COMMON-SENSE NOTES // By Idris B. OdunewuThe Future of Open Data in the Age of AI: Safeguarding Public Assets Amid Growing Private Sector Demands

AI offers immense potential, but that potential must be realized within a framework that protects the public’s right to its own information. The open data movement must evolve to meet this new challenge—not retreat from it.

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DATA PROTECTIONProtecting Americans’ Sensitive Data from Foreign Adversaries

Last week DOJ took steps to move forward with implementing a program to prevent China, Russia, Iran, and other foreign adversaries from using commercial activities to access and exploit U.S. government-related data and Americans’ sensitive personal data to commit espionage and economic espionage, conduct surveillance and counterintelligence activities, and otherwise undermine our national security.

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DATA SECURITYDOGE Threat: How Government Data Would Give an AI Company Extraordinary Power

By Allison Stanger

The Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, has secured unprecedented access to at least seven sensitive federal databases. Since information is power, concentrating unprecedented data in the hands of a private entity with an explicit political agenda represents a profound challenge to the republic. I believe that the question is whether the American people can stand up to the potentially democracy-shattering corruption such a concentration would enable. If not, Americans should prepare to become digital subjects rather than human citizens.

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SURVEILANCEThe U.K. Demands for Apple to Break Encryption Is an Emergency for Us All

By Thorin Klosowski

The United Kingdom is demanding that Apple create an encryption backdoor to give the government access to end-to-end encrypted data in iCloud. Encryption is one of the best ways we have to reclaim our privacy and security in a digital world filled with cyberattacks and security breaches, and there’s no way to weaken it in order to only provide access to the “good guys.”

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SURVEILLANCE'Significant' Risks as Facial Recognition in Russia's Subways Goes Regional

By Andrei Grigoryev

In a move that human rights advocates warn carries potential risks for civil rights, Russia has begun expanding its facial-recognition payment system for subways to six cities outside of Moscow.

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SURVEILLANCEHow Smart Toys May e Spying on Kids: What Parents Need to Know

By Angelika Jacobs

Toniebox, Tiptoi, and Tamagotchi are smart toys, offering interactive play through software and internet access. However, many of these toys raise privacy concerns, and some even collect extensive behavioral data about children.

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