Congress Passes Controversial Cybersecurity Bill Attached to Omnibus Budget

The Verge | Russell Brandom | December 18

http://www.theverge.com/2015/12/18/10582446/congress-passes-cisa-surveillance-cybersecurity

“This morning, Congress passed the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act of 2015, attached as the 14th rider to an omnibus budget bill. The bill is expected to be signed into law by the president later today. Intended to ease sharing of information between corporations and the government, the bill had drawn controversy since its introduction last year. The Center for Democracy and Technology said it risked creating ‘a backdoor wiretap,’ while Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) called it ‘a surveillance bill by another name.’ Earlier this week, Sen. Diane Feinstein (D-CA) called the bill ‘an important first step to address a significant drain on our economy and threat to our national security.’”

 

How Unions Could Change the Way Uber and Lyft Work

Bloomberg | Eric Newcomer | December 17

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-12-17/how-unions-could-change-the-way-uber-and-lyft-work

“Seattle became the first U.S. city to pass collective bargaining legislation on Monday. Unions pose a new kind of threat to Uber and Lyft’s businesses, which connect riders with freelance drivers through a smartphone application. While the companies have been facing legal battles around the U.S. to reclassify drivers as employees and offer benefits, the new Seattle law bypassed that issue in favor of a focus on allowing them to organize into a union, giving drivers more weight in negotiations.”

 

Washington State Files Suit Against Tech Support Scammer

USA Today | Elizabeth Weise | December 17

http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2015/12/16/washington-state-microsoft-iyogi-tech-support-scam-attorney-general/77447404/

“Washington state’s attorney general on Wednesday filed suit against one of the world’s largest tech support providers for an allegedly deceptive scam that often targets Microsoft users. The company uses deception and scare tactics to pressure consumers into buying unnecessary tech support services, said Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson at a press conference in Seattle. The scams have cost consumers millions of dollars, says the suit.”

 

More Cash for Startups: Median Angel Investment Round Size Increases in Q3

GeekWire | Taylor Soper | December 16

http://www.geekwire.com/2015/cash-startups-median-angel-investment-round-size-increases-q3/

“Angel investors are putting more money behind startups according to the latest Halo Report, a survey of angel financing deals and activity compiled by The Angel Resource Institute and sponsored by Seattle-based Pitchbook. The report found that median angel round sizes increased from $500,000 in Q2 to $725,000 per deal in Q3 — also up from $350,000 in Q3 of last year — while the mean round size spiked from $735,000 to $1.41 million…Seattle’s Alliance of Angels was among the top 10 most active angel groups in the country during the first quarter, joining Keiretsu Forum, New York Angels, Queen City Angels, Golden Seeds, Maine Angels, Central Texas Angel Network, Houston Angel Network, Launchpad Venture Group, Robin Hood Ventures, Sand Hill Angels, Tech Coast Angels and Wisconsin Investment Partners.”

 

Congress Doubles H-1B Fee to $4,000

ComputerWorld | Patrick Thibodeau | December 16

http://www.computerworld.com/article/3015998/it-careers/congress-doubles-h-1b-fee-to-4-000.html

“Congressional leaders early Wednesday morning released a $1.1 trillion spending bill that dramatically hikes the H-1B filing fee for IT services that rely heavily on visa workers. That new $4,000 fee is applied to firms of at least 50 employees and that have at least 50% of their employees on an H-1B or L-1 visa. It doubles a previous fee of $2,000, first set in 2010. The increased fee will be used to help create a biometric entry and exit tracking system, according to the legislation.”