Congress Hears Tech Policy Debates: Recent Episodes
Congressional Internet Caucus Advisory Committee
The Congressional Internet Caucus Advisory Committee works to educate policymakers on critical Internet policy issues. With funding and logistical support from the Internet Education Foundation, the Internet Caucus Advisory Committee hosts regular debates to discuss important Internet policy issues. Since its founding, the Internet Caucus Advisory Committee has built a membership of over 200 organizations from a broad cross-section of the public interest community and the Internet industry.
The Internet Education Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to educating the public and policymakers about the potential of a decentralized global Internet to promote communications, commerce and democracy.
This is audio from the July briefing on “Re-Drawing the Privacy Line: Chatrie’s Legislative and Oversight Implications.” LISTEN Re-Drawing the Privacy Line: Chatrie’s Legislative and Oversight Implications Subscribe To Our Podcast SPEAKERS Jennifer Huddleston Senior Fellow The Cato Institute Jake Laperruque Deputy Director, Security and Surveillance Project Center for Democracy & Technology Paul Taske Director, […]
This is audio from the June briefing on “AI Cybersecurity After the Executive Order: What’s Next?” LISTEN AI Cybersecurity After the Executive Order: What’s Next? SPEAKERS Kate Charlet Senior Director for Privacy, Safety, and Security Policy Google Elizabeth Chernow Associate Vice President, Public Policy Comcast Corporation Shane Tews (moderator) Nonresident Senior Fellow American Enterprise Institute […]
This is audio from the May briefing on “Spectrum Showdown in Shanghai: What the UN’s World Radiocommunication Conference Means for U.S. Competitiveness and the Future of Wi-Fi” LISTEN Tech Policy in 2026: A 2nd Session Preview SPEAKERS – Ambassador Steve Lang, Senior Advisor, Crest Hill Advisors – David Redl, Founder and CEO, Salt Point Strategies […]
This is audio from the March briefing on “The Rapid Rise of Space-Based Internet: Broadband from Above” Tech Policy in 2026: A 2nd Session Preview SPEAKERS Jay SchwarzChief, Space BureauFederal Communications Commission Scott WallstenPresident and Senior FellowTechnology Policy Institute Karina PerezDirector, Space & Spectrum Policy CenterCCIA For years, the idea that high-speed broadband could beam […]
This is audio from the January briefing on “Tech Policy in 2026: A 2nd Session Preview” Tech Policy in 2026: A 2nd Session Preview SPEAKERS Luke Hogg Director of Technology Policy Foundation for American Innovation Amy Bos Vice President of Government Affairs NetChoice Asad Ramzanali Director of AI and Technology Policy Vanderbilt Policy Accelerator Nathan […]
This is audio from the December event on “The Future of AI: Securing Energy for Innovation” The Future of AI: Securing Energy for Innovation The Future of AI: Securing Energy for Innovation SPEAKERS Mardsen Hanna Head of Energy and Sustainability Policy, Google Levi Patterson Director of Energy, Science, and AI Infrastructure Policy, NVIDIA Rebecca Kern […]
This is audio from the July event on “Verifying Kids’ Age, SCOTUS, and AI Companions” Verifying the Future: Kids Age Regulation, SCOTUS, and AI Companions Verifying Kids’ Age, SCOTUS, and AI Companions SPEAKERS Kate Ruane Director, Free Expression Project Center for Democracy & Technology Chris Marchese Founder & Co-Director NetChoice Litigation Center Luke Hogg Director […]
This is audio from the June event on “Outside of the Box: Rethinking The FCC’s Video Regulations In The Age Of Streaming” The Future of Online Safety for Kids: Legislative Changes on the Horizon Outside of the Box: Rethinking The FCC’s Video Regulations In The Age Of Streaming SPEAKERS Michael P. O’Reilly, Strategic Advisor & […]
This is audio from the April event on “The Future of Online Expression In The Trump Era: Freedom vs Regulation” The Future of Online Safety for Kids: Legislative Changes on the Horizon The Future of Online Expression In The Trump Era: Freedom vs Regulation SPEAKERS – Chris Marchese, Litigation Center Director, NetChoice – Jenna Leventoff, […]
This is audio from the March event on “The Future of Online Safety for Kids: Legislative Changes on the Horizon” The Future of Online Safety for Kids: Legislative Changes on the Horizon The Future of Online Safety for Kids: Legislative Changes on the Horizon SPEAKERS Maureen Flatley, Stop Child Predators Common Sense Media Ash Johnson, […]
This is audio from the May event on “Elections in the Age of AI: Analyzing 2024 and Shaping Future Campaigns” Elections in the Age of AI: Analyzing 2024 and Shaping Future Campaigns Speakers – Kara Frederick, Director, Tech Policy Center, The Heritage Foundation – Jennifer Huddleston, Senior Fellow in Technology Policy, Cato Institute – Tim […]
This is audio from the May event on "Intellectual Property and AI: The Law & Policy Of Human Content"
This is audio from the May event on "Tech Platforms and the 1st Amendment: Impacts of Landmark Supreme Court Rulings"
This is audio from the May event on "The Shifting of U.S. Digital Trade Policy: Where Is USTR's New Strategy Leading Us?"
