IE11 Not Supported

For optimal browsing, we recommend Chrome, Firefox or Safari browsers.

Lucas Ropek

Lucas Ropek is a staff writer for Government Technology. He has worked as a newspaper reporter and writer in Massachusetts and New York.

News

Cities Turn to Open Source Data to Fill Information Gaps

“We've used it for COVID; we also used it throughout the George Floyd protests,” said Los Angeles' Chief Innovation Officer Amanda Daflos. “It was a really important tool for understanding what people were feeling and thinking about. ”

July 06, 2020
· Lucas Ropek
News

Cyberattack Targets UCSF's COVID-19 Research

A hacking group that has successfully attacked at least three universities recently has threatened to publish sensitive research information to the dark web if monetary demands are not met.

June 07, 2020
· Lucas Ropek
News

Data Leak Complicates Hack Against Torrance

The Southern California municipality initially told residents that their personal information had not been compromised in the March incident, but hackers' decision to publish the city's data online shows otherwise.

April 24, 2020
· Lucas Ropek
News

State Weighs Requiring Cyberinsurance for Contractors

The bill, introduced in February, has the potential to create additional protections for sensitive state data, but there are still policy areas that might need fine tuning before the proposal goes further.

March 13, 2020
· Lucas Ropek
News

SF Formally Names Chief Data Officer

The new CDO has been with the San Francisco city and county government for the better part of a decade and has been in charge of data operations since his predecessor stepped down over a year ago.

February 11, 2020
· Lucas Ropek
News

Data, 'Stories' Vital to State Website Team

The Alpha project, a three-month sprint to transform the state’s website into an iterative, responsive platform, is getting assistance from data analytics and other types of user research.

January 28, 2020
· Lucas Ropek
News

Privacy Initiative Would Create State Agency for Compliance

The proposed act, from the group behind the California Consumer Privacy Act, would ensure companies follow the standards of that earlier legislation.

October 03, 2019
· Lucas Ropek
News

Proposed Privacy Act Changes Mostly Rebuffed as Legislation Nears Law

For the most part, the 2019 state legislative session didn’t bring the changes to the California Consumer Privacy Act that businesses had sought.

September 17, 2019
· Lucas Ropek
News

USC, Microsoft Team Among Collaborators in L.A. Data Project

The Neighborhood Data for Social Change initiative teams USC with regional law enforcement agencies to share a select number of crime data sets with the public — things like police incidents of force, citizen complaints, rates of arrest and police officer turnover rates.

September 02, 2019
· Lucas Ropek
News

Bill Would Ban Facial Recognition in Law Enforcement Body Cams

The legislation would bar police from utilizing facial recognition software or other biometric surveillance technology in their body cameras.

August 13, 2019
· Lucas Ropek
News

Slate of Bills Aims to Change State's New Privacy Law

With less than six months until the California Consumer Privacy Act takes effect Jan. 1, 2020, lawmakers are still considering legislation that would expand and modify the landmark law — if passed.

July 23, 2019
· Lucas Ropek
News

San Francisco Bans Muni-Operated Facial Recognition Tech

After hearing from representatives of law enforcement and civil liberties groups, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted to put a moratorium on the municipal use of facial recognition technology. Their city is the first in the country to do so.

May 14, 2019
· Lucas Ropek
News

Package of Privacy Bills Advances in Legislature

A bevy of bills would create additional consumer protections, but key parts of the legislation have shifted or fallen away since originally introduced. They include restrictions on what data voice assistants can store.

May 08, 2019
· Lucas Ropek
News

Most States Have Yet to Act Against 'Deepfake' Videos

The new form of online disinformation has some government officials uneasy about its potential effects on upcoming political campaigns and elections, but policy efforts to address it are sparse.

May 02, 2019
· Lucas Ropek
News

Bill Would Ban 'Data Throttling' During Emergencies

The Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association opposes the measure, which firefighter associations back because of safety concerns.

April 28, 2019
· Lucas Ropek
News

SF Considers Banning Facial Recognition Software

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors has postponed a decision on the Stop Secret Surveillance ordinance until later this month. If approved, the proposal would, in part, ban the consolidated city-county from using facial recognition software.

April 17, 2019
· Lucas Ropek
News

L.A. County Wields Tech to Find Missing Seniors

The LA Found Initiative, launched in October by Los Angeles County, deploys radio tracking to watch over at-risk adults.

April 16, 2019
· Lucas Ropek
News

San Diego, Marine Corps Teaming Up on Tech Initiatives

The partnership will focus on a number of initiatives, including collaboration involving some 3,200 recently installed smart streetlights, which are equipped with a bevy of sensors that assist with data collection and law enforcement operations.

March 03, 2019
· Lucas Ropek