Press Releases
Currently showing results related to Tech, Internet and Cybersecurity
Wyden, Lofgren, Paul Introduce Bipartisan, Bicameral Aaron’s Law to Reform Abused Computer Fraud and Abuse Act
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Rand Paul (R-Ky.) Representative Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) introduced bipartisan legislation today to better target serious criminals and curb overzealous prosecutions for non-malicious computer and Internet offenses. The legislation, inspired by the late Internet innovator and activist Aaron Swartz, who faced up to 35 years in prison for an act of civil disobedience, would reform the quarter-century old Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA) … Continue Reading
February 04, 2015
Wyden Praises Wheeler for net neutrality proposal that will “Save the Internet”
Washington, D.C. - Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., praised Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler's proposal to protect the freedom to compete online by reclassifying broadband under Title II of the Telecommunications Act of 1996: "Millions of American small businesses, consumers and innovators spoke and Chairman Wheeler listened. Without the open Internet, start-ups will never leave the garage," Wyden said. "The FCC should adopt this proposal and ensure that monopolies are never … Continue Reading
January 16, 2015
Leading Senate Democrats Join Together To Support Consumers, Open Internet For All
WASHINGTON - Democratic Senators Patrick Leahy (Vt.), Ron Wyden (Ore.), Al Franken (Minn.), and Cory Booker (N.J.) issued a joint comment Friday in response to proposed legislation released by Republican members of Congress. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will soon vote on updated open Internet rules that will affect millions of Americans, and Republicans recently unveiled proposed legislation intended to preempt the FCC from enacting new net neutrality rules. The Democratic … Continue Reading
August 15, 2014
Wyden: Bring Privacy Protections to the Digital Age
Washington, D.C. - Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., called for a renewed commitment to privacy and innovation in the 21st century, by reforming outdated laws undermine Americans' Constitutional privacy rights, in a speech at TechFestNW today in Portland. Wyden attacked the principle that sharing information with businesses waives the 4th Amendment protections of Americans' personal information - an idea known as the "third-party doctrine" - which has become painfully obsolete in the digital age. "It … Continue Reading
May 12, 2014
Advisory: Wyden to Hold Reddit AMA on Net Neutrality With Alexis Ohanian on Tuesday
Washington, D.C. - Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Alexis Ohanian, co-founder of reddit, will hold a reddit "Ask Me Anything" on net neutrality and promoting an open Internet on Tuesday at 2 p.m. PST/5 p.m EST. The joint AMA question-and-answer session will be posted here, shortly before it is scheduled to … Continue Reading
December 10, 2013
Wyden, Thune Introduce Bill to Promote Strong Rules to Protect the Digital Economy and Global, Open Internet
WASHINGTON-Senator John Thune (R-S.D.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and member of the Senate Finance Committee, and Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Chairman of the Senate Finance Subcommittee on International Trade, Customs and Global Competitiveness, today introduced legislation to protect the Internet from restrictive measures that obstruct the free flow of data in the global economy. The Digital Trade Act of 2013 would establish negotiating … Continue Reading
August 01, 2013
Wyden, Thune Seek to Make Permanent Protections Against Unfair Internet Taxes
Washington, D.C. -U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and John Thune (R-S.D) today introduced legislation, the Internet Tax Freedom Forever Act, to make permanent the existing ban on Internet access taxes and on multiple and discriminatory taxes on e-commerce. The Internet Tax Freedom Act (ITFA), originally enacted in 1998 and extended three times, is currently scheduled to expire November 1, 2014. "As the Internet Tax Freedom Act enabled and promoted Internet access and adoption across … Continue Reading
July 25, 2013
Wyden, Thune Bill Protects Innovative Digital Goods from Multiple and Discriminatory Taxes
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and John Thune (R-S.D.), both members of the Senate Finance Committee, today introduced legislation to prevent discriminatory and duplicative taxes on digital goods and services, including online downloads of music, literature, movies, mobile apps, and cloud computing services. Their bill would clarify federal rules related to the taxation of digital goods and services, and prevent unfair and duplicative taxation. The potential for multiple … Continue Reading
June 26, 2013
Wyden, Toomey’s Wireless Tax Fairness Act Protects Consumers and Promotes Wireless Phone and Internet Services as an Engine of Innovation
Washington, D.C. - Mobile technology is getting faster, smarter and more capable every year. The level and pace of innovation in the mobile wireless industry is unlike any other sector of the economy, but that innovation could be threatened by multiple and discriminatory taxes levied by state and local governments. In an effort to protect consumers from overbearing taxation and keep the mobile Internet as an innovation juggernaut, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Pat Toomey (R-Penn.) have … Continue Reading
June 20, 2013
Wyden Introduces Much-Needed Reforms to the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act
Washington, D.C. - As the Internet's influence on global commerce, culture and information continues to tread new ground, there is a need to update and reform outdated laws that threaten its continued development. The Computer Fraud and Abuse Act is a nearly 30-year-old criminal law with sweeping authorities that criminalize many forms of common Internet use. U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) has introduced legislation that reforms the CFAA to bring it in line with the needs of a 21st century … Continue Reading