This is audio from the July event on "AI Regulation Roundup: Where Are We Now?"Speakers- Evi Fuelle, Global Policy Director, Credo AI (Bio)- Anna Lenhart, George Washington University's Institute for Data Democracy and Politics (Bio)- Nick Garcia, Policy Counsel at Public Knowledge (Bio)- Joshua Landau, Senior Counsel, Innovation Policy at CCIA (Bio)Date: Friday, July 28, […]
This is audio from the June recess event on "Europe's Digital Markets Act (DMA): Competition Perspectives from the European Commission." For this TPR discussion, we will be joined by two DMA experts from the European Commission, DG COMP Policy Director Inge Bernaerts and DG CONNECT Advisor Michael Koenig, and Director for Digital Transformation Gerard de […]
- More Podcasts The D.C. Circuit Court Ruled on Net Neutrality. What Now? https://www.netcaucus.org/audio/2019/20191007netneut.mp3
This Is A Podcast:
On Monday, October 7, 2019, a panel of Academy experts discussed the D.C. Circuit’s decision, as well as next steps for Congress and any broader implications for the Internet ecosystem. These panelists represent diverse perspectives on the decision and what it means for Congress and for the Internet.
Speakers Included:
Matthew Brill, Partner, Latham and Watkins (Bio)
Kristine (Fargotstein) Hackman, Vice President, Policy & Advocacy, US Telecom (Bio)
Sarah Morris, Director, Open Technology Institute (Bio)
Ferras Vinh, Internet Policy Manager, Mozilla (Bio)
Caitlin Chin, The Brookings Institution (moderator) (Bio)
- More Podcasts Who’s A Bigger Music Mogul, Jay-Z or Congress? https://www.netcaucus.org/audio/2019/20190729musicmoguls.mp3
There are a lot of music moguls out there. Jay-Z, Taylor Swift, Quincy Jones. But possibly the biggest mogul in the music industry is Congress itself. Congress and its oversight functions make it a significant player in music industry revenues. In the modern era Congress has spun the music turntables with legislation several times, most recently with the Music Modernization Act (MMA). The MMA also gave Congress additional music oversight functions. If you’ve ever wanted to know how Congress influences the music you stream, download, or play in your car, our panel of experts will provide an overview of this incredibly complex system. And, we’ll ask our panel of experts which music industry mogul is bigger – Jay-Z or Congress?
Faculty Speakers
– Danielle Aguirre, EVP & General Counsel, National Music Publishers Association
– Kevin Erickson, Director, Future of Music Coalition
– Curtis LeGeyt, Executive Vice President, Government Relations National Association of Broadcasters
– Julia Massimino, VP of Global Public Policy, SoundExchange
– Ali Sternburg, Senior Policy Counsel, Computer & Communications Industry Association
Association
Date: Monday, July 29th, 2019
Last month the California legislature hastily passed sweeping privacy regulations to stave off even more sweeping rules that would have emerged from the state's ballot initiative process. These regulations from the state of California, which is the world's 5th largest economy and home to the most dominant data companies on the planet, will apply to a huge swath of data on the Internet, and offline as well. These rules follow the massive European privacy law, the GDPR, which started its enforcement period just a month earlier.
