GovTrack.us

Following The New York Times, we've banned OpenAI and the like from using GovTrack to train LLMs and other AI systems going forward, per our terms of use (https://www.govtrack.us/legal) and robots.txt file.

We're skeptical that LLM AI systems have any place outside of generating uninspired fiction, we're disappointed that present-day harms aren't taken seriously, and we're concerned about how they launder the work of creators.

GovTrack.us - Privacy Policy and Terms of Service

GovTrack.us
Aug 23, 2023 at 11:41amWeb
Show threadJJ LitkeAug 23, 2023
@GovTrack Uninspired fiction lmao
Show threadJesseAug 23, 2023
@GovTrack @blogdiva Glad to see a shift in attitude from "pointless to fight" to "let's see about that"
Show threadTushar ChauhanAug 23, 2023
@GovTrack So we are trusting they will respect the robots.txt ? Is there a way to enforce this ?
Show threadGovTrack.usAug 24, 2023
@tchauhan We certainly don't have the budget to enforce anything.
Show threadChiefGyk3DAug 23, 2023
@GovTrack uh I use LLM'S heavily in my daily work in infosec. It tremendously helps me find and study information yes I have to vet it but government bill tracking is an incredibly good use of LLM'S to monitor changes. E.g. I deal with HIPAA a lot, you know how many smaller bills make changes to HIPAA law over time? Now imagine having to go through each to summarize how each changed the landscape especially when adding langchain and more.
Show threadjonathankoren™Aug 23, 2023

@GovTrack You claim be part of #opengov , and exist only to scrape and repackage public information yourself, and yet you think you can ban scraping for ideological reason centered on unoriginality?

That’s ironic

Show threadnauraAug 24, 2023

@jonathankoren @GovTrack gov track is not a government entity

They can do whatever they want

Edit: added stuff because adhd

Show threadjonathankoren™Aug 24, 2023
@naura @GovTrack What's your point? Did anyone say they were a government entity, or that what they are doing is illegal?
Show threadnauraAug 24, 2023

@jonathankoren @GovTrack

That they could do whatever they want

Show threadjonathankoren™Aug 24, 2023
@naura @GovTrack Noi you're wrong. It's RICO and the Marshall of the Supreme Court has already sent Green Beret Navy SEALs to send them to gitmo and replace them with lizard clones. They're also coming to your house.
Show threadnauraAug 24, 2023
@jonathankoren @GovTrack
Ya
Show threadGovTrack.usAug 24, 2023

@jonathankoren We've worked for two decades to make the data on GovTrack freely available for all to use. And it is. You can get it straight from Congress these days --- thanks to us (and others) for convincing them to do it.

If billionaires want something from us but don't want to do any of the heavy lifting like we have for two decades, they can find another source. Which there is because it's all public info anyway!

Show threadJ. Nathan Matias 🦣Aug 23, 2023
@GovTrack Hi GovTrack, would it be possible to clarify your terms of service so that there is no ambiguity about the use of your data for academic research? Many academics use machine learning in our research that is not personal use, even though it is non-profit, and with tech companies suing academics over these issues, it's having a chilling effect on research.
Show threadGovTrack.usAug 24, 2023
@natematias No one should be scraping our site to get data. We spent 20 years trying to make the raw data available for everyone directly from Congress, and now it is, and we really want people to use it and not rely on us.
Show threadErik JonkerAug 23, 2023
@GovTrack ...you write "We're skeptical that LLM AI systems have any place outside of generating uninspired fiction," , i can give one other example, translation. It's OK if you want to block OpenAI but just dismissing the whole of #GenerativeAI is a bit shortsighted i think...
Show threadBenAug 23, 2023
@GovTrack the NYT did something worthy of imitation? Like a buddy of mine used to say, even a blind hog gets an acorn once in a while
Show threadxs4me2Aug 23, 2023

@GovTrack

Great, now we are talking…