Colorado Passes America’s First Brainwave Privacy Bill
- Written by Shipra Sanganeria Cybersecurity & Tech Writer
- Fact-Checked by
Colorado has become the first state in the US to pass a law that protects a user’s sensitive neural data. Colorado Governor Jared Polis approved a bill on April 17th, extending the same level of protection to brainwave data as is afforded to biometric data like fingerprints or facial images under the current privacy law.
The rationale behind introducing the bill was the swift advancement of consumer-level neurotechnology devices and their practices of gathering, storing, and trading consumer brainwave data.
For instance, from 2019 to 2020, global investment in neurotech increased by over 60%, according to one market analysis . In recent years, big tech companies have also made significant, profit-driven investments in developing mass-market proprietary neurotechnology products.
For instance, the first human brain chip implant by Elon Musk’s Neuralink enables users to manipulate a device using their thoughts. Others like Meta and Snap have been making significant investments in developing neural-linked augmented and virtual technology, too.
Developed for commercial uses, these products can help companies amass large stores of data that can be used for various purposes, including regenerating lost brain function. Despite the potential promise of neurotechnologies, one cannot underscore the adverse effects on data privacy and other potential risks.
“The things that people can do with this technology are great,” said State Representative Cathy Kipp , a primary sponsor of this legislation. “But we just think that there should be some guardrails in place for people who aren’t intending to have their thoughts read and their biological data used.”
The new Colorado legislation mandates that companies collecting neural data, especially through consumer products, must secure explicit consent from users prior to processing the acquired information from their brainwaves. Notably, this law excludes neurotechnologies in medical contexts, as they are already subject to regulation under health data privacy laws.
The Neurorights Foundation, which published a 100-page report on April 17 highlighting the privacy practices followed by neurotechnology companies, also supported the ratification of the Colorado bill.
Elsewhere around the world, several countries like Chile have either implemented or are taking steps towards implementing consumer protection laws on neural data.
X to Charge New Users Small Fee to Post in Attempt to Combat Bots
- Written by Deep Shikha Content Writer
X, previously known as Twitter, will soon charge new users a fee to access basic features, including posting. Elon Musk, the owner of the X, announced this new fee on April 15 . He explained that the fee is necessary to tackle the persistent bot issues the platform has been facing for years.
In response to a post detailing updates on X’s website , Musk declared that charging new users a nominal fee is essential to combat the surge of bots. He explained that modern AI and troll farms can effortlessly bypass standard tests like CAPTCHA, designed to verify if a user is human.
He further clarified ( replying to another user on X ) that new accounts will be able to post without a fee after 3 months.
Musk did not provide details on when or how the fee system would be implemented. However, Forbes suggests that the fee mentioned by Musk is similar to the “ Not a Bot” program used in New Zealand and the Philippines.
Last October, X began charging new users in New Zealand and the Philippines $1 per year. Initially, these users could only read posts and not interact with them. To engage fully — by posting, liking, reposting, replying, bookmarking, and quoting — they had to pay the fee. So, this announcement could just be a broadening of the measures already in place in New Zealand and the Phillippines.
The announcement about the new user fee comes shortly after X announced removing bots from the platform earlier this month. Musk warned that those behind the bot accounts would face serious legal consequences. This “small fee” looks like a “big component” of Musk’s broader efforts to eliminate bots from X.