With consumer privacy breaches and Congressional privacy hearings in the headlines daily, many are asking whether Congress will act on data privacy? Will more US states follow California's lead and pass consumer privacy laws as well?
This was hosted on Thursday July 26th in the Rayburn HOB as a popup briefing on the California Consumer Privacy Act, GDPR, and the potential for future Congressional action on this issue.
PrivacyIC
- Will The California, EU, and State Privacy Laws Be Addressed By Congress? https://www.netcaucus.org/audio/2018/20180726caprivacy.mp3
While there is a lot of hype around Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other cryptocurrencies, cryptocurrencies are only the tip of the iceberg. Blockchain – the technology underlying cryptocurrencies – offers a host of other transformative use cases, including supply chain management, digital identity management, and smart contracts.
Blockchain is a distributed ledger technology which promises to authenticate transactions without the need for a trusted third-party. Forward-looking companies are deploying blockchain for a variety of uses beyond cryptocurrency. Financial managers are using blockchain to verify digital identity and streamline the process of electronic signatures. Supply chain companies are exploring blockchain technology to track the goods we purchase every day through the entire supply chain. Government offices are identifying ways the technology can make government processes more efficient and cost-effective. Our panel will discuss the potentially transformative applications of blockchain beyond the hype of cryptocurrencies.
We’ve assembled an expert group of panelists to discuss their perspectives on business, government, blockchain, and more.
The Supreme Court recently issued a momentous decision in Wayfair v South Dakota. In overturning a 26-year precedent, SCOTUS has opened the floodgates for states to impose sales tax on online purchases. While critics of the decision claim it will cripple small online businesses, supporters argue that it will allow states to recoup taxes already owed to them and allow traditional retailers to compete fairly with e-commerce companies.
Listen to an expert panel to discuss SCOTUS’s decision and the future of US commerce.
This briefing is part of our SCOTUS Tech series.
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PHOTOS Flickr Photos
Listen 1. Carpenter Briefing https://www.netcaucus.org/audio/2018/20180629carpenter.mp3
Moments ago the Supreme Court (SCOTUS) issued its ruling in cellphone privacy case, Carpenter v. U.S. Join us for a popup briefing next Friday as a panel of Academy experts parses the Court's decision and what it means for the future of privacy.
The Carpenter case may potentially transform our understanding of our Constitutional privacy rights and Fourth Amendment jurisprudence. Our panel will discuss what privacy rights should U.S. citizens maintain when they share their location and other data with Internet companies and cellphone carriers? Does law enforcement need a warrant to collect this data from these "third-parties?"
This is the first briefing of our SCOTUS Tech series.
RSVP Here ModeratorJadzia Pierce - Associate, Covington & Burling LLP, Internet Law & Policy Foundry Fellow
PanelistsMichelle Richardson - Deputy Director, Freedom, Security, and Technology Policy, Center for Democracy and Technology
Dan Schweitzer - Supreme Court Counsel, National Association of Attorneys General
David Lieber - Senior Privacy Policy Counsel, Google
Evie Eastman - Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney, Arlington County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office
SCOTUS TechLike the U.S. Congress, the Supreme Court is struggling to reckon with rapidly emerging Internet technologies in its decision-making. Applying centuries of caselaw to massively disrupting technologies is increasingly becoming a challenge for the highest court and its appellate courts.
SCOTUS Tech is a new series of panel discussions co-hosted by the Congressional Internet Caucus Academy and the State of the Net Series. SCOTUS Tech will bring together experts over a series of events to explore how the Supreme Court and appellate courts grapple with technology in the Internet age.
