Tech Policy Podcast

Imagine a broadband network that's smart. It teaches itself. It repairs itself. And maybe, it's even self-aware. No, we're not talking about Skynet, but software-defined networking (SDN) has the potential to completely transform our Internet infrastructure. Since the birth of the commercial Internet, network upgrades, modifications, and repairs almost always involved on-the-ground engineers and technicians making changes. But companies are already working on virtualizing those functions. Soon enough, it may all be in the cloud. A transformation like this is hardly simple, so who would make such a massive investment? Who would take such a gamble? Evan is joined by Mazin Gilbert, Assistant Vice President of Intelligent Services Research at AT&T Labs. They discuss how AT&T is approaching SDN and what it means for customers, businesses, and the world.

Should the FBI need a warrant to look at your browser history? What about other records about how you use the Internet? Recently, Sens. John McCain (R-AZ) and John Cornyn (R-TX) proposed an amendment dubbed the “ECTR fix” that would allow the FBI to access electronic communication transactional records, such as email metadata, without a court order. Evan is joined by Jadzia Butler and Gabe Rottman of the Center for Democracy & Technology. Is the ECTR fix really just about correcting a typo? Are there any problems with the current system for obtaining these records? For more, see Jadzia and Gabe’s blog post.

When it comes to the Internet of Things — think connected cars and coffee makers — is there a role for government? If so, what should that be? Increased interconnectivity has the potential to transform our economy, but it also poses serious questions around cybersecurity and interoperability. Evan is joined by Joshua New, a policy analyst at the Center for Data Innovation. They discuss government’s role in the Internet of Things and how regulation can be effective without hindering innovation. For more, see Joshua’s white paper.

Here's to 100 episodes! Evan and Berin discuss their big milestone, their recent travels to Europe, and fallout from the court decision on net neutrality. Are the FCC's regulations now written in stone? Is there any hope for an appeal? What can Americans learn from Europe's approach to net neutrality? Will the podcast finally get cancelled? Will Berin finally fire Evan? All that and more on today's special episode.

Who should set the price of broadband? Businesses, or the government? While the FCC doesn’t (yet) regulate the price of your home Internet connection, the agency isn’t so hands-off when it comes to business broadband. Now the agency is looking to extend monopoly-era copper price regulations to next-gen fiber and cable services. Why? The FCC says there isn’t enough competition in the market. Our guest disagrees. Bruce Mehlman, co-chairman of the Internet Innovation Alliance, joins to discuss. Is the market as uncompetitive as the FCC claims? Are new rules even needed? For more, see Bruce’s op-ed in Morning Consult.

Given the success of tech in the sharing economy, you might be asking yourself: why don’t we have Uber for planes? Well, we might have, but the Federal Aviation Administration banned Flytenow and other flight-sharing websites. Ironically, it’s perfectly legal to share empty seats on a plane through word of mouth or posting on a bulletin board, but as soon as the Internet gets involved, the FAA says no. What’s going on here? Jared Meyer, research fellow at the Manhattan Institute and author of Uber Positive: Why Americans Love the Sharing Economy, joins the show to discuss what happened to Flytenow and what the future of plane-sharing looks like.

With recent budget cuts to NASA, exploration of the final frontier has increasingly fallen to the private sector. But what kind of regulatory environment are commercial spaceflight companies facing? Evan is joined by Aaron Oesterle and Cody Knipfer of the Space Frontier Foundation. They discuss the past, present, and future of space regulation. What are the challenges facing the industry? What role does Russia play?

When we talk about hotels and the sharing economy, it’s usually about the hotel industry’s war against Airbnb, HomeAway, and other home-sharing sites. But today, we’re talking about the good news story of Recharge, a tech company that enables consumers to rent hotel rooms for a few hours, or even a few minutes. What’s behind this latest innovation in what otherwise looks like a stagnant industry. Jared Meyer, research fellow at the Manhattan Institute and author of Uber Positive: Why Americans Love the Sharing Economy, joins the show to discuss. Why does the company see Starbucks as its biggest competition?

With all the headlines around cyber attacks, there’s a lot of confusion and myths surrounding data security. Sometimes, the simplest explanation is the right one, and cybersecurity isn’t always as complicated as it seems. Human error and physical-world problems play a large role, and not all cyber attacks are created equal. Joining Evan to bust through some common myths is Taylor Barkley, Assistant Director of Outreach for Tech Policy at the Mercatus Center. Does cybersecurity really start with you?

Email privacy reform passed unanimously in the House, but the Email Privacy Act has hit a snag in the Senate. Though the bill’s core mission — requiring warrants before law enforcement can access Americans’ online communications — is largely uncontroversial, some Senators are pushing an exception that would allow law enforcement to bypass warrant requirements in an emergency. Evan is joined by Jim Trainum, former police officer and co-chair of the Constitution Project’s Policing Reform Committee, who argued in a recent op-ed in The Hill that the emergency exception is both harmful and unnecessary. Is email privacy at an impasse? Can a compromise be reached?