Brian Fung

Brian Fung

Technology writer

Brian Fung is the technology writer at National Journal. He was previously an associate editor at The Atlantic and has written for Foreign Policy and The Washington Post.

Brian Fung's Latest Posts

How to Get Google Fiber—Without Google

By
The trick is to get a university on your side. Read More »

A Staggering Share of Americans Would Use Google Glass if They Could

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The much-derided piece of wearable technology has a ton of secret fans. Read More »

What the AP Subpoena Scandal Means for Your Electronic Privacy

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The Justice Department’s attempt to spy on journalists working for the Associated Press is an abuse of power in the broadest sense. But one reason the whole episode is controversial at all is because the Obama administration t...

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Can Cell Phone Metadata Hurt Your Privacy and Save America?

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When Stone Librande took breaks from playtesting the new SimCity, he noticed something mesmerizing. Pausing from the construction frenzy that defines the rest of the game, SimCity’s lead designer discovered that his citizens...

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Chris Hadfield's Haunting Goodbye Is a Beautiful Rendition of 'Space Oddity'

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The Canadian who's inspired hundreds of thousands with his fascination with space has capped his voyage with a tribute to David Bowie. Read More »

How 3D-Printed Guns Violate International Arms Controls (or Maybe Not)

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The State Department has ordered the world’s first manufacturer of the 3D-printed gun to take down his blueprints from the Internet. Read More »

How Do You Protect Undersea Internet Cables, Anyway?

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If you’ve been following the events in Syria over the past few days, you might know the country’s Internet is now back from the dead after a 19-hour outage the government blamed on “terrorist” sabotage. Read More »

The Diminishing Returns of Big-Data Campaigning

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What if we were all wrong about the Obama campaign’s vaunted technological advantage? Read More »

Syria Has Switched Off the Internet For the Second Time in 6 Months

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On Twitter, reports are coming in that the Syrian government has cut off Internet access to its citizens. Read More »

Meet Nicole Wong, Obama's New Internet Privacy Czar

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President Obama has tapped a former Googler nicknamed "the Decider" to handle the administration's approach to Internet privacy. Read More »

Why Would China Want to Hack Our Media?

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The Pentagon has just released the latest version of an annual report looking at China’s military capacity , and as you might expect, a big chunk of it is concerned with Beijing’s ability to conduct cyberspace operations: Read More »

What if the Internet Sales Tax Doesn't Make it Through Congress?

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Legislation allowing states to collect sales taxes on purchases made over the Internet—approved by the Senate in a 69-27 vote Monday evening—faces an uncertain future in the House. Read More »

What it Really Means to 'Close the GOP Tech Gap'

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Two obstacles the Republican National Committee must overcome that it didn't anticipate in its election post-mortem Read More »

Obama's FCC Pick Has Some Surprising Allies

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Obama's pick for FCC chair is more than what his résumé shows, unexpected allies say. Read More »

You (Yes, You!) Can Now Pay to Promote Your Change.org Petitions

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"Crowd-promoted" petitions will give ordinary users even more of a voice -- so long as they've got the cash. Read More »

6 Revealing Quotes From Obama's Potential New FCC Nominee, Tom Wheeler

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The man who could be in line to head the Federal Communications Commission wrote prolifically about tech on his blog. Read More »

FCC Chair: Blocking the AT&T/T-Mobile Merger Was 'Absolutely the Right Call'

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Julius Genachowski doesn’t regret killing the AT&T/T-Mobile merger one bit.  Read More »

Somebody Is Fixing Twitter's Misinformation Problem, But It's Not Twitter

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Can an enterprising developer striking out on his own solve one of the social network's biggest flaws? Read More »

If These Brain Scanners Don't Raise Your Red Privacy Flags, Nothing Will

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We're still a ways from being able to read people's thoughts. But how we write our privacy laws today will determine what that future looks like. Read More »

What the Heck Is Gabon Doing Giving President Obama a Gift Worth $52,695?

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Mapping the source and value of President Obama's gifts from 2011 Read More »

What an Internet Sales Tax Could Mean for Your Bitcoin Stash

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How will states collect taxes on bitcoin transactions if they're anonymous and untraceable? Read More »

The FCC's Republican Member

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Ajit Pai is the sole remaining Republican on the Federal Communications Commission.  Read More »

Why NASA Is Firing Cell Phones Into Space

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What it could mean for the future of satellite tech Read More »

Don't Just Blame Twitter: How the AP Could Have Kept From Getting Hacked

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Yes, Twitter needs two-step verification. But the newswire wasn't helpless, either. Read More »

Governments' Favorite Cyberweapons Don't Look Anything Like Stuxnet

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Think more along the lines of "criminal enterprise." Read More »

How CISPA Opponents Were Outspent by Industry Lobbyists, 38 to 1

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Last week, the House approved CISPA , the House cybersecurity bill that’s long rankled privacy advocates -- not to mention the White House, which issued a presidential veto threat in response to the action. Read More »

Neil Fried, Majority Chief Counsel, Communications and Technology Subcommittee

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Neil Fried came to Washington without a shred of telecom experience. Now, he’s counted as one of the top tech-policy experts in government—so much so that he was considered for chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, ...