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“Antitrust and competition policy is exciting stuff,” said no one ever (except, of course, the very few who follow this arcane field of economics and algorithms). Yet in recent months on Capitol Hill competition policy buzzwords have started to be overheard in conversations outside of the traditional antitrust policy bastions such as the Antitrust subcommittees. Is all this “excitement” around competition policy because folks are curious how the new Administration will approach mergers and market concentration? Or is it, as some have suggested, that because the Internet has profoundly changed how markets have traditionally operated, our antitrust policy must change as well?
We’ve assembled an expert group of panelists to discuss their perspectives on competition and antitrust.
When: Friday, April 27, 2018 @ 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM EDT Where: Rayburn House Office Building Room 2237
SPEAKERS
– Alexei Alexis, Reporter, Bloomberg (Bio)
– Diana Moss, President of the American Antitrust Institute (Bio)
– Joshua Wright, University Professor and Executive Director of the Global Antitrust Institute, Scalia Law School (Bio)
– John Bergmayer, Senior Counsel, Public Knowledge (Bio)
Follow: @NetCaucusAC #AntitrustIC
In May of this year, The European Commission (EC) will issue an expansive set of privacy rules for U.S. companies operating overseas. These rules, otherwise called The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), will require companies across the world to amend their policies and practices to comply with its many regulations. In many ways, the GDPR will become the baseline privacy regime for the Internet. According to PwC, over half of U.S. multinational companies say the GDPR is their top data privacy compliance priority.
But many U.S. policymakers view this new regulation as burdensome and costly, while others view it as a positive step towards a global privacy regime for the Internet. How will the GDPR affect the Privacy Shield and other international agreements with our International partners? This briefing focuses on what the GDPR means for U.S. businesses and the worldwide flow of citizens’ information.
When: Friday, March 9th., 2018, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM EDT Where: Rayburn House Office Building
SPEAKERS
– Kelly DeMarchis Bastide, Partner, Venable (Bio)
– Melanie Bates, Director of Communications, Future of Privacy Forum, Moderator (Bio)
– Aymeric Dupont, Counsellor-Delegation of the European Union to the United States (Bio)
– Mike Godwin, Director of Innovation Policy and General Counsel, Distinguished Senior Fellow, R Street Institute (Bio)
– Joe Jerome, Policy Counsel, Center for Democracy & Technology (Bio)
Follow: @NetCaucusAC
It seems like talk about net neutrality never stops, and with our busy schedules, it’s hard to keep up. We’ve organized a panel of experts to provide a “lay of the land” on what’s going on with this dynamic topic. We’ll talk about the latest FCC action, developments on the state level, the prospects for litigation, and possibilities on Capitol Hill. Like all of our discussions, we’ve assembled an expert panel with an array of different perspectives on the issue.
SPEAKERS
Matthew Brill, Partner, Latham & Watkins
Angie Kronenberg, Chief Advocate and General Counsel, INCOMPAS Chris Lewis, Vice President, Public Knowledge Berin Szoka, President, TechFreedom
MODERATOR
Li Zhou, Reporter, Politico Pro
Date: February 12, 2018 Time: 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm Location: Rayburn House Office Building Room 2237 Follow: @NetCaucusAC | #NetNeutrality18
Creative Commons Licensed Photos on Flickr
Data analytics is becoming an essential part of companies’ operations, planning and innovation. In the Internet age, companies are generating an unprecedented amount of data, and an entire industry has grown out of the need to process and understand it. How have these insights helped change the way businesses interact with consumers? What is the difference between Artificial Intelligence and Big Data, and how are these technologies used to inform decision making?
At the same time, with the advent of this new technology comes new challenges. How do the inherent biases in data sets influence analytic outcomes and decision-making algorithms? What can we do to encourage innovation when many data sets are proprietary? Join us as we explore these questions and more with a panel of experts.
