Senate committee studies social media regulations to protect children

Sen. Jech Holds Interim Study Evaluating Social Media Regulations to Protect Children

OKLAHOMA CITY (Oct. 18th) – Sen. Darcy Jech, R-Kingfisher, held an interim study in the Senate Judiciary Committee Thursday to evaluate how to protect children from the harmful effects of social media use and analyze potential regulatory solutions.

“The information brought forward during this study revealed the alarming prevalence of mental health issues among youth who are active on social media,” Jech said. “We are facing an epidemic that demands urgent action. It’s vital that we explore protective measures and regulations while also educating both parents and young people about the risks and mental health challenges linked to online activity.”

Att'y Gen. Drummond calls on Meta [Facebook] to protect accounts from scammers

I know several individuals who, in recent months, were the victims of such hacks on Facebook, which not only locked them out of years of personal posts, but their business pages or groups. Facebook (okay... "Meta"... it's always going to be Facebook, just like Twitter will never be "X" for me) "customer service" is notoriously difficult to deal with in such situations.

Drummond calls On Meta to protect accounts from scammers

OKLAHOMA CITY (March 6, 2024) -- Attorney General Gentner Drummond and a bipartisan coalition of 40 other attorneys general sent a letter Tuesday to Meta Platforms Inc. (Meta) asking for a data security review following major increases in scammers taking over accounts on Facebook and Instagram. 

Survey shows sharp divide among OKGOP delegates over electronic convention voting

The 2021 Oklahoma Republican Party State Convention will be held on Saturday, April 10th, and a new system of voting seems to be stirring up some controversy among the delegates.

For decades, voting at the State Convention has been done in person and with paper ballots. Last year changed all of that, due to the coronavirus turmoil. I have not attended a state convention in several years, so my knowledge of the particulars is based on conversations with individuals who did attend. The 2020 state convention was held virtually via Zoom, which resulted in significantly reduced participation and some technical struggles that often plague events of this size when thrown together without adequate preparation or training.

This year, the convention will be held in person -- but voting will be done through an online program. Delegates are expected to bring their own electronic device in order to participate.

Needless to say, this is a significant development in the OKGOP, and one that is going to be contested. In conversations with a fellow church member recently, I was told that several older delegates from their county won't be attending this year as they do not own smartphones or laptops, which would be required to vote with. This "technology divide" will likely hit hardest among senior citizen and rural delegates (in other words, a significant position of the usual delegate makeup).

I was forwarded the results of an email survey that was recently conducted, sent out to all registered delegates, regarding the convention's online voting system. Nearly 20% of the around 1,800 delegates responded to the survey, giving us a good sample size to consider.

Lucas helps introduce bill to give universities tools to protect COVID research from cyberattacks

Barr and Lucas Introduce Legislation to Give Universities Tools to Protect COVID-19 Research from Cyberattacks

Cheyenne, OK – Rep. Andy Barr (R-KY) and House Science, Space, and Technology Committee Ranking Member Frank Lucas (R-OK) introduced a bill today that will help universities and research institutions protect COVID-19 research from cyberattacks by China and Russia.

The bill will give universities and research institutions access to cybersecurity guidance developed specifically for their needs. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) currently sets cybersecurity standards and guidelines for federal agencies and provides voluntary best practices for private industry. This bill directs NIST to produce specific guidance, based on the NIST Cybersecurity Framework, to universities and other institutions conducting research on COVID-19.

Rep. Barr is a member of the China Task Force, which is working to counter emerging threats from the Chinese Communist Party. “Congress must act to safeguard critical scientific Coronavirus research being conducted at universities nationwide," said Barr. “My bill would have the Director of National Institute of Standards and Technology put forth guidance to preserve COVID-19 research and greatly reduce the threat of cyberattacks. This includes providing best practices and guidelines that will protect our national security.”