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Intellectual Property Commission: Pass CISPA Now

May 22, 2013 / Alex Fitzpatrick / No comments

A bipartisan and independent commission studying corporate espionage's impact on the American economy recommended passing the controversial Cyber Information Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA) in its report released Wednesday.

". . .Corporations need better information, and thus an open, two-way communications flow between companies and U.S. government agencies is more necessary than ever before," says The Commission on the Theft of American Intellectual Property's report.

"Companies cannot be asked to share more information unless they have a reasonable expectation that they will receive useful information in return, and they need protections from lawsuits if they do provide information. The Cyber Information Security Protection Act is an example of a statutory effort to address this problem, and the Commission recommends its passage." Read more...

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Watch Our Google Hangout on Immigration With Steve Case

May 22, 2013 / Alex Fitzpatrick / No comments

AOL Founder Steve Case, whose been among high-tech immigration reform's most vocal advocates, will join Mashable in a Google Hangout Tuesday at 9:30 a.m. ET. Case will discuss the technology industry's stance on immigration policy with Mashable Politics Reporter Alex Fitzpatrick.

Mashable's Google Hangout with Case is part of our involvement with the March for Innovation, a virtual march on Washington to push for immigration reform that encourages high-skilled workers. The March for Innovation comes as the Senate debates high-skilled immigration along with its larger plan for comprehensive immigration reform. Read more...

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The High-Tech Immigration Debate: Everything You Need to Know

May 21, 2013 / Alex Fitzpatrick / No comments

Technology companies' public policy project of the year has been their fight for changes to the United States' immigration systemFacebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg wrote an op-ed about immigration reform and set up a political group to advocate for the cause. AOL founder Steve Case made the Sunday talk show rounds to publicize the issue, and a myriad of top technology companies — Mashable included — are joining a virtual pro-reform march on Wednesday.

At first, some tried to separate the high-skilled immigration issue from the debate over the approximately 11 million people living in the U.S. illegally. Now, Congress embedded the future of high-tech immigration reform in its larger comprehensive immigration reform plan, which is currently up for debate in the Senate. Read more...

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Tim Cook: Apple Doesn’t Use ‘Tax Gimmicks’

May 21, 2013 / Alex Fitzpatrick / No comments

Apple CEO Tim Cook calmly defended Apple's tax practices before Congress Tuesday afternoon, denying the company uses overseas "tax gimmicks" to duck its domestic financial obligations.

"We are proud to be an American company and equally proud of our contributions to the American economy," said Cook in his opening remarks. He claimed Apple has "created or supported" an estimated 600,000 American jobs and was "likely" the largest corporate taxpayer in the United States.

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) preempted Cook's claims. “Apple claims to be the largest U.S. corporate taxpayer, but by sheer size and scale, it is also among America's largest tax avoiders," McCain said in an earlier statement. Read more...

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Apple Paid No Taxes on $74 Billion in Income, Senate Panel Says

May 21, 2013 / Todd Wasserman / No comments

Apple CEO Tim Cook is expected to testify before a Senate subcommittee Tuesday to refute charges the company paid no taxes on tens of billions of dollars in overseas income

The Senate's Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations is expected to release findings Tuesday claiming Apple didn't pay taxes on at least $74 billion in overseas income. In response, Apple has released a statement explaining that the U.S. tax system "has not kept pace with the advent of the digital age and rapidly changing global economy" and that the company has paid "an extraordinary amount in U.S. taxes."

The Senate contends that Apple set up subsidiaries in other countries for which it paid no taxes to any government. However, Apple says the units were not designed to avoid taxes, but because the company sells the majority — 61% — of its products outside the U.S. The subcommittee is looking especially at Apple's Cork, Ireland, subsidiary from which it runs its European, African, Middle Eastern, Indian and Asian operations. Apple claims it pays local taxes on overseas earnings and pays U.S. taxes on income from its Irish units. Read more...