SPEAKERS
Leighanne Levensaler, Senior Vice President of Corporate Strategy, Workday (bio)
Dean Garfield, President & CEO, Information Technology Industry Council (bio)
Chris Calabrese, Vice President for Policy, Center for Democracy and Technology (bio)
Neil Chilson, Acting Chief Technologist, Federal Trade Commission (bio)
MODERATOR
Joshua New, Policy Analyst, Center for Data Innovation
Date: Wednesday, October 26, 2017 Time: 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm Location: Rayburn House Office Building Room 2237 Follow: @NetCaucusAC | #BigDataAI
Photo Credit: Insane Visions via Flickr
White hat researchers look for vulnerabilities in information systems and play an increasingly crucial role in our nation’s cyber security defenses. Yet, the rules of the road for these types of “hackers” have been slow to evolve in terms of civil and criminal liability. Speakers included: Leonard Bailey – Special Counsel for National Security, Computer Crime & Intellectual Property Section, U.S. Department of Justice, Harley Geiger – Director of Public Policy, Rapid7, Franck Journoud – Cybersecurity & Technology Policy, Oracle, Katie Moussouris – Founder and CEO, Luta Security, Chris Bing – Associate Editor, CyberScoop
Over 21 years ago, at the dawn of the commercial Internet, Congress passed a seemingly minor amendment to the massive Telecom Act of 1996 — Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act (HR 1555). HR 1555 was designed to limit liability of Internet providers for content posted by their users and also to give them a safe harbor to manage objectionable behavior on their platforms.
There is no question that with Section 230 Congress enabled the meteoric growth of the Internet. The impact of Section 230 has been showered with superlatives like “The Most Important Law in Tech” and “The Legislation That Saved the Internet.” Yet, since Section 230’s passage, it has been litigated hundreds of times. Further, hundreds of lawmakers’ bills have been introduced seeking to hold intermediaries liable for the actions of its users. In fact, there are several bills in Congress right now that seek to hold scale back Section 230’s scope including two on human trafficking.
We invite you to a discussion about Section 230 and efforts to limit the scope of the law. The panel will include legal scholars and industry representatives that rely on the law. The panel will discuss the origins of the law, the role it plays in enabling Internet services and technologies. Join us on September 8 at noon in Rayburn 2237.
SPEAKERS * Julie Cohen – Mamolen Professorship in Law & Technology, Georgetown University Law School (Bio) * Eric Goldman – Professor of Law and Co-director of the High Tech Law Institute, Santa Clara Law School (Bio) * Rachel Wolbers – Policy Director, Engine (Bio)
In the wake of the recent terrorist attacks in London UK Prime Minister has been at the forefront of international calls for the technology companies to do more to combat online extremism. The British Government has announced its intention to stamp out extremism “in all its forms, both across society and on the internet”. Within the United States, the Department of Homeland Security just announced a $10 million grant for two-year programming to organizations that will work to improve security in our communities and thwart terrorism. Countering-Violence Extremism, specifically online, is the effort to proactively counter efforts by extremist groups to recruit and radicalize followers worldwide. This effort now more than ever requires the increasing cooperation between the private, public, and academic sector amongst others. Tech companies have been experimenting with new techniques and guidelines. At the same time the Trump Administration is determined to prevent domestic terrorism. These are complex issues at the intersection of freedom of expression and national security. How will all of these proposed changes and solutions express themselves online, domestically and abroad? How do these efforts to identify and prevent early online radicalization square with the First Amendment and notions of freedom of expression?
Follow: @NetCaucusAC | #CVEOnline
SPEAKERS * Kevin Adams, Justice and Home Affairs, British Embassy (Bio) * Dr. Alexander Meleagrou-Hitchens, Research Director, Project on Extremism, George Washington University (Bio) * Mark MacCarthy, Senior Vice President, Public Policy, Software & Information Industry Association (Bio) * Arthur Rizer, Director of National Security and Justice Policy, R Street (Bio) * Clara Tsao, Chief Technology Officer, CVE Task Force, Department of Homeland Security, and White House Presidential Innovation Fellow(Bio)
DATE: Friday, July 21, 2017 TIME: 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm LOCATION: Rayburn House Office Building Room 2237
Without Congressional action Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) will cease to be a law enforcement tool at the disposal of law enforcement. In the aftermath of 9/11 Congress empowered America’s top law enforcement agencies to the collect the data on non-US persons. Critics say that 702 surveillance enables law enforcement to gather data in bulk as well as data incidental and unrelated to legitimate threats. Law enforcement maintains that 702 is a critical tool in thwarting terrorism and in fighting crime. Yet, Congress has set the expiration date on 702 powers to December 31, 2017. Now, Congress must weigh the pros and cons of the provision and decide to one of three things: 1) reauthorize 702) revise 702 or 3) retire the 702 by not-acting (it will simply sunset). When it comes to balancing national security and privacy protections, what will Congress do with 702?
