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This Thursday: Speak at the MA Legislature’s Internet and Cybersecurity Hearing

by jokeefe
July 12, 2023

Thanks to our friends at warrantless.org for reminding us of this hearing.

The Massachusetts legislature’s Joint Committee on Advanced Information Technology, the Internet and Cybersecurity will hold a hearing this Thursday, July 13th at 1pm. You can submit testimony remotely, in-person and by e-mail.

Proposed bills run the gamut. Protecting our private communications, open data standards, deep fakes, net neutrality, funding for municipal internet, ChatGPT and blockchain technology. As expected, there is the perennial attempt to make wiretapping easier in H.73. Here is a selection of some of the bills:

  • H.62 An Act establishing the Massachusetts open data standard
  • H.64/S.33 An Act establishing a commission on automated decision-making by government in the Commonwealth
  • H.72 An Act to protect against deep fakes used to facilitate criminal or torturous conduct
  • H.73 An Act relative to the interception of wire and oral communications
  • S.27 An Act to protect private electronic communication, browsing and other activity
  • S.28 An Act to ensure a free and open internet in the commonwealth
  • H.59 An Act relative to the oversight of cable contracts
  • H.78 An Act relative to assuring a jumpstart in investments in telecoms to preserve access to the internet
  • H.79 An Act relative to providing for net neutrality and consumer protection

We urge you to testify about any of these bills. There are three ways you can:

  • Virtually: Sign up no later than 5:00 PM on Tuesday, July 12. That isn’t a typo; that is what the hearing page said when I looked at it. So try your luck. Oral testimony will be limited to 3 minutes, but longer statements will be accepted in writing (see below). Sadly the wait to speak can be very long;
  • In-person in Room B-2 in the State House: The Committee will take signups to testify in person on the day of the hearing, but to ensure the Committee can hear from as many folks as possible, they ask that you please sign up in advance. Oral testimony will be limited to 3 minutes, but longer statements will be accepted in writing (see below). Sadly the wait to speak can be very long;
  • E-mail: Submit written testimony by Friday, July 22 at 5:00pm. Please submit all written testimony to christopher.smith@mahouse.gov. We would appreciate it if you cc’d us at info@masspirates.org so we can post your testimony at masspirates.org.

So, submit away and tell the joint committee what they should do about these bills. Here is a template. Be sure to proofread it:

Thank you to the Chairs and members of the Joint Committee on Advanced Information Technology, the Internet and Cybersecurity for listening to / reading my testimony. I speak to you as [insert title or whatever here] and as a citizen of our Commonwealth.

I am here to speak / writing to you on H/S.[XX] [bill title]. I urge you to support/oppose it.

[Why the committee should support/oppose the bill.]

[More information for why the committee should support/oppose the bill.]

[Do you have another bill you want to bring up? Add it here, or send another email for that bill. The choice is yours.]

[And another one, too!]

[Just keep adding them, but remember you only have three minutes if you are speaking to them at the hearing. If via email, make it as long as you want, but best to respect their time.]

[A M00se once bit my sister … ]

I hope you will advance/oppose this/these bills in the 2023-2024 session, [summarize why they should do so].

Sincerely,

[your name]
[your address]
[your email address]
[other means of contacting you, though probably not your AOL / Myspace / Twitter user id]

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