U.S. Senate - News, Features, and Slideshows

News

• Proposed U.S. law aims to counter cybertheft with import bans

  A bill proposed in the U.S. Senate aims to block imports of products containing U.S. technology stolen online, a move that appears primarily directed at China.

• Will Online Sales Tax Bill Spur or Stifle Competition?

  Strong bipartisan support sends controversial Marketplace Fairness Act to the House, as opponents continue to raise concerns about impact on small businesses.

• US Senate approves Internet sales tax

  The U.S. Senate has voted to allow states to collect sales tax from online retailers, making it more difficult to buy tax-free products online.

• Senator introduces legislation targeting patent trolls

  A U.S. senator has introduced legislation allowing the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to review and invalidate controversial patents challenged by technology startups in an effort to discourage so-called patent trolls.

• Senate delays vote on Internet sales tax until May

  The U.S. Senate has delayed a vote on an Internet sales tax until May, after a handful of senators blocked lawmakers from voting on the legislation this week.

• Senators stall vote on Internet sales tax for now

  A handful of lawmakers have stalled the U.S. Senate from voting on legislation that would require large Internet and catalog sellers to collect state sales taxes from their customers.

• Senator rips self-regulatory do-not-track efforts

  The U.S. online advertising industry has not lived up to a promise to stop the online tracking of Internet users who ask advertisers to do so, a senior U.S. senator said Wednesday.

• Senate takes major step toward Internet sales tax

  The U.S. Senate has voted 74-20 to close debate and move to a final vote on a bill allowing states to collect sales tax from out-of-state Internet and catalog retailers.

• US Senate moves toward Internet sales tax vote

  The U.S. Senate has moved toward a vote to impose sales tax on most Internet purchases, with lawmakers likely to vote to close debate on legislation next week.

• US senate passes Internet sales tax proposal

  The US Senate has overwhelmingly passed a nonbinding proposal to allow states to collect sales tax on Internet sellers that have no presence within their borders.

• Senators add Internet sales tax amendment to budget resolution

  A group of U.S. senators have offered a nonbinding amendment to a fiscal year 2014 budget resolution allowing states to collect sales taxes on Internet sales and end the tax-free shopping that many shoppers enjoy online.

• Bills would require police to get warrants for mobile phone location

  A group of U.S. lawmakers has introduced legislation that would require law enforcement agencies to get court-ordered search warrants before obtaining a suspect's mobile phone location or GPS data, instead of using prosecution-issued subpoenas.

• Third mobile-phone-unlocking bill introduced

  Momentum is growing in the U.S. Congress to overturn a U.S. Library of Congress ruling that took mobile phone unlocking out of the legal exemptions to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.

• Intelligence officials see cyberattacks as a top US threat

  Cyberattacks are near the top of the list of most serious threats facing the U.S., with the rivaling concerns about terrorism and North Korea, intelligence officials with President Barack Obama's administration said.

• Tech groups question new do-not-track bill

  New legislation in the U.S. Senate that would allow Internet users to tell companies to stop tracking them is unnecessary and could slow e-commerce growth, some tech groups said.