Follow: @NetCaucusAC | #fisafriday
SPEAKERS * Michelle Richardson - Deputy Director, Freedom, Security, and Technology Project, Center for Democracy and Technology (Bio) * Adam Klein - Robert M. Gates Senior Fellow, Center for a New American Security (Bio) * Stuart Evans - Deputy Assistant Attorney General, National Security Division, Department of Justice * Elizabeth (Liza) Goitein - Co-Director, Liberty & National Security Program, Brennan Center for Justice (Bio) * Tim Lordan (Moderator) - Executive Director, Congressional Internet Caucus Advisory Committee (Bio)
DATE: Friday, July 14, 2017 TIME: 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm LOCATION: Rayburn House Office Building Room 2226
Fighting crime and thwarting terrorism is not what it was 20 years ago. Globally, law enforcement agencies are demanding more and more ready access to social media company data about customers — most of which is held by U.S.-based Internet giants like Google, Facebook, Twitter and Snap. However, expedient access to that data is hampered by privacy rules and our Constitution's 4th amendment. Now, the U.S. Department of Justice, working with allies around the globe, have proposed that Congress streamline the rules so that foreign police agencies could access social media data more quickly. The fix would require updating the the Electronic Communication Privacy Act (ECPA), which many critics say is outdated. Our panel will explore the pros and cons of this proposed fix and what it means for Congress, for U.S. citizens, and for U.S. Internet companies.
Date: Friday, July 10, 2017 Time: 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm Location: Rayburn House Office Building Room 2237 Follow: @NetCaucusAC | #crossborderwarrants
SPEAKERS * Opening Remarks: Chris Randle- Legislative Director & Counsel, Rep. Jeffries (NY-08) (Bio) * Opening Remarks: Judd Smith- Legislative Director & Counsel, Rep. Marino (PA-10) (Bio) * Moderator: Carrie Cordero- Counsel, ZwillGen PLLC (Bio) * Richard Downing- Deputy Assistant Attourney General, Department of Justice (Bio) * Neema Singh Guliani - Legislative Counsel, American Civil Liberties Union (Bio) * Professor Jennifer Daskal - Associate Professor of Law, American University (Bio) * Stephanie Martz, Reform Government Surveillance (Bio)
Download: Here
What does the future of work, in the age of continued automation, look like?
Startups continue to follow the path set by companies such as Uber: short term 'gigs' that allow workers more freedom to chose their work hours but also bring with it more uncertainty. At the same time, manufacturing jobs continue to be supplemented and replaced by automation. Finally, AI looms large on the horizon as software promises to replace not only blue collar but also white collar labor.
Will American workers have to compete both with foreign labor and domestic, machine labor? Or is there another way that will lead to increased integration of human and machine? Join our panel of experts as we discuss these and other questions and hear all sides of the story.
Speakers: - Steve DelBianco, Executive Director, NetChoice (Bio) - Lori Sanders, Associate VP of Federal Affairs, R Street Institute (Bio) - Kristin Sharp, Executive Director, SHIFT Commission on Work, Workers & Technology (Bio) - Steven Overly - Technology Reporter, POLITICO Pro (moderator)(Bio)
Date: Friday, June 9, 2017 Time: 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm Location: Rayburn House Office Building Room 2226 Follow: @NetCaucusAC | #futurework
Download: Here
Image: "Tesla Robot Dance" by Steve Jurvetson is licensed under CC B
SUMMARY Download Audio
The Internet has become essential for Americans as they participate in commerce, culture and democracy. The Internet and the Internet of Things is rapidly becoming an important part of how our cities and transportation networks operate. Increasingly rural communities are incorporating Internet-enabled technologies into their communities and lifestyles. The possibilities seem endless.
