Axios Login: Prison computer access

Plus: Texas "censorship" law wins | Monday, September 19, 2022

Open in app View in browser   Presented By Ericsson   Axios Login By Ina Fried · Sep 19, 2022 Tom Brady should have been flagged for intentional grounding on this one. Check out "How it Happened: Elon Musk vs. Twitter" — Axios' new podcast docu-series about how Musk built his cross-industry empire, the rise of Twitter, and what the collision between the two could mean for us all. Listen here. Today's newsletter is 1,347 words, a 5-minute read.     1 big thing: Coding school pushes tech access inside prisons Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios   The Last Mile, which teaches coding skills to incarcerated people, is expanding a program that provides them with Chromebooks so they can continue their learning outside of specialized prison classrooms. Why it matters: Incarcerated people often have limited access to technology and pay exorbitant rates for even basic communication tools, like phones. The Last Mile says the laptops allow participants to spend more time learning and ensures their studies won't be disrupted by quarantines or lockdowns. Catch up quick: The Last Mile, a nonprofit organization established more than a decade ago to teach entrepreneurial skills to those in correctional facilities, pivoted to web development classes in 2014 because it found those skills were most effective in helping people find jobs after their release. Alumni of the program hold jobs across the tech industry at companies including Slack, Square, Zoom and Dropbox. Until recently, classes were limited to desktop computers under the direct supervision of Last Mile staff, who hold the classes remotely over video chat. Last year the organization piloted a program at Pelican Bay State Prison in California to allow students to continue work outside the classroom. How it works: Each student is issued a Chromebook that can download videos, code samples and other materials during class time that can be taken back to the residential portions of the facility. Participants never have direct access to the internet and have no connectivity at all outside the classroom. The big picture: The Last Mile is one of a growing number of projects using technology as a means of reducing recidivism and improving economic outcomes for those who are incarcerated. "We talk a lot about second chances," Chris Redlitz, the San Francisco venture capitalist who founded The Last Mile, told me at an Axios event earlier this year. "Many of the folks inside never had a first chance, so how can you help prepare those who are coming back in society to have real hireable skills?" The latest: The Last Mile has now expanded the Chromebook effort to two other facilities: San Quentin State Prison, near San Francisco, as well as a correctional institution in Indiana. What they're saying: Executive director Sydney Heller said the program allows students to avoid interruptions in programming. Heller notes that the Chromebook program at Pelican Bay began on a Thursday and the next day, classes were canceled due to staff shortages — but the students could still access their curriculum on their laptops. Heller said The Last Mile's programs allow students to develop an identity beyond their incarcerated status. "Now all of a sudden this same sentiment extends out into the facility beyond our classroom walls," he told Axios. What's next: Redlitz said The Last Mile aims to broaden its work to cover a wider range of people by offering more than just coding skills. Too many incarcerated people are leaving prison without knowing how to use a smartphone or computer, he said.     2. Appeals court OKs Texas' social media law Illustration: Allie Carl/Axios   A federal appeals court dealt social media giants a blow Friday when it upheld a Texas law that seeks to stop platforms from removing posts if the removal can be viewed as discriminating against a "viewpoint," Axios' Ashley Gold reports. Driving the news: The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit ruled that the Texas law, H.B. 20, does not violate the First Amendment rights of social media platforms. Tech companies and groups representing them in court have argued the law is unconstitutional, and that platforms have a First Amendment right not to host speech they deem to be objectionable. Why it matters: If the law goes into effect, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and other social media companies with more than 50 million users will effectively be prevented from enforcing content-related rules on any user postings that can claim to express a political view. Between the lines: Social media companies face pressure from the right to "censor" less and from the left to take down more content to limit the spread of misinformation. Context: In May, the U.S. Supreme Court blocked Texas' law from taking effect before tossing it back to the 5th Circuit. A federal appeals court struck down a similar law in Florida in May, in a ruling that directly contradicts the Texas ruling — meaning the issue will almost certainly have to be decided