Skip to content
TeamCOG
TeamCOG
Citizens Observing Government
Try
Reports Agencies Topics Broadcasts Newsroom About Subscribe
Tech & Privacy

Topic: Tech & Privacy

FEDE U.S. Government Accountability Office · Audits audits

U.S. Customs and Border Protection: Actions Needed to Ensure Complete Reports to Congress on Unidentified Remains and Rescue Beacons

What GAO Found Border Patrol—a component of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)— established a program in 2017 to help rescue individuals in distress and reduce deaths along the border. The program includes various efforts such as placing rescue beacons and 911 placards in remote areas. Border Patrol Sectors Operating Programs to Reduce Deaths and Rescue Individuals Attempting to Illegally Enter the U.S., as of April 2026 CBP used data in its fiscal year 2025 report to Congress that Border Patrol recorded using practices and systems that have not changed since our April 2025 report on these activities. However, CBP’s fiscal year 2025 report did not include all required information abou.

FEDE U.S. Government Accountability Office · Audits audits

Biotechnology: Applications, Challenges, and Policy Options for Engineered Microbes for Waste Cleanup

What GAO Found Certain types of waste are particularly pervasive or difficult to clean up with existing technologies. Microbes (e.g., bacteria, fungi) can be engineered to break down pollutants more effectively. For example, researchers have inserted genes into bacteria that allow the bacteria to break down contaminants, such as phenol or hydrocarbons, in water and soil. At present, there are no examples of commercially available engineered microbes for waste cleanup. Example areas where engineered microbes could be deployed for waste cleanup Through expert interviews and document reviews, GAO identified two policy goals related to this biotechnology—demonstrating safety and effectiveness a.

FEDE Office of the Federal Register / National Archives and Records Administration · Rulemaking audits

Loan Guaranty: Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Amendments

Veterans Affairs Department | Notice | The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is announcing that it will make no change in regulation to adjust for inflation the amount of civil monetary penalties that are allowed within VA's authorities. This notice is in accordance with the requirement in the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act of 1990, as amended by the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015, to make annual adjustments to the penalties, based on the prior year's October Consumer Price Index (CPI-U) data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), and as interpreted and determined by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in Memorandum M-.

FEDE U.S. Government Accountability Office · Audits audits

Human Capital: A Guide for Developing and Assessing Strategic Training and Development Efforts in the Federal Government

What GAO Found Training and development programs help federal agencies achieve their mission and goals by improving individual and, ultimately, organizational performance. This report is a guide that federal agencies can use to ensure their training and development investments are targeted strategically. In recent years, training and development have shifted from primarily classroom-based instruction to more integrated, blended learning approaches that reflect changes in the workplace and advances in technology. In addition, there is a greater focus on aligning learning to agency mission needs and outcomes, with coaching and mentoring playing an important support role in development. The tr.

FEDE Office of the Federal Register / National Archives and Records Administration · Rulemaking audits

Facilitating Implementation of Next Generation 911 Services (NG911); Improving 911 Reliability

Federal Communications Commission | Rule | In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (the FCC or Commission) adopts rules to ensure that emerging Next Generation 911 (NG911) networks are reliable and interoperable. NG911 is replacing legacy 911 technology across the country with internet Protocol (IP)- based infrastructure that will support new 911 capabilities, including text, video, and data. However, for NG911 to be fully effective, NG911 networks must be designed to safeguard the reliability of critical components and support the interoperability needed to seamlessly transfer 911 calls and data from one network to another. The rules require entities essential to delivering.

FEDE Office of the Federal Register / National Archives and Records Administration · Rulemaking audits

Facilitating Implementation of Next Generation 911 Services (NG911); Improving 911 Reliability

Federal Communications Commission | Proposed Rule | In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (the FCC or Commission) proposes rules to enhance Next Generation 911 (NG911) interoperability and improve NG911 accessibility. Specifically, the Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking proposes requiring NG911 service providers to conduct multi-party interstate interoperability testing of 911 traffic. The Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking also seeks comment about how 911 Authorities can integrate advanced technology such as Direct Video Calling into NG911 networks to improve accessibility.

