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Mark Warner

8 Dec, 10 tweets, 5 min read

@SenatorFischer

Chances are you’ve seen a #darkpattern online – a deceptive internet mechanism used to trap you into clicking, buying, or signing up for something you don’t want. I’m reintroducing a bill to prevent these with @SenatorFischer, @amyklobuchar, and @SenatorJohnThune.

So what exactly is a #darkpattern? They range from merely annoying to actively insidious. I’ll take you through it. First, ever had a confusing list of checkboxes that tried to con you into signing up for an email list? That’s one.

Or ever been ready to check out and then all of a sudden there’s a range of bogus hidden fees added? Again, a #darkpattern

This #darkpattern really bugs me – can you spot the legitimate download link among all these deceptive ads? I can’t.

Or one of the most common – have you ever been overwhelmed by popups tricking you into signing up for never ending newsletters? That’s a #darkpattern, too.

A lot of these #darkpatterns are merely annoying – but some contain darker implications, like these checkboxes that obscure important privacy permissions. I think you shouldn’t have to struggle to see what data you’re giving away.

These deceptions go beyond individual interfaces – manipulation is built into user agreements, too. For years, Facebook has been studying how you are emotionally affected by your feed. It's wrong that they can be doing psychological tests on you without your explicit consent.

The DETOUR Act would change that by requiring companies like Facebook to get your permission before including you in any psychological test – and prevent them from burying that permission in their general service agreement.

Finally, we know that platforms are not being held accountable for designing to target kids. DETOUR would take the first step towards changing that, making it illegal to use addictive techniques on children under 13.

Ultimately, the goals of the DETOUR Act are simple: instill more transparency in a deceptive online environment, protect kids from addiction, and start holding big tech accountable. I’m looking forward to getting this law done.

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Mark Warner

@MarkWarner

24 Nov

Traveling this weekend? You may notice that many of our airports could benefit from upgrades or additional funding. I’m proud to announce that thanks to the bipartisan infrastructure bill, $400 million of federal money is headed to 47 VA airports. [THREAD:]

Or maybe you’re not traveling by plane, but by rail, bus, or car. The infrastructure law is delivering for you, too:
🚗 $110 billion for roads
🚆 $66 billion nationally for rail
🚇 $1.2 billion for public transit in VA

This is what bipartisan delivery looks like: investments in travel days, public goods, and a safer trip home. I’m proud to have helped get it done and am looking forward to smoother travel across our commonwealth soon.

Read 4 tweets

Mark Warner

@MarkWarner

18 Nov

As part of our providing resources to our national defense, I’m committed to honoring members of our military & their families. So here’s some of what I’m advocating for on their behalf in this year’s bill:
🍱 Combat food insecurity
🏠Improve housing
🏥Protect health care
THREAD:

In a survey, 1 in 5 military families reported food insecurity. To address that, we should:
👩‍✈️Require the Sec. of Defense to designate a leader to tackle this
🥗Start a program providing food to food insecure servicemembers
🕵️‍♂️ Authorize a review of DoD’s effort on the issue

I’ve fought for many years to improve the quality of housing for military families. Here’s what I’m seeking this year:
🔎 Scrutinize the implementation of certain reforms
💻 Get better data on how new tools and protections are helping tenants & ensure info is accessible

Read 4 tweets

Mark Warner

@MarkWarner

11 Aug

There’s been a tremendous amount of confusion – and in some cases, false information – surrounding a set of important tax compliance provisions in the bipartisan infrastructure package.

Let’s clear up a few things.

First, we need to acknowledge that the innovation and excitement surrounding digital assets has at times obscured some real problems – perhaps none greater than the tax evasion and non-compliance we have continued to see.
cnbc.com/2021/05/31/cry…

The tax gap is especially pronounced in two areas:

1) Cryptocurrency exchanges (some of which openly advertise non-compliance) and custodial wallets, and

2) Businesses that receive cryptocurrency as payment but don’t report it.

Read 23 tweets

Mark Warner

@MarkWarner

10 Aug

I’m glad that the Senate worked together in a bipartisan way to pass the Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act. This bill will allow Virginia to make significant investments in infrastructure projects across the Commonwealth, including in HR, Richmond, NoVA, Roanoke and Southwest.

Hampton Roads:

- This bill will put $47B towards resiliency to help fund projects like flood mitigation and coastal resiliency. In Hampton Roads, we could use this funding for projects such as:

Richmond:

- Last month I visited the Mayo Bridge, one of the 700 bridges across Virginia that are in an alarming state of decay. With $110 billion in funding for roads and bridges, we'll have federal dollars to put towards needed upgrades for bridges all across Virginia.

Read 6 tweets

Mark Warner

@MarkWarner

5 Aug

There's a lot in the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to make up for decades of underinvestment in our infrastructure, which has disproportionally impacted communities of color.

Here's how:

This bill would invest in critical infrastructure like elevated buildings, roads, and bridges to safeguard black and brown communities in areas vulnerable to flooding and climate change-related extreme weather events.

@EPA

Communities of color are more likely to be burdened by pollution. For example, more than 1-in-3 Latinos in the U.S. live in counties where the air doesn’t meet @EPA public health standards for smog.

This bill has the largest investment in clean energy transmission in history.

Read 5 tweets

Mark Warner

@MarkWarner

1 Mar

This #WomensHistoryMonth, I will be honoring some notable women and their contributions, which have helped shape America’s culture and history.

Join me in lifting up their stories.

Born in Virginia, Virginia Minor was the co-founder and the first president of the Woman's Suffrage Association of Missouri. She was the plaintiff in the SCOTUS case, Minor v. Happersett, where the Court held that the Constitution did not grant women the right to vote.

Marguerite Higgins was a reporter & war correspondent for the N.Y. Herald Tribune during WWII, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. She advanced the cause of equal opportunity for female war correspondents & was the first woman awarded a Pulitzer Prize for Foreign Correspondence.

Read 4 tweets

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