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Pandemic Forces Oregon Ballot Initiatives to Spend Far More than Planned
From Kate Kaye | 04:57
COVID-19 is a problem for the 50 initiatives, referenda and referrals that still technically could end up on the ballot in Oregon in November. To gather enough signatures, some of the still-active campaigns including those pushing for psylocibin therapy programs and redistricting reform will spend hundreds of thousands of dollars more than originally planned to get there.
Rush to COVID-19 Tech in Portland, OR Leads to Lack of Privacy, Security Measures
From Kate Kaye | 05:39
A rushed process for launching a COVID-19 screening site leaves lots of data privacy and security questions unanswered.
A new COVID-19 infection screening website for the Portland, Oregon area was launched by Portland Fire and Rescue to prevent emergency room chaos and 911 call surges during the crisis. Emergency and public health staff hope to use data from the tool to inform decisions about triage and testing.
However, although still in its early stages, the system has significant data gaps. And amid an unusual process to get the tool set up, some evaluation protocols for data use, privacy and security were overlooked. The rushed process leaves questions about how information gleaned through the website is stored, who can access it and whether it should be used to inform government decisions about resource distribution in response to the pandemic. The project is an example of local and national governments implementing tech amid pandemic panic which can lead to unintended and negative consequences.
Yelp's COVID-19 Fundraiser an Example of Tech Industry Hubris, Critics Say
From Kate Kaye | 04:01
A Portland, OR entrepreneur and a former Obama administration FTC chief technology officer say a short-lived Yelp and GoFundMe program to aid small businesses was another example of the tech industry's detrimental "move-fast-and-break-things" attitude.
Portand, Oregon entrepreneur Andy McMillan led the outcries against a maligned fundraising effort from Yelp and GoFundMe intended to help small businesses weather the storm of the COVID-19 pandemic. GoFundMe fundraisers were automatically added to Yelp pages for small businesses without their permission. One was added to the page for McMillan's Suckerpunch, an alcohol-free bar yet-to-open in the Pacific Northwest city. He vociferously complained, drawing media attention to the program and leading the companies to stop the effort just two days after it launched. McMillan called the program potentially detrimental to small businesses who had no say in it. Ashkan Soltani, former Obama White House senior advisor and FTC chief technology officer said the project was another example of tech industry hubris.