States' Bipartisanship Gives Colo. AG Hope for US Legislation

States having passed new, bipartisan laws on cybersecurity, privacy and other issues gives Colorado’s attorney general optimism that Congress can do similar. Opening the Technology Policy Institute conference in Aspen, Colorado AG Phil Weiser (D) noted there haven't been recent new U.S. laws on such areas, despite “strong bipartisan support“ on data privacy legislation in states, including here in Colorado, and cybersecurity “wake-up calls“ with breaches of Colonial Pipeline and others. “We cannot give up hope“ on getting such federal laws, he said Sunday night. Political polarization “makes it harder for people to work together to solve problems,“ he noted. “We worry about this hyper-extreme“ divide. He hopes historic norms return in terms of “collaboration“ and “problem-solving." Weiser called the U.S. Senate-approved $1 trillion infrastructure bill with broadband money “a very modest step forward.“ Asked by an audience member about big tech scrutiny, he said it's “a moment that feels a lot like" circa 1900, when there were public worries about corporate control. “Why shouldn’t we have requirements for transparency” with online political ad disclosure, akin to what broadcast stations must do, Weiser asked. Answering a question about robocalls, Weiser said, “We have had bipartisan collaboration," as “everybody hates robocalls." He noted the Trace Act means big carriers have now implemented Stir/Shaken and he hopes smaller carriers do so quickly. The month-over-month decline in robocalls is encouraging, but fraudulent texting has increased, Weisser told TPI: “You’ve got to continue to have what they call constant” vigilance.