by the Supreme Court. How it works: The Texas law bars platforms from acting to "block, ban, remove, de-platform, demonetize, de-boost, restrict, deny equal access or visibility to, or otherwise discriminate against expression." Individuals and the Texas attorney general can sue large social media platforms for violations. What they're saying: "Today we reject the idea that corporations have a freewheeling First Amendment right to censor what people say," the judges wrote in their ruling. The other side: Critics of the law say it would force platforms to host dangerous and illicit content, fill social media platforms with spam and hate speech, and require platforms to give deference to extremist views and foreign propaganda. What's next: The law won't take effect yet. First, the 5th Circuit has to issue instructions to a lower court, and a Supreme Court appeal from tech groups is likely. Go deeper: Court opens way for flood of Texas "censorship" lawsuits     3. Report: Social media boosted the "big lie" Illustration: Maura Losch/Axios   A new report out Monday from New York University faults Meta, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube for amplifying false claims about U.S. election fraud and urges the platforms to be more transparent and consistent in their content policies, Axios' Margaret Harding McGill reports. Why it matters: "Big lie" claims online have contributed to a lack of trust in U.S. elections and increased support for new voting laws that disproportionately impact people of color, the report says. Driving the news: The study, from the NYU Stern Center for Business and Human Rights, zeroed in on practices by each platform that it says helped to spread lies about the 2020 presidential election, including: Facebook's exemption of politicians from its fact-checking rules, allowing influential public figures to share election lies. Twitter's "on-again/off-again" enforcement of its civic integrity policy, which prohibits using the service to interfere with elections or other civic processes. TikTok's "haphazard enforcement" of its "tough-sounding policies" related to elections. YouTube's vulnerability to being exploited by proponents of disinformation, including a movie titled "2000 Mules" that spread a myth about ballot trafficking. What they're saying: "Platforms need to recognize that electoral mis- and disinformation have become a perpetual threat, not an issue that materializes each election cycle and then disappears," Paul Barrett, author of the report and deputy director of the Stern Center, said in a statement. The other side: Tech companies debuted new election policies in August to get ahead of misinformation leading up to the midterms this fall. Some of the companies also defended their policies and actions in responses included in the report. Facebook noted that it labels and demotes content deemed false by its fact-checkers, and alerts users who have shared content later found to be false. A Meta spokesperson said the company will reject ads encouraging people not to vote or calling into question the legitimacy of the upcoming election. Twitter said it will deploy "pre-bunks" — blurbs appearing in users feeds with accurate election information — ahead of the 2022 midterms. TikTok said it will label content related to the 2022 midterms and will make "questionable content" ineligible for recommendation while it is being fact-checked. YouTube earlier this month said it would launch a media literacy campaign with tips on "identifying different manipulation tactics used to spread misinformation."     A message from Ericsson Fair patent licensing drives global connectivity     Ericsson believes a healthy innovation ecosystem must ensure inventors are fairly compensated and their work protected, encouraging future technological advancements. Learn how a strong patent system fuels the virtuous cycle of innovation.     4. Take note On Tap Nvidia's GTC conference takes place online today through Thursday. Trading Places Laura Edelson has joined the DOJ's antitrust division as chief technologist. ICYMI 90 videos of in-development footage of Rockstar Games' next Grand Theft Auto game were leaked online Sunday morning in one of the biggest data breaches in gaming history. (Axios) Component maker EVGA says it will stop making Nvidia-based graphics cards, blaming the chipmaker. (The Verge) Russian trolls used social media to sow division within the Women's March ranks. (New York Times)     5. After you Login Talk about benchmarks: These Apple PowerMac benches make quite a mark.     A message from Ericsson 5G will drive growth — if we protect the innovation cycle     5G is expected to drive $400-500 billion in economic growth in the US. Okay, but: This trend — and the investment that's already happening in the next generation, 6G — can only be sustained if inventors know they will be fairly compensated for their work. Learn about the virtuous cycle of innovation.   Thanks to Scott Rosenberg and Peter Allen Clark for editing and Bryan McBournie for copy editing this newsletter. 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