Semiconductors work the same way in democratic U.S. and autocratic China. Yet how tech companies, especially in services such as social media and cloud computing, operate abroad might reflect the values and laws of their home country…
…It is the U.S.’ rule of law and clear-cut legal framework governing data hosted by U.S. providers, Mr. Maxwell said. They are “a tremendously powerful advantage for any American company that works in this space…”
…This presents U.S. policy makers with conflicting pressures: rein in big tech companies’ alleged competitive and content-moderation abuses at home, yet recognize them as a bulwark against Russian and Chinese influence abroad…
Former Estonian President Toomas Hendrik in Newsweek on increased risk of cyber attacks:
…The increased risk of cyberattacks that will be encouraged by the legislation is widely known…AICOA…opens the door to unwitting providers with poor security, and also enables malign actors who could exploit users’ private data or even intentionally mislead people into downloading malware…
…This…will encourage millions of us to play Russian roulette with our cybersecurity…If left unchecked, these laws will give cyberattackers more opportunities to prey on individuals who…lack the technical knowledge to evaluate risks…They will be powerless to protect themselves and their devices…
To read the full articles, click here and here.
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