Summary:

• Colorado passes first-in-nation law to protect privacy of biological or brain data, which is similar to fingerprints if used to identify people.
• Advances in artificial intelligence have led to medical breakthroughs, including devices that can read minds and alter brains.
• Neurotechnology devices, such as Emotiv and Somnee, are used for health care and can move computers with thoughts or improve brain function and identify impairments.
• Most of these devices are not regulated by the FDA and are marketed for wellness.
• With benefits come risks, such as insurance companies discriminating, law enforcement interrogating, and advertisers manipulating brain data.
• Medical research facilities are subject to privacy laws, but private companies amassing large caches of brain data are not.
• The Neurorights Foundation found that two-thirds of these companies are already sharing or selling data with third parties.
• The new law takes effect on Aug. 8, but it is unclear which companies are subject to it and how it will be enforced.
• Pauzauskie and the Neurorights Foundation are pushing for a federal law and even a global accord to prevent brain data from being used without consent.

I remember an old school conspiracy theory about technology that could read tiny movements in your vocal cords that mimic thoughts.

While I doubt the technology to read minds remotely actually exists, I’m sure the techbros and their various financiers are working toward it.

gods, what a cool fucking state

This is the best summary I could come up with:

Advances in artificial intelligence are leading to medical breakthroughs once thought impossible, including devices that can actually read minds and alter our brains.

Pauzaskie says our brain waves are like encrypted signals and, using artificial intelligence, researchers have identified frequencies for specific words to turn thought to text with 40% accuracy, “Which, give it a few years, we’re probably talking 80-90%.”

Researchers are now working to reverse the conditions by using electrical stimulation to alter the frequencies or regions of the brain where they originate.

But while medical research facilities are subject to privacy laws, private companies - that are amassing large caches of brain data - are not.

The vast majority of them also don’t disclose where the data is stored, how long they keep it, who has access to it, and what happens if there’s a security breach…

With companies and countries racing to access, analyze, and alter our brains, Pauzauskie suggests, privacy protections should be a no-brainer, "It’s everything that we are.

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