Do the Trump Administration's impending infrastructure plans and tax plans include approaches to increasing Internet access and Internet-enabled technologies in America? If so, how and for whom? And what types of technologies? What about rural and low-income Americans? As we wait for more detailed proposals from the Administration and from the FCC we've assembled a panel of experts to explore the possibilities and challenges for expanding Internet access and for incorporating the Internet of tomorrow into the American way of life. Join us.
SPEAKERS * Shirley Bloomfield - CEO, NTCA - The Rural Broadband Association * Doug Brake - Senior Analyst, Telecom Policy, ITIF * Blair Levin - Non-resident Senior Fellow, The Brookings Institution * Lisa Schoenthaler - VP Association Affairs and Office of Rural/Midsize Operators, NCTA - The Internet & Television Association
SUMMARY Download Audio
Ever since the November election the FCC's Open Internet order has been under serious review. Some critics of the former Chairman Wheeler's approach to Net Neutrality argue that Congress should rewrite the rules for traffic on the Internet. Supporters argue that the FCC's Title II rules are the only way to assure that traffic is handled equally. And now that Chairman Ajit Pai is firmly in the driver's seat, it has been reported that he favors a different approach. So where does the key to the future of net neutrality rules lie? With regulations, legislation, or even the marketplace? With multiple congressmen calling for legislative solution to create rules of the road for open Internet, will we have to look towards congress? We've assembled a diverse set of perspectives on this issue so that you can hear all sides of the story.
SPEAKERS * Sarah Morris, Open Technology Institute (Bio) * Matthew Murchison, Latham & Watkins (Bio) * Gigi B. Sohn, Open Society Foundations (Bio) * Berin Szoka, President, TechFreedom (Bio)
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SUMMARY
Ransomware is now a global epidemic. It strikes an estimated 40% of businesses in the US, UK, Canada and Germany and is now is hitting one out of every six consumers, according to Kaspersky Lab. Today, ransomware has replaced credit card theft as the preferred scam of online criminals and they are extorting billions globally. But the epidemic is nearly silent because few want to admit they’ve been victimized and blackmailed into paying ransom.
At this Internet Caucus Advisory Committee briefing we discuss: * What is ransomware? * Can ransomware be decrypted? * Should victims pay or fight back? * What are the legal implications? * What is the federal government doing to assist and inform victims?
Key Statistics:
About 2 in 5 businesses in the US, Canada, UK and Germany have been victims of ransomware, with Kaspersky Lab estimating that more than 1 in 6 consumers have been victimized and is now replacing credit card theft as cyber-criminals’ preferred scam of choice in 2016. Carbonite reports that ransomware attacks grew 300% from Q1 2015 to Q1 2016. The Cisco 2016 Midyear Cybersecurity Report described one campaign that attacked at least 90,000 servers per day and netted cybercriminals about $34 million in annual profits.
Follow: @NetCaucusAC
SPEAKERS * The Honorable Phillip J. Bond, former US Under Secretary of Commerce for Technology (bio) * Dante Disparte, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Risk Cooperative (bio) * Richard Downing, Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General, U.S. Department of Justice (bio) * Ryan Naraine, Kapersky Lab (bio) * Danielle Sheer, General Counsel, Carbonite (bio)
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Documents:
UK-USDOJ Proposed United States – United Kingdom Agreement on Secure and Privacy - Protective Exchange of Electronic Data for the Purposes of Countering Serious Crime, Including Terrorism
Legislative Language White Paper Due to the global popularity of U.S. electronic communications services, foreign countries increasingly require access to electronic evidence held by U.S. providers for their legitimate public safety needs. Yet the labor-intensive mutual legal assistance treaty (MLAT) process has struggled to meet the exponential growth in demand for such evidence, and it requires foreign countries to satisfy unfamiliar U.S. legal standards. Countries have responded to these challenges with threats to cut off or fine such services or require data to be stored locally.