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Michelle Ash, Minority Chief Consumer Protection Counsel

By and
A Pittsburgh native, Michelle Ash, 45, had originally planned to go into law. But after a year at a local law firm, she decided on the world of policy instead. Read More »

Companies Fight Hard to Shape Internet Regs

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It’s the closest thing the Internet has to a creation myth: The Web owes its usefulness today to decentralization, individual empowerment, and noninterference from the corporate and government classes. For the Internet to remain a...

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Committee Will Watch Spectrum Auction Closely

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By definition, virtually every wireless technology in use today depends on radio waves. Whether it’s for Wi-Fi, cell-phone calls, or satellite TV, the radio spectrum transports signals from source to destination quickly and efficiently. Read More »

Companies Fight to Influence Auction Rules

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On spectrum issues, wireless carriers and cable companies account for the most active lobbying. The top three are AT&T, Verizon, and Comcast, followed by trade groups such as the National Cable and Telecommunications Association. Read More »

Internet Regulation Tests Bipartisanship

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  When China and Russia last year proposed building a set of rules into a long-standing global-telecommunications regime, critics decried the idea as a way for governments to spy on their citizens. Both chambers of Congress ...

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What North Korea, Windows 8, Andy Borowitz, and The New Yorker Have in Common

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A Chinese newspaper mistakes the humorist's satire for fact. Read More »

Is the High-Skilled Immigrant Shortage a Myth?

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Mark Zuckerberg wants more high-tech geniuses from abroad, but many of the immigrants will be doing entry-level work and, unions say, lowering wages. Read More »

The House Member Who Can Change the Internet

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Often overlooked on tech issues, Rep. Bob Goodlatte has a quiet approach that masks his power. Read More »

There's a Reddit AMA on the Law That Aaron Swartz Broke—And It's Happening Right Now

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It's not every day you see a group AMA — the no-holds-barred Q&A session that periodically takes place on Reddit. But right now a group has gotten together to take your questions on the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. Read More »

How Baby Boomers Became Pro-Pot Legalization

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The debate over marijuana legalization tends to focus on seniors who use the drug for medicinal purposes. But what if the aging and the sick aren't really the cohort that will wind up deciding the issue? Read More »

Facebook Home Doesn't Change Anything About Your Privacy

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But the new software layer will shake up things for Android's parent, Google. Read More »

The Telephone Hack That Could Cripple Your 911 Service

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You may have heard of DDoS attacks -- hacking attempts that flood a Web server with dummy traffic in an effort to slow it down or make it crash. But there's now another kind of denial-of-service attack that's becoming increasingly p...

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TECHNOLOGY

When Corporations Are Hacked, Who Should Know?

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Companies hurt themselves—but help the rest of us—when they disclose cyberattacks.  Read More »

Which North Korea Did Anonymous Really Hack?

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The intrusion was relatively minor in that it didn't involve a penentration of North Korea's domestic Internet.  Read More »

The New House Republican Web Strategy: Just Add BuzzFeed

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What do cat pictures and GIFs have to do with Republican politics? Not a whole lot, at least right now. But beginning next week, that'll change. Read More »

This Defense Contractor Is Repeatedly Spear-Phishing 68,000 Innocent People

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One company with deep Washington connections is running a huge online scam. It involves tens of thousands of victims. And it's completely legal. Read More »

How Gene Patents Suppressed Innovation

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Thanks to intellectual-property protections, we know 30 percent less about genetics than we otherwise would, a new paper finds. Read More »

The FCC Race to Replace Obama's Top Tech Wonk Just Got a Lot More Interesting

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The odds of President Obama nominating a woman to head a top federal agency just got much better. Dozens of Senate Democrats have jointly sent a letter to the White House recommending that he name the FCC's Jessica Rosenwo...

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The Same-Sex Marriage Logo Is Now a Meme

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The 8 best derivatives of Human Rights Campaign's icon Read More »

Why Is This Image for Same-Sex Marriage Going Viral?

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If the  window for embracing same-sex marriage  is closing, so is the one for marriage-equality avatars on Facebook. Read More »

Will Businesses Be Forced to Say If They've Been Hacked?

