OVERNIGHT TECH: NSA reform clears House; Voter registration moves online

THE LEDE: The USA Freedom Act passed the House earlier this evening, 338-88. The bill reforms elements of the Patriot Act that expire on June 1 and is aimed at ending the bulk, warrantless surveillance of Americans by the National Security Agency. Its passage sets up a showdown with Senate Republicans, some of whom are looking to reauthorize the provisions without any changes. Our full story is here.

{mosads}ADVOCATES WANT IMPROVEMENTS IN SENATE: The Center for Democracy and Technology quickly hailed the USA Freedom Act vote as a “major surveillance reform,” while TechFreedom called on the Senate to “act quickly.” The advocacy group Access welcomed passage but called on senators to condition their vote on improving the legislation. The ACLU, which was neutral on the bill, said senators would be better off letting sections of the Patriot Act expire if the bill is not strengthened. The Electronic Frontier Foundation, which recently pulled its support, similarly urged the Senate to “strengthen the bill.”

ONLINE VOTER REGISTRATION: Twenty states offer citizens the chance to register to vote online, including nine that include mobile-optimized websites, according to a Pew Charitable Trust report released Wednesday.

Online registration ahead of the next presidential election is now available to about 110 million eligible voters. But 30 states, including a number of presidential swing states like Florida and Ohio, have not adopted the technology.

States that allow online registration report an average cost of about $250,000 to implement the system, with one topping out at more than $750,000. But they report savings of between 50 cents and $2.34 per online transaction compared to paper. Some of those costs may not be realized, however, because some states still print out applications received online for their records.

No state has reported a security breach through an online registration system yet, but there have been plenty of attempts. Colorado’s director of elections said hackers try to “breach our system all the time.” States cite safeguards like encryption, routine audit logs and other safeguards to keep their network secure.

“Online voter registration is becoming an ever more efficient, convenient, and popular tool for voters and election officials as states develop increasingly effective and inclusive processes. But states are still confronting some shortcomings and challenges as they upgrade and expand their systems,” according to the report.  

TRIAL LAWYERS BASH SPACE ACT: The American Association for Justice, a trial lawyers group, is taking issue with the Spurring Private Aerospace Competitiveness and Entrepreneurship (SPACE) Act. They claim that it gives commercial space travel companies immunity from liability. “If private space travel corporations were to cause any kind of crash or disaster, this bill would immunize those at fault and leave victims and taxpayers stuck footing the bill for the tragedy,” said Linda Lipsen, the group’s chief.

ANTI-SLAPP BILL APPLAUDED: The Internet Association hailed the introduction of the SPEAK FREE Act on Wednesday, which is meant to fight so-called strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPP). Advocates have called for a national fix. They argue the suits attempt to stifle free speech, “including online reviews and comments from customers.”

“While certain states have passed laws to stem the tide of meritless lawsuits filed for the sole purpose of stifling public debate, it is time that we address the issue on a federal level,” said Michael Beckerman, the group’s president.

SENATE JUDICIARY WILL TAKE ON BODY CAMS: The Judiciary panel’s Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism will host a hearing titled “Body Cameras: Can Technology Increase Protection for Law Enforcement Officers and the Public?” Since the August shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo. by a police officer, Washington has shown an interest in getting more officer-worn cameras onto the streets.

IS BITCOIN SIMILAR TO EMAIL?: Coinbase, a company used by customers to store Bitcoin, argued that burdensome regulations could stamp out innovation and ultimately kill the technology. Juan Suarez, a lawyer for the company, wrote in an op-ed that regulation of Bitcoin exchanges — which help people transfer their virtual currency into cash — are reasonably effective. But attempting to regulate Bitcoin-to-Bitcoin transfers could produce an “onerous, oppressive, and laborious enforcement campaign, akin to restricting the transmittal of emails via privately-hosted servers.”

ON TAP:

At 10:00 a.m., the House Financial Services Committee will hold a hearing titled “Protecting Consumers: Financial Data Security in the Age of Computer Hackers” featuring, among others, former Minnesota governor and presidential candidate Tim Pawlenty (R). He is now the president of the Financial Services Roundtable.

Also at 10:00 a.m., the East Asia, the Pacific and International Cybersecurity Policy Subcommittee of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee will hold a hearing called “Cybersecurity: Setting The Rules For Responsible Global Cyber Behavior.”

The American Constitution Society will host a briefing on the regulatory challenges posed by the sharing economy at 12:00 p.m. in the Rayburn building.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:

The government should make it possible for companies to give their employees credits for ride-sharing services like Uber and Lyft without paying taxes on them, Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) said after a Wednesday event.

David Plouffe is moving into a chief adviser role at Uber and will join the ride-sharing company’s board of directors.

Telecom providers and trade groups on Wednesday asked an appeals court to rush through a delay of new net neutrality rules before they take effect on June 12.

More time is needed for the U.S. government to hand over its oversight role of the Internet domain name process, most panelists at a House Judiciary Committee hearing said.

Billionaire Oracle founder Larry Ellison is reportedly backing Sen. Marco Rubio’s (R-Fla.) bid for the White House.

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