Science and Technology Legislation

  • A scientist working late in a laboratory, photo by SolStock/Getty Images

    Commentary

    Scientific Research Integrity Demands Transparency—the Law Should Require It Too

    China pays U.S. scientists for their innovations in exchange for money and access to research laboratories and speaking and publication opportunities. They require the researchers to keep these agreements secret from their employers or the U.S. government. Perhaps it is time to codify scientific transparency into law.

    Apr 12, 2021

  • Facial recognition on a mobile device, image by Irina Shi/Adobe Stock

    Report

    The Benefits and Risks of Face Recognition Technology

    Face recognition technologies (FRTs) offer opportunities to improve identification efforts, but they also raise concerns about privacy and bias. Understanding the trade-offs between the utility and risks of FRTs is crucial for evaluating their adoption and implementation.

    May 14, 2020

  • Hand writing on a document, photo by PeopleImages/Getty Images

    Report

    Profile of Institutional Review Board Characteristics Prior to the 2019 Implementation of the Revised Common Rule

    This report details the results of a survey of institutional research boards (IRBs) to obtain baseline information on their demographics and their attitudes about their IRBs and the likely effects of proposed changes to the Revised Common Rule.

    Jul 31, 2019

  • Research Brief

    Research Brief

    Oversight of emerging science and technology: Lessons from history to guide future developments

    To help inform decisions about emerging science and technology oversight in the future, RAND Europe studied ten examples of oversight spanning different countries, time periods, and science and technology areas, and identified eight key lessons.

    Jun 14, 2019

  • An illustration of a human's moral compass, image by Trifonov_Evgeniy/Getty Images

    Report

    Ethics in Scientific Research

    An analysis of how ethics are created, monitored, and enforced finds which ethical principles are common across scientific disciplines, how these ethics might vary geographically, and how emerging topics are shaping future ethics.

    Jun 5, 2019

  • Report

    Report

    Oversight of emerging science and technology: Learning from past and present efforts around the world

    To help inform decisions about emerging science and technology oversight in the future, RAND Europe studied ten examples of oversight spanning different countries, time periods, and science and technology areas, and identified eight key lessons.

    Mar 20, 2019

  • A drone is used to survey high-voltage power lines of electric company Westnetz near Wilnsdorf, Germany, July 11, 2018

    Commentary

    Approaching a 'New Normal': What the Drone Attack in Venezuela Portends

    The attempt to assassinate Venezuelan President Maduro showed that drones are easy to use and difficult to defend against. Commercial off-the-shelf technology is easy to acquire. It is imperative that counterterrorism specialists begin planning a robust response to the threat.

    Aug 13, 2018

  • Unmanned aircraft system (uav) quadcopter drone in the air over commercial buildings

    Report

    International Commercial Drone Regulation and Drone Delivery Services

    Commercial drone regulations vary from country to country; regulatory bodies struggle to adapt current laws to new technology. The author draws on a literature review to summarize regulations and highlight the obstacles to drone use worldwide.

    Dec 5, 2017

  • A quadrocopter being flown over a field

    Report

    Options for Regulating Small Unmanned Aerial Systems

    The FAA predicts that there will be between 2.75 and 4.47 million small Unmanned Aerial Systems (sUAS) flown in the United States by 2021. As the skies become more crowded, action is needed from the federal government and sUAS manufacturers and operators to ensure the public's safety.

    Nov 6, 2017

  • Group of scientists working in laboratory

    Commentary

    After the March for Science: What Now?

    Politicized rhetoric may imply otherwise, but scientific expertise and civic participation are not at odds with each other. As the scientific community decides how to respond to shifting political attitudes about science, it's time to focus on a long-term strategy for science policy in the United States.

    Apr 26, 2017

  • An autonomous version of Acura's RLX Sport Hybrid SH-AWD navigates around a dummy at carmaker Honda's testing grounds at the GoMentum Station autonomous vehicle test facility in Concord, California June 1, 2016

    Commentary

    How California Is Trying to Keep Autonomous Vehicle Development on Track

    California's Department of Motor Vehicles recently proposed new regulations governing the testing and deployment of autonomous vehicles. Will this help retain the state's status as a testing and deployment ground for the technology, and will it make California safer?

    Apr 10, 2017

  • People use their smartphones in New York City, November 6, 2013

    Report

    Can Smartphones and Privacy Coexist?

    Smartphones are becoming more widespread around the world. How can policymakers grapple with issues related to the security and privacy of these devices?

    Oct 27, 2016

  • News Release

    News Release

    Cost of Cyber Incidents Not Large Compared with Other Business Losses; May Influence Responses by Businesses

    Data breaches have made headlines in recent years, exposing poor practices that put the personal information of millions of consumers at risk. But the cost of a typical cyber breach is much less than generally estimated, providing one possible explanation for why American companies do not invest more to improve computer security.

    Sep 20, 2016

  • News Release

    News Release

    One-Fourth of American Adults Notified of Data Breach in Past Year; Few Consumers Penalize Hacked Companies

    About a quarter of American adults reported that they were notified about their personal information being part of a data breach in the previous year, but only 11 percent of those who have ever been notified say they stopped doing business with the hacked company afterwards.

    Apr 14, 2016

  • Infographic

    Infographic

    Data Theft Victims, and Their Response to Breach Notifications

    This infographic highlights the results of a study of consumer attitudes toward data breaches, notifications of those breaches, and company responses to such events.

    Apr 14, 2016

  • Woman typing into a laptop

    Report

    Few Consumers Penalize Hacked Companies for Data Breaches

    About a quarter of American adults surveyed reported that they received a data breach notification in the past year, but 77 percent of them were highly satisfied with the company's post-breach response. Only 11 percent of respondents stopped dealing with the company afterwards.

    Apr 14, 2016

  • An NYPD officer stands across the street from the Apple Store on 5th Ave. in New York, March 11, 2016

    Commentary

    The False Choice at the Core of the Apple-FBI Standoff

    The Apple-FBI case should spark a broader debate among technology companies concerning their role in maintaining the privacy and security balance. A starting point should be to recognize that the majority of cyberattacks are related to phishing—and a user's action—not to whether a device can be secured.

    Mar 21, 2016

  • Bruce Sewell, senior vice president and general counsel for Apple Inc., is sworn in before testifying to the House Judiciary hearing on "The Encryption Tightrope: Balancing Americans' Security and Privacy" March 1, 2016

    Commentary

    How the 'Wonks' of Public Policy and the 'Geeks' of Tech Can Get Together

    Conventional wisdom says that technology innovates and disrupts, while public policy regulates and controls. What might a better integration of the commercial tech sector with the policy community look like?

    Mar 18, 2016

  • Pieces of an iPhone are seen on a repair store counter in New York City, February 17, 2016

    Commentary

    The Cost of Security in the iPhone Era

    As the security on the iPhone better protects users from criminals, it also excels at keeping law enforcement from accessing the data. The dispute between the FBI and Apple over unlocking the iPhone of one of the San Bernardino attackers continues but the real debate is about whether society wants legislation that weakens iPhone security for law enforcement.

    Feb 26, 2016

  • Hand touching tablet behind social media diagram and map

    Commentary

    The Clash of Internet Civilizations: Why Neither Side Should Prevail

    The debate over net neutrality pits two opposing philosophies against each other — one pushing for the continued evolution of the Internet as an open information superhighway, the other asserting that the Internet's evolution needs to take more account of the many ways it is and will be used.

    Apr 10, 2015