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The idea is still a long way from reality, but Congress has taken the first step toward requiring companies to admit when they've been hacked. Read More »

Relive President Obama's Drone War, in Under 10 Seconds

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The drone war may have begun during the Bush administration, but as this graphic makes clear, it's President Obama who has taken ownership of it. Read More »

How 'Privacy' Killed Google Reader

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The news hub had to die so that your privacy might live. Read More »

Twitter Needs to Deal With Misinformation. Here's How

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Twitter needs a better way to deal with errors and corrections. Read More »

The Unfinished Agenda of Outgoing FCC Chairman Genachowski

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Julius Genachowski is out as FCC chairman. He has accomplished a lot, but he also leaves a lot for his successor to do—over the short, medium, and long terms. Read More »

How Washington Plans to Regulate Your Bitcoins

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Spoiler: It (mostly) won't. Read More »

Yes, Cyberattacks Are Perfectly Legal Under the Laws of War

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A recent study from a group of NATO experts seeks to adapt the existing laws of war to cyberspace, laying down 95 new ideas over 282 pages. Read More »

Memorable Moments From a Departing Telecom Regulator

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Robert McDowell, one of two Republican members of the FCC, said Wednesday he plans to step down. Read More »

What a Real Standard on Fuel Economy Looks Like

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By 2050, improvements to cars and light trucks could reduce the country’s auto emissions by 80 percent. That’s a lofty goal. Can we hit it? Read More »

Stop the Presses: Putting Public Documents Online Has Saved Taxpayers $16 Million

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Digitizing public documents isn’t just a way to monitor elected and appointed officials. It’s also a small way the country can save some money.  Read More »

The Future of Data Security

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The future may rely on a principle most people are reluctant to admit: All systems are inherently insecure. Read More »

What's Missing From the GOP's Technology Strategy

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There's a lot more to winning digitally than geeks and data sets. Read More »
Q&A

Freedom for Phones — and Their Owners

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Derek Khanna, pushed out of his job as a GOP researcher, led the drive to make it legal to unlock your mobile device. Read More »

Is One Act of Cyber Vandalism Worth 25 Years in Jail?

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Reuters' deputy social media editor is in some hot water. Read More »

Would You Use a Google Reader Built by Digg?

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The trafficker in viral content aims to apply its knowledge of the social Web. Read More »

Who's Going to Blink First on Cyber — Obama, or the House?

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The Obama administration will now have to weigh in sooner rather than later on a highly contentious cybersecurity bill moving through the House. Read More »

Watch a Mesmerizing Real-Time Map of Cyberattacks

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A website run by a German telco that monitors cyberattacks in real time shows that Russian IP addresses are the No. 1 source of automated hacks. Read More »

How the Humble Telephone Is About to Bring Internet to the Masses (Again)

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Two percent of Americans don't have broadband, but upgraded infrastructure could give high-speed access to the country's neediest. Read More »

John McCain's Awkward #StandWithRand Moment

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New York Times photographer Stephen Crowley caught Sens. John McCain and Rand Paul in a post-rebuke elevator ride Thursday. Bet that was a fun 30 seconds. Read More »

T-Mobile’s Brilliant Plan to Win Over the Internet

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You can’t fault T-Mobile for being bold. In the past six months, the nation’s third-largest wireless company has  renounced data caps , put the brakes on  phone subsidies  and started a war with AT&T....

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IMMIGRATION

Democrats Face Dilemma on High-Skilled Immigration Reform

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Since Congress’s last tussle to reform immigration, business leaders have raised concerns about a deficit of high-skilled workers. And that’s transforming how the immigration debate is playing out. Read More »

Democrats' Dilemma on High-Skilled Immigration Reform

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For years, the phrase "immigration reform" meant two things for Republicans: a contest to see who could be toughest on the 11 million people living in the United States who aren't supposed to be, and a flood of proposals to fortify ...

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That Was Quick: Now There's Legislation on Cell-Phone Unlocking

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From the beginning, White House petitioners looking to keep phone-unlocking legal have insisted that they want Congress’ help. Barely a day after their first victory, in which the Obama administration expressed support for unl...

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Obama's Stance on Unlocking Cell Phones Comes With a Very Big Catch

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The White House agrees that you should be able to unlock your phone and bring it with you to another carrier “without risking criminal or other penalties” — as long as you're not tied to a service contract. Read More »

8 Figures That Will Define the Keystone XL Fight Over the Next 45 Days

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The State Department's recent report is seen as a signal the pipeline is likely to be approved, but it's not the final word. Read More »

Is the United States Hacking China Back?

