Hillicon Valley — Group launches seeking ‘responsible’ tech fixes 

Issue One launched a new council to address the impacts of social media, bringing together experts from the public and private sectors.  

We’ll also discuss NASA’s rescheduled launch date for the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and a Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals decision blocking a controversial Texas social media law from going into effect.  

This is Hillicon Valley, detailing all you need to know about tech and cyber news from Capitol Hill to Silicon Valley. Send tips to The Hill’s Rebecca Klar and Ines Kagubare. Someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe here.

Private, public sector join on new social media group 

Experts spanning the public and private sectors are coming together to lead a new initiative launched by Issue One to address the impacts of social media, the advocacy organization announced Wednesday.  

Issue One’s new Council for Responsible Social Media’s members include Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen, former Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), former
Rep. Dick Gephardt (D-Mo.), former Federal Communications Commission Chair Tom Wheeler and others with experience at tech companies, government agencies and civil society organizations.  

The council aims to elevate nonpartisan voices including parents, pediatricians, child psychologists and national security experts to help drive the conversation about social media reform at a time when there’s mounting scrutiny about tech companies from both sides of the aisle.  

The group is designed to address the harms of social media on three areas: children, communities and national security. 

Read more here.  

NASA sets new Artemis launch 

NASA will try for the third time to launch the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket on Nov. 14 after facing setbacks with two previous attempts and a postponement caused by Hurricane Ian. 

The launch will take place on a Monday next month at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, with a 69-minute launch window opening at 12:07 a.m., NASA said in a news release. 

Backup days will be available on Nov. 16 at 1:04 a.m. and Nov. 19 at 1:45 a.m., both with a two-hour launch window. 

NASA’s Artemis I mission is the first major test for the space agency’s program, which aims to send astronauts back to the moon for the first time in about 50 years. 

In Artemis I, the SLS will rocket off into space and send the unmanned exploration spacecraft Orion more than 40,000 miles past the moon before it circles back to Earth. 

Read more here.  

TEXAS SOCIAL MEDIA LAW BLOCKED (AGAIN) 

The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals blocked a controversial Texas social media law from going into place Wednesday as industry groups seek to bring the case to the Supreme Court.  

The court granted a request from the Computer and Communications Industry Association (CCIA) and NetChoice to keep the law from taking effect ahead of a potential Supreme Court hearing on the case, the tech associations said Wednesday.  

“This ruling means Texas’s unconstitutional law will not be in force as the issue of government-compelled dissemination of speech makes its way to the Supreme Court. We are confident these laws will not stand,” CCIA President Matt Schruers said in a statement.  

The decision blocks a Texas law the groups are challenging that would restrict companies’ ability to remove users or violative content. The tech industry groups, as well as civil society groups that have backed their case, argue the law could lead to more dangerous content and hate speech online. 

Read more here.  

WHITE HOUSE UNVEILS NATIONAL SECURITY STRATEGY 

The White House on Wednesday released its national security strategy, outlining President Biden’s priorities at the start of what officials are calling a “decisive decade” for global challenges like climate change and competition among major powers. 

The strategy focuses broadly on investing domestically so the U.S. has a modern military and is not dependent on foreign supply chains. It also puts an emphasis on building alliances abroad to counter the influence of adversaries like China. 

“The world is at an inflection point, and the choices we make today will set the terms on how we are set up to deal with the significant challenges and the significant opportunities faced in the years ahead,” national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters. 

Read more here.  

BITS & PIECES

An op-ed to chew on: Three potential China problems if Elon Musk buys Twitter 

Notable links from around the web: 

Misinformation Swirls in Non-English Languages Ahead of Midterms (The New York Times / Tiffany Hsu) 

Musk appeasement of Putin and China stokes fears of new Twitter policies (The Washington Post / Joseph Menn and Cat Zakrzweski) 

Hacktivists Force Companies to Respond to Low-Level Cyberattacks (The Wall Street Journal / Catherine Stupp) 

😞 Lighter click: Ouch

One more thing: Musk’s new musk  

Elon Musk said he sold 10,000 bottles of “Burnt Hair” perfume through his business The Boring Company, earning more than $1 million in sales from the product. 

The billionaire announced the news in a series of tweets. He called his “Burnt Hair” perfume, which costs $100 per bottle, “the finest fragrance on Earth!” 

“Doesn’t get more lit than this!” the world’s richest man tweeted. 

Read more here.  

That’s it for today, thanks for reading. Check out The Hill’s Technology and Cybersecurity pages for the latest news and coverage. We’ll see you tomorrow.