On Sunday night, 96 companies including some of the biggest names in tech, filed an amicus brief opposing Trump’s executive action on immigration. The legal document was created a week after leading tech executives simultaneously issued individual statements on the refugee ban.
Source: dailydot.com
Almost 100 US technology companies have filed a legal brief opposing President Trump’s ban on migration from seven Muslim-majority countries, arguing that it imposes significant burdens on the industry by preventing it from hiring talented migrants.
Among the companies signing the filing, an amicus brief supporting Washington state’s lawsuit against Trump’s order are Apple, Facebook, Google and Microsoft, as well as smaller firms such as Uber, Reddit, Netflix and Dropbox. Notably absent are Amazon, which had previously pledged its support to the Washington lawsuit, and Tesla and SpaceX, the companies of Trump advisory council member Elon Musk.
The brief argues that the executive order harms innovation and economic growth, as well as the competitiveness of American companies while also being unlawful.
Source: theguardian.com
Tech sector bosses decry Trump immigration order on Muslim countries:
President Donald Trump’s order Friday banning immigrants and visitors from seven Muslim nations is being met by both harsh and somber verbal resistance from top tech sector leaders—from Apple to Y Combinator. The move was racist, affected perhaps thousands of tech workers, and was un-American, the executives said in tweets, e-mails, Facebook posts, blog posts, and in LinkedIn entries.
Source: Ars Technica
“Your passport, Facebook, and Twitter please.”
We already told you about the U.S. government’s proposal to add an “optional” field asking you to list your social media accounts every time you cross the border. And thousands of you have already told the U.S. government you think that’s a bad idea. Unfortunately, their proposal just got even worse.
We’ve seen the revised form (PDF download) Customs and Border Protection is proposing, and the “Social Media Identifier” field isn’t even marked as optional — making it mandatory for travelers entering the United States to divulge their social media accounts.
This kind of broad-strokes data collection violates fundamental privacy rights and hinders freedom of expression — and there’s no proof it would do anything to improve security. Instead, it sets a terrible example for countries around the world to start monitoring everyone’s social media at the border.
Take action now to stop the U.S. government’s expansion of social media surveillance.
Source: accessnow.org
US Customs and Border Protection wants to ask for your “online presence” at the border:
The week, the US CBP published a notice in the Federal Register proposing a change to the Form I-94 Arrival/Departure Record paperwork that visitors to the US fill out when they cross the border, in which they announce plans to ask travellers to “please enter information associated with your online presence.”
The form element will be optional, but of course, CBP screeners may subject travellers who decline to reveal their online names for additional scrutiny.
Visitors the USA are already photographed, fingerprinted, and interviewed.
Source: Boing Boing