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Experts warn that Chinese digital spies have managed to thoroughly infiltrate U.S. computer networks. But that doesn’t necessarily mean Washington isn’t snooping back. Read More »

How an Obscure 911 Tax Could Have You Paying for Washington's Budget Cuts

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With the countdown to a massive federal budget cut  ticking away, top-level agencies everywhere are bracing for bad news. But they're not the only ones: the sequester puts many state budgets at risk, too.  Read More »

Now There's Proof: Washington May Have Violated Its Own Iran Sanctions

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  The U.S. government learned this week that it might have run afoul of its own sanctions on Iran -- an awkward development, given that the economic penalties are at the heart of international efforts to pressure Tehran ove...

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Spotting the Next Superstorm Sandy Could be Harder After Sequestration

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Without accurate satellite data, we would never have known superstorm Sandy would be as bad as it was. In fact, New York probably would have underprepared, leading to a much greater loss of life and property. Read More »

You Call This an Army? The Terrifying Shortage of U.S. Cyberwarriors.

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When the Soviet Union launched the first satellite in 1957, it set off an intellectual arms race that led to more than $1 billion of federal investment in science education.  Read More »

Why Won't the Government Let You Unlock Your Phone? 100,000 People Want to Know

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Suppose you're upset with your cell-phone carrier, and you'd like to switch. Under current law, you can take your phone number with you when you leave. But if you want to take your phone? Forget it.  Read More »

One if By Land, Two if By Sea, 10101101 if By Cyberspace

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How the world decides to use the battlefield of cyberspace will go a long way toward determining how disruptive—or destructive—war in this domain will become. Read More »

It's Not Just You: Chinese Hackers Are Terrible at Making Passwords, Too

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In a bit of poetic justice, the identities of two of The New York Times' hackers have become public, all because they got sloppy. Read More »

Rockefeller, Lead Senate Player on Cyber, Seeks To Win Over Business

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A week after President Obama's groundbreaking executive order on cybersecurity, attention is turning to Congress, where Sen. Jay Rockefeller is reviving stalled legislation on the issue. Read More »

You Probably Have the Seventh Most Expensive Data Plan on Earth

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Every time my mobile phone bill arrives, it's impossible not to think I've been robbed. There’s no way a data plan should cost as much as it does. And I’m on a budget carrier! B ut it could be worse. Read More »

Why Some Privacy Advocates Are Grinning Over Obama's Cybersecurity Order

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The five principles in the presidential directive that uphold civil liberties. Read More »

The Most Important Policies In President Obama's 2013 State of the Union Address

By National Journal Staff
Everything you need to know from 2013's State of the Union address, from health care and the budget to immigration and guns. Read More »

How Fear of a Cyber Pearl Harbor Is Uniting Washington

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It’s been a long time coming -- and implementing it will take longer still -- but President Obama has finally signed a long-awaited executive order that promises to protect the nation’s railways, electrical grids, and other ...

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Live Blogging the State of the Union Address

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Could a White House Order on Cybersecurity Drop This Week?

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In the wake of recent high-profile hacking incidents at The New York Times and The Washington Post , the Obama administration has been speeding toward a long-anticipated executive order that would create ways for the federal gove...

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The Supercharged Technology Behind the Nemo Blizzard Emergency Alert

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With Winter Storm Nemo bearing down on the Northeast, many Americans are bracing for a blast of snow — but some Thursday got a blast of a different kind instead. Read More »

The Petition to Fire Aaron Swartz's Prosecutor Is Almost Complete

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The Reddit cofounder whose suicide sparked the anger of thousands of Internet activists has increasingly drawn the prosecutors who went after him into an uncomfortable limelight. Read More »

1 Lawmaker's Big, Controversial Plan to Stop Exporting Technology to Repressive Regimes

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One lawmaker wants to ban sales of certain Web technologies abroad. Here's why the proposal is doomed to fail. Read More »

The 5 Most Telling Parts of John Brennan's Senate Testimony

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President Obama’s pick for CIA director, John Brennan, isn’t quite James Bond. But with a fluent grasp of Arabic and experience serving as the agency’s Riyadh station chief, Brennan is a bit of a mystery man. Part of his h...

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ANALYSIS

Meet the Man Who Could Replace David Petraeus at the CIA

By Brian Fung, The Atlantic
Even as the drama over David Petraeus continues, the CIA still has agents and operations to run all over the world. Somebody has to keep the lights on. That person is Michael Morell, the CIA's deputy director who reportedly is...

Read More »
ELECTION ANALYSIS

How Roosevelt's 'Big Stick' Is Misused on the Campaign Trail

By Brian Fung, The Atlantic
Teddy Roosevelt's dictum didn't mean what Romney seems to think it does.   Read More »
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