February 22, 2013
Wyden Statement on White House Policy to Expand Access to Federally Funded Research
Washington, D.C. - U. S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) released the following statement after the White House announced a new policy expanding access to federally funded scientific research: "It is great to see the White House has joined many of us who realize that making taxpayer funded research readily available to the American public leads to further innovation, discovery, job growth and economic development. The President's commitment to remove the barriers to this federally funded research … Continue Reading
February 14, 2013
Wyden Bill Makes Taxpayer Funded Research Available to the Public
Washington, D.C. - Every year, the federal government spends billions of dollars funding research into science, technology, energy, medicine and more. This research often leads to innovations that create jobs and improve the quality of life for millions of people. However, much of it is published behind the paywall of peer reviewed journals limiting access to innovators and the American public. U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) introduced the Fair Access to Science and Technology Research Act … Continue Reading
December 20, 2012
Wyden Data Cap Legislation Will Protect Consumers and Promote Innovation
Washington, D.C. - As the Internet becomes increasingly important to American consumers, businesses and innovators, Internet Service Providers (ISPs) are increasingly imposing caps on the amount of data that consumers may move over the Net. Data caps are appropriate if they are carefully constructed to manage network congestion but, as the New York Times has editorialized, they "should not just be a way for Internet providers to extract monopoly rents." The imposition of data caps also risks … Continue Reading
September 21, 2012
Legislation Ends Discrimination Against Internet Radio in the Digital Marketplace
Washington, D.C. - Since the passage of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act in 1998, Internet Radio providers have been forced to pay royalty rates for the songs they broadcast that are considerably higher than their competitors in this digital marketplace. These unfair and discriminatory royalty rates have stifled innovation, competition and the growth of the music marketplace. In order to ensure fair and consistent treatment for the online radio industry and its competitors, U.S. Senators … Continue Reading
August 02, 2012
Wyden Statement on Vote Against Cloture of the Cybersecurity Act
Washington, D.C. - U. S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) issued the following statement today regarding his vote against the motion to invoke cloture on the Cybersecurity Act: "Today's vote was one in which Senators were asked to sacrifice Internet users' privacy and civil liberties for weak proposals to improve cyber security; I voted no. In its current form, the Cybersecurity Act does not sufficiently safeguard Internet users' privacy and civil liberties, nor would it create the correct … Continue Reading
July 31, 2012
Wyden Amendments to Cyber Bill Clarify Rules for GPS Tracking; Seek Privacy Protection in the Cloud
Washington, D.C. - As the technological capabilities of cloud storage and location tracking continue to grow, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) has filed amendments to the Cybersecurity Act being debated in the Senate to provide clear rules for how and when the government can access location tracking data from individuals' cell phones and other electronic devices, limit government access to private information stored by cloud storage services alongside government data, and strengthen limits on … Continue Reading
May 09, 2012
Senators and Congressmen Introduce Password Protection Act of 2012
(Washington DC) - Today, Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) introduced legislation aimed at curbing the growing practice of employers requiring prospective or current employees to provide access to password-protected accounts as a condition for employment. In the House, Congressmen Heinrich (D-NM) and Perlmutter (D-CO) are introducing an identical companion bill. The Password Protection Act of 2012, … Continue Reading
January 20, 2012
Wyden and Moran Respond to the Postponing of Protect IP Vote in the Senate
Washington, D.C. - Following the announcement from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid that the vote on the Protect IP Act scheduled for Tuesday will be postponed, U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Jerry Moran (R- Kan.) released the following statements. Wyden and Moran are the lead Senate co-sponsors of The OPEN Act, an alternative to Protect IP. Senator Wyden's Statement: "Senator Reid's decision to pull PIPA from the floor is the right one. Legislation impacting the future of the … Continue Reading
January 13, 2012
Wyden Statement on the Letter to Senator Reid Calling for More Time to Consider PIPA and Dropping of DNS Provision in SOPA
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) issued the following statement in response to a letter sent from six members of the Senate Judiciary Committee including Ranking Member Chuck Grassley (R- Iowa) asking Majority Leader Harry Reid(D- Nev.) to delay consideration of the Protect IP Act (PIPA), citing concerns that substantive issues in the legislation have not been addressed. Wyden also responds to House Judiciary Committee Chairman Lamar Smith's (R-Texas) proposed removal of … Continue Reading
January 12, 2012
Wyden Statement on Potential Modifications to Protect IP Act
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) issued the following statement in response to Chairman Leahy's announcement that the DNS provision of the Protect IP Act may be modified: "It is welcome news that proponents of PIPA are finally accepting that it contains major flaws. Unfortunately, this announcement to study the DNS provision does not eliminate the clearly identified threat to net security contained within this bill. Beyond the DNS provisions, the bill still establishes a … Continue Reading