FEDE U.S. Government Accountability Office · Audits audits

VA Disability Benefits: Opportunities and Challenges to Modernizing Technology and Adopting AI

What GAO Found The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is working to modernize its IT systems to increase efficiency and accuracy of claims processing for disability compensation. However, past GAO reports have found that VA faces long-standing challenges in managing its disability compensation program and implementing innovative technologies. For example, GAO found gaps in VA’s oversight of the quality of exams provided by contracted medical providers and in the management of training for claims processors. Moreover, in 2009, VA began developing an electronic, paperless system called the Veterans Benefits Management System. GAO found that this effort was not driven by robust planning and d.

FEDE U.S. Government Accountability Office · Audits audits

Assisted Living Facilities: Information on Federal Spending and Medicaid Coverage

What GAO Found Assisted living facilities provide a residential alternative to in-home care and nursing homes for people who need assistance with activities of daily living such as eating and bathing. GAO’s analysis of program data showed that federal Medicaid and Medicare spending for services provided in assisted living facilities totaled at least $12 billion in 2024. This amount is likely an undercount because of data limitations. For example, assisted living facilities are not a uniformly defined provider type and thus not consistently identified in the data. Federal Medicaid spending. GAO identified at least $3.5 billion in federal Medicaid spending for services provided in assisted li.

FEDE Office of the Federal Register / National Archives and Records Administration · Rulemaking audits

Airworthiness Directives; The Boeing Company Airplanes

Transportation Department, Federal Aviation Administration | Rule | The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all The Boeing Company Model 747-8 and -8F series airplanes and Model 777- 200, -200LR, -300, -300ER, and 777F series airplanes. This AD was prompted by the determination that radio altimeters cannot be relied upon to perform their intended function if they experience interference from wireless broadband operations in the 3.7-3.98 GHz frequency band (5G Lower C-Band) while operating in Canadian airspace, and the determination that this interference may affect multiple other airplane systems using radio altimeter data, including the pitch control laws, including thos.

FEDE Office of the Federal Register / National Archives and Records Administration · Rulemaking audits

Airworthiness Directives; The Boeing Company Airplanes

Transportation Department, Federal Aviation Administration | Rule | The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all The Boeing Company Model 787-8, 787-9, and 787-10 airplanes. This AD was prompted by the determination that radio altimeters cannot be relied upon to perform their intended function if they experience interference from wireless broadband operations in the 3.7-3.98 GHz frequency band (5G Lower C-Band) while operating in Canadian airspace, and the determination that as a result of this interference, certain airplane systems may not properly transition from AIR to GROUND mode when landing on certain runways, resulting in a longer landing distance than normal due to.

FEDE Office of the Federal Register / National Archives and Records Administration · Rulemaking audits

Airworthiness Directives; The Boeing Company Airplanes

Transportation Department, Federal Aviation Administration | Rule | The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all The Boeing Company Model 757 airplanes and Model 767 airplanes. This AD was prompted by the determination that radio altimeters cannot be relied upon to perform their intended function if they experience interference from wireless broadband operations in the 3.7-3.98 GHz frequency band (5G Lower C-Band) while operating in Canadian airspace, and a determination that, during approach, landings, and go-arounds, as a result of this interference, certain airplane systems may not properly function, resulting in increased flightcrew workload while on approach with the..

FEDE U.S. Government Accountability Office · Audits audits

Priority Open Recommendations: Department of the Treasury

What GAO Found In August 2025, GAO identified 32 priority recommendations for the Department of the Treasury. Since then, Treasury has implemented four of those recommendations, bringing the total to 28, as of June 2026. GAO is highlighting the following three areas that warrant timely and focused attention: Reducing fraud and improper payments, Ensuring cybersecurity and information privacy, and Improving federal financial management. Addressing GAO's recommendations in these areas would enhance Treasury's efforts to effectively recover overpayments of COVID-19 Emergency Rental Assistance funds made by grantees; improve the ability of Treasury and the financial services sector to address c.