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Congress to Grill Tim Cook Over Apple’s Offshore Wealth

May 17, 2013 / Alex Fitzpatrick / No comments

Mr. Cook is going to Washington.

Apple CEO Tim Cook will testify before Congress Tuesday about the company's approximately $100 billion held overseas — more than double the estimated $45 billion it keeps in the U.S.

Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations Chairman Sen. Carl M. Levin (D-Mich.) wants to grill Cook on Apple's offshore accounts and on the general phenomenon of offshoring. However, Cook has revealed in several pre-hearing interviews that he'll use the opportunity to offer Congress a plan simplifying the U.S. corporate tax code.

"If you look at it today, to repatriate cash to the U.S., you need to pay 35% of that cash. And that is a very high number," Cook told the Washington Post. "We are not proposing that it be zero. I know many of our peers believe that. But I don’t view that. But I think it has to be reasonable." Read more...

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Congress Asks if Google Glass Will Be a Privacy Nightmare

May 17, 2013 / Alex Fitzpatrick / No comments

Google Glass makes it easy for wearers to surreptitiously take pictures or video of unknowing subjects. That's caused more than a few people to ask: What does Glass mean for our privacy? Now Congress, too, wants answers.

Eight members of Congress' bi-partisan privacy caucus sent a letter to Google CEO Larry Page Thursday seeking answers about Glass' privacy implications:

Will Glass collect users' data without their consent?

What steps are being taken to protect non-users' privacy?

Will Glass offer facial recognition to identify non-users and display information about them?

What restrictions is Google placing on Glass and Glass apps?

Will Google Glass cause Google to change its privacy policy?

Will Glass store data on the device, and will it offer user authentication? Read more...

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Republicans and Democrats Lock Horns Over Obamacare on Twitter

May 16, 2013 / Alex Fitzpatrick / No comments

Republicans are promoting their 37th attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act — otherwise known as "Obamacare" — with the Twitter hashtag #ObamacareInThreeWords. Democrats all the way up to the White House took the hashtag and spun it in favor of the bill, turning it into a full-blown Twitter spat.

While House Republicans often attempt to repeal the ACA, such a move is an absolute non-starter in the Democratic-controlled Senate.

"We’ve got 70 new members who have not had the opportunity to vote on the president’s health care law. Frankly, they’ve been asking for an opportunity to vote on it, and we’re going to give it to them,” House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) said last week. Read more...

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Aereo’s Unexpected Ally: John McCain

May 14, 2013 / Alex Fitzpatrick / No comments

Embattled Internet television streaming service Aereo has an unlikely friend in Congress: Sen. John McCain.

McCain introduced a bill last week offering a carrot-and-stick approach to stop television distributors from bundling unpopular channels with those in high demand. While McCain's bill has been getting plenty of attention, flying under the radar has been what might be dubbed his "Aereo provision."

Aereo provides subscribers online access to live broadcast television by picking up broadcast networks' over-the-air signals on thousands of tiny antennae and transmitting them through the Internet. Subscribers pay Aereo a small monthly fee for the service, which is available in select cities with access expanding rapidly this year Read more...

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44% of Shoppers Will Buy Less Online if Internet Sales Tax Passes

May 14, 2013 / Alex Fitzpatrick / No comments

If the Marketplace Fairness Act passes through Congress, more online retailers would have to collect sales tax at the point of purchase. Would you buy less stuff online if that becomes the case? If yes, you're not alone — about 44% of people said they would cut back on their Internet shopping if the so-called Internet Sales Tax becomes reality, according to a study.

The Marketplace Fairness Act would require online retailers making more than $1 million annually to collect sales tax from customers in states with sales tax and remit them to the appropriate state. Currently, such customers are expected to report online purchases in their annual tax filings, but few actually do. The MFA easily passed the Senate a few weeks ago, but many observers are expecting slower goings in the House. Read more...

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