Tech Policy Podcast

The data that we generate in our everyday lives can be immensely useful, but it’s vital that any use of that data carefully protects privacy. Sunny Seon Kang, senior privacy counsel and head of policy at Inpher, joins the show to discuss how data can benefit commerce, healthcare, finance, and more, while still maintaining user privacy.

Last week, the Department of Justice and eleven Republican state attorneys general filed a lawsuit alleging Google has used anticompetitive practices to maintain a monopoly. TechFreedom deputy general counsel Asheesh Agarwal and president Berin Szóka join the show to discuss the problems with the lawsuit and the broader issues within competition policy. For more, see TechFreedom’s work on the subject, including a press release on the lawsuit, an op-ed in The Federalist on the economic harms of overly aggressive antitrust, and comments on DOJ and FTC draft vertical merger guidelines.

While 5G technology is being rolled out across the country, some have been dissatisfied with the speed at which the revolutionary next step in wireless Internet has been deployed and have suggested that the federal government step in directly. Nathan Leamer, vice president at Targeted Victory and former policy advisor to FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, explains the flaws in nationalization and highlights the work already being done by Congress and the FCC to enable 5G deployment by the private sector. @NathanLeamerDC

Between heavy government regulations, a competitive marketplace, and an uncertain economy, the early stages of an innovative start-up are full of risks that could stifle beneficial new technology. Nina Archie, founder of Innovator Connector, joins the show to discuss threats to innovation, the possibilities of public-private partnerships, and the role innovation will play in shaping the labor market.

With the approaching election, preventing the spread of online misinformation is especially important. Heather West, head of Americas policy at Mozilla, joins the show to discuss how misinformation spreads, how platforms are dealing with it, and how this ties in to the broader discussion on content moderation.

Legislators on both the left and right have raised concerns over the control a few major platforms have over online speech. Is breaking up those platforms a way to protect free expression on the Internet? Neil Chilson, Senior Research Fellow for technology and innovation at the Charles Koch Institute and former acting chief technologist at the FTC, joins the show to discuss the problems with this approach. For more, see his essay on the subject.

With policing reform at the center of the country’s attention, it’s critical to examine the ways in which the state’s use of technology can enable abuse and discrimination. Joe Miller, president and CEO of the Washington Center for Technology Policy and Inclusion and host of the WashingTech podcast, joins the show to discuss the roles that body cameras, facial recognition, and other technologies play in government surveillance. Follow him on Twitter @joemillerjd

This is the story of two brilliant Black women — Aerica Shimizu Banks and Ifeoma Ozoma. Pinterest, the company they gave their talents and dedication to, mistreated them and discriminated against them. Pinterest still hasn't done right by them. 

You can read coverage of their story in The Washington Post, The Business Insider, The Protocol, Politico, The LA Times, Forbes, NPR, USA Today and many other outlets. Here is the Statement from The Color of Change.

Follow Aerica and Ifeoma on Twitter at @erikashimizu and @IfeomaOzoma

The current economic and social upheaval has made cryptocurrency more important than ever, Andrea O’Sullivan, director of the Center for Technology and Innovation at the James Madison Institute joins the show to discuss the latest policy developments in the area, as well as an update on the state of tech policy in Florida.

Given the importance of staying home to minimize the spread of the coronavirus, telehealth is more vital than ever. Recently, the federal government has eased regulations to allow easier access to alternatives to in-person doctor visits. Rene Quashie, Vice President of Digital Health for the Consumer Technology Association, joins the show to discuss the implications of these regulatory rollbacks, particularly with regard to privacy. For more on the subject, see CTA’s guiding principles on digital health.