TBD: Technology By Design

Blair Levin is one of the world’s foremost experts on internet access policy. In this episode, Blair and Matt discuss the lessons we can learn about internet access from experience with the pandemic so far, how broadband policy might look different in a Biden Administration, and the challenges of being a grandparent during the pandemic.

• Recent articles by Blair:

• “The Internet After COVID-19: Will We Mind the Gaps?” (https://www.aspeninstitute.org/blog-posts/the-internet-after-covid-19-will-we-mind-the-gaps/)
• “COVID-19 proves we need to continue upgrading America’s broadband infrastructure.” (https://www.brookings.edu/blog/the-avenue/2020/03/30/covid-19-proves-we-need-to-continue-upgrading-americas-broadband-infrastructure/)

• National Broadband Plan: https://www.fcc.gov/general/national-broadband-plan

Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act has been called the “Magna Carta of the internet,” the foundation of online free expression, and the 26 words that created the internet.  But it’s come under intense scrutiny in recent years, with critics saying that it’s the root cause of horrific online behavior.  Bullying, hate speech, and misinformation?  Critics say that’s all because of Section 230.

But Section 230 is also wildly misunderstood, with journalists and politicians routinely misrepresenting what it does and doesn’t do, and using it as a pawn to achieve other political goals.

Here to set the record straight is Berin Szoka, the co-founder of TechFreedom, a DC-based think tank that, in their words, “tries to write simple rules for a complex world.”

TechFreedom

Executive Order on Preventing Online Censorship

TechFreedom on the Executive Order 

On Senator Hawley’s view of Section 230

TechFreedom amicus brief: Supreme Court should overturn the Ninth Circuit’s decision limiting Section 230 Protections

The last 2 weeks in tech policy have been seismic. In this episode, Matt and Jen talk about online expression and President Trump’s Executive Order, about why Apple and Google were right to design their contact tracing system to be as privacy-protective as it is, and why despite this elegant design, digital contract tracing is unlikely to work.  Listen in. 

• Slate article
• Tech, Law, & Security Program
• Executive Order on Section 230
• Professor Daskal's article on the Executive Order

Is it ok to cry at work?  Is it ok to swear?  If you show vulnerability, do you build your reputation or undermine it?  

That’s where we started our conversation with Yvette Bourcicot, who’s got some thoughts on how to deal with these issues in diverse work environments, from government agencies like the Air Force and the Pentagon, to tech companies like Facebook and AirBnB.  

Unfortunately, due to the outbreak of COVID-19, Yvette and 2,000 other friends and colleagues were laid off from AirBnB last week; but she's not letting this get her down. She is currently searching for the next place to call her professional home.

Check out Yvette's podcast: National Security Law Today

Rick Barton has served as both a diplomat and an ambassador and was the Deputy High Commissioner at the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and the first Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations in the State Department.  One thing he learned over the course of his long career? Policy should always be people-driven. He gives us insight into what that means here. Listen in. 

• Find out more about Amb. Barton's book, "Peace Works: America's Unifying Role in a Turbulent World"
• Learn more about Amb. Barton's visit to Duke for the American Grand Strategy

Richard Fontaine is the CEO of the Center for a New American Security (CNAS). He came to Durham back in February and took some time to sit down with us to discuss the difference between life in DC vs. NC, and to tell us more about his life as a foreign policy expert. Listen in. 

Rising to the China Challenge. 

Many of us grew up thinking that Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory was a far-fetched dream, but Sam Ratto has made chocolate making a reality in downtown Raleigh.  He’s the co-founder and owner of Videri Chocolate, where he makes ethically-sourced chocolate bars and bonbons.  We had the chance to sit down with him and hear about how he uses technology to get delicious chocolate into the hands of people who love it.  What role does technology play in the life of a chocolate maker? And how does a global pandemic affect the day-to-day life of his small business? Listen in.

Brad Cook is a music producer based out of Durham, NC, who has produced bands like Bon Iver, Waxahatchee, and Hiss Golden Messenger. In this episode, he talks us through the technology of music-making and also gives us an update on the life of a music producer from inside quarantine. Are virtual reality concerts on the horizon? Stay tuned to find out. 

• Link to NYT's Video, The Diary of a Song
• Article about Brad in Pitchfork
• Listen to the new Waxahatchee Album 

Paul Farmer is a Harvard professor, the founder of Partners in Health, and a global leader in public health. In our current moment, a moment of health chaos, when each day brings news that seems unprecedented and frightening, Dr. Farmer's voice is a voice we need.  He urges us to think broadly about the meaning of technology, to think twice before we act too quickly to sacrifice quality for scale, and to know a place well enough that you can celebrate its progress over time.

How do you make the case that the United Kingdom is a strong trading partner for the United States, right at the moment when they are making the exit from the European Union? That's the job of Antony Phillipson, Her Majesty's Trade Commissioner for North America, and the leading British diplomat for trade in the US. In this episode, Antony tells us about a day in the life of Her Majesty’s Trade Commissioner and discusses how he’s navigating Brexit in his role.