| MOST POPULAR Trendsetting Policy on Privacy, Rideshare Drivers? It looks like California voters have voted yes on two prominent ballot measures in last week’s election, and experts wonder if other states will follow suit. The passage of the very well-funded Prop 22 means rideshare companies like Lyft and Uber can continue to classify drivers as independent contractors, rather than employees. Prop 24 adds to the state’s pioneering data privacy law of 2018, establishing the Privacy Protection Agency and granting consumers greater power over the sharing of their personal information. NYC, Feds Partner to Accelerate Innovation The pandemic inspired a wave of civic-minded engagement with government on the part of technologists from the private sector. One particularly compelling example is the Innovation Fellows program in New York City, a partnership between the Mayor’s Office of the CTO and the U.S. Digital Response. Fellows agree to volunteer for 20 hours per week over eight weeks to infiltrate government and use their expertise to produce tangible results that will serve the city during COVID-19 and beyond. Early results include a website translation tool that uses AI and a dashboard aimed at preventing hate crimes. Nobody’s Sitting Still Washington, D.C., isn’t the only place where major changes are afoot. It was a big week for news about CIOs, as governments across the country announced big moves on the staffing front. Read about new state chief information officers in Texas and Delaware, as well as the departure of a CTO from Arkansas. Not to be left out, local government got in on the action with a big promotion in Los Angeles and a new CIO for Pittsburgh. | 