Duane Morris TechLaw

November 22, 2017November 28, 2017 by Eric J. Sinrod

Techgiving

While we regularly should practice gratitude, it is that time of year to be especially thankful. So, as we are gathered with family and friends eating turkey and all the trimmings, we think about those aspects of our lives as to which we are most grateful. And how about technology?!

As we race and dash from one thing to another to keep up with our frenetic schedules, it is easy to forget about how we benefit from technology that supports almost everything we do. There are countless examples of how our lives are much easier by virtue of technology. Let’s consider some examples in the Thanksgiving context. Continue reading “Techgiving”

November 8, 2017 by Eric J. Sinrod

Immunity for Internet Service Providers Under Siege?

Long ago in internet time, back in the mid-1990s, Congress considered how closely to regulate Internet Service Providers (ISPs). Congress determined that it was in the best interests of the United States not to burden ISPs with restrictions, so that the Internet could grow and flourish in the areas of commerce, communications and education. Thus, Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act was enacted and it provides broad immunity for ISPs with respect to third-party content posted on their sites. Generally speaking, ISPs have not been saddled with publisher-type liability — it is not their job to police their web sites to ensure that posted content is not false or malicious. Continue reading “Immunity for Internet Service Providers Under Siege?”

October 24, 2017 by Eric J. Sinrod

Using Fiber Optic Cables to Predict Earthquakes

Earthquakes can be devastating in terms of their destructive impacts. For decades, there have been scientific efforts seeking to predict earthquakes. If an earthquake could be predicted reliably in advance, people could be warned and they potentially could move toward safety before the earthquake strikes.

Unfortunately, earthquake prediction efforts generally have not met with success. But what about fiber optic cables — the very cables that deliver internet connectivity: can they help when it comes to earthquake detection? Continue reading “Using Fiber Optic Cables to Predict Earthquakes”

October 12, 2017 by Eric J. Sinrod

Private Government Emails in the FOIA Era

The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) was enacted to shine light on government activities for public review. Indeed, for our democracy to function effectively, those who govern must be accountable to those they govern. Along those lines, the Supreme Court has held that our citizenry is entitled to know “what the government is up to.” And in the wake of Watergate, the FOIA was given greater enforcement teeth. Continue reading “Private Government Emails in the FOIA Era”

September 27, 2017 by Eric J. Sinrod

The Rise of Uber Dealt a Current Blow in London

Once upon a time not that long ago, we generally took taxis for ground transport from one specific location to another within and around cities. At times, it was difficult to obtain a taxi when desired, or to avoid a wait, a taxi would need to be reserved quite a while in advance. But, then along came Uber as a ride-sharing game-changer with many positive advantages. However, Uber also has taken some recent hits, including losing its license to operate in London.

Uber is fantastic in many respects. By using an app on a smartphone, we can track the closest Uber driver, and in many urban areas an Uber car will come to us within just a couple minutes. No longer are we tied to taxis, or even the need to rent or own cars in Uber-friendly cities. Continue reading “The Rise of Uber Dealt a Current Blow in London”

September 12, 2017September 12, 2017 by Eric J. Sinrod

How to Respond to the Huge Equifax Hacking

By now, you likely have learned that Equifax suffered tremendous hacking. Specifically, as Equifax recently announced, hackers took advantage of a website application vulnerability to access records during a several-month period from May through July of this year. Not only did these hacking activities take place over an extended period of time, but as many as a whopping 143 million consumers in the United States may have been impacted. How so? Their personally identifiable information may have been compromised, including Social Security numbers, addresses, drivers license numbers, and birth dates.

So, what should U.S. consumers do in response to the Equifax hacking?

Continue reading “How to Respond to the Huge Equifax Hacking”

August 15, 2017August 15, 2017 by Eric J. Sinrod

Tech Acumen: Many Companies Falling Behind

Corporate America and companies around the globe are spending vast amounts of money trying to keep up with all sorts of threats in this new digital age. So, how are companies really doing?

Unfortunately, not so well. Indeed, according to PwC’s 2017 Digital IQ Survey, as reported by PR Daily, barely more than half of IT executives from the US and 52 other countries reported that their companies have a “strong digital IQ.” This is down from 67 percent so reporting in 2016, and 66 percent in 2015. Continue reading “Tech Acumen: Many Companies Falling Behind”

July 20, 2017July 20, 2017 by Eric J. Sinrod

We Need Internet Stop Signs

Has our ability to stay present in the real world largely been destroyed by the internet? If so, how has that happened? If we erected internet “stop signs” would we be better off?

While we were saturated with different sources of information, news, and entertainment as recently as the Twentieth Century, those sources had naturally occurring stop cues that allowed us to pause and consider disengaging from the sources. Continue reading “We Need Internet Stop Signs”