Some, like the U.K., have enacted laws to compel the production of electronic communications data held outside their borders when it pertains to a U.K. crime, but U.S. law prohibits providers from disclosing the contents of communications directly to foreign governments, with few exceptions. This is so even when the offenders and victims are all U.K. citizens, and the only connection to the United States is that the data happens to be located here – for purely technological and business reasons. So how does an American company respond to a foreign production order when doing so may violate U.S. law? What solutions are there to resolve these potential conflicts? And what are the risks if nothing is done?
We'll check in on transatlantic efforts by the US and UK governments to develop a framework to resolve this impasse while at the same time providing robust protections for privacy and civil liberties. Providers, governments, academics, and others agree the status quo is unsustainable. But what mechanisms should we adopt and what protections for privacy and civil liberties should be built into such frameworks? This is an important topic at the crossroads of public safety, civil liberties, diplomacy, and tech policy that will undoubtedly become a major issue in the coming year.
Speakers:
Kevin Adams - First Secretary, Home Affairs, U.K. Embassy (Bio) Margaret Stewart Nagle - Head of Americas Government Affairs, Yahoo (Bio) Gregory T. Nojeim - Senior Counsel - Center for Democracy & Technology (Bio) Brad Wiegmann - Deputy Assistant Attorney General, National Security Division, U.S.Department of Justice (Bio) Andrew Woods - Assistant Professor of Law - University of Kentucky School of Law (Bio) Carrie Cordero - Principal - Cordero Advisory Services, LLC (Bio) Date: Friday, June 15th, 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm Location: Rayburn House Office Building, Room 2226 Follow: @NetCaucusAC | #XPondWarrants
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Today the U.S. Court of Appeals issued its ruling on the Federal Communications Commission's Open Internet Order (A.K.A. Net Neutrality). The decision is creating headlines across the country. We’ve assembled panel of F.C.C. experts to explain what the court’s decision means and what it will mean for the Internet going forward. Please join us for a balanced debate about what the decision means for the future of the Internet and what Congress should do about it. Date: Monday, June 20, 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm Location: Rayburn House Office Building, Room 2226 Register: Via Eventbrite here. Lunch: A box lunch will be served. Follow: @NetCaucusAC | #FCCNeutrality
- Matthew Brill, Partner, Latham & Watkins (bio)
- Markham Erickson, Partner, Steptoe & Johnson (bio)
- Russ Hanser, Partner, Wilkinson Barker Knauer (bio)
- Sarah Morris, New America Foundation's Open Technology Institute (bio)
- Moderator: Lydia Beyoud, Senior Tech Reporter, Bloomberg BNA (bio)
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Date: Friday May 6, 2016 12pm-1:15pm Location: Rayburn House Office Building Room Room 2226 RSVP: Via Eventbrite here.
Follow: @NetCaucusAC | #ISISOnline
Social media has flourished in large part because platforms have been freed from liability for content posted by independent users. But as instigators of violence and terrorism have figured out how to use social platforms to recruit and spread, companies and lawmakers must figure out how to balance the needs of protecting free expression online with the imperative to keep the public safe. Much of this content violates user agreements, but reviewing content for violations can be prohibitively time consuming for companies. What is the right policy to deal with this serious issue? How much should companies voluntarily cooperate with the government to keep violent propaganda off their platforms and identify suspicious users? What can be done to control and combat propaganda that is spread via social media?
Speakers * Emma Llanso, Center for Democracy & Technology (Bio) * Rashad Hussain, National Security Division, U.S. Department of Justice (Bio) * Seamus Hughes, Deputy Director, Program on Extremism, George Washington University’s Center for Cyber & Homeland Security (Bio) * Moderator: Miranda Bogen, Fellow, Internet Law & Policy Foundry (Bio)
More speakers will be announced on a rolling basis.
This widely attended educational briefing is hosted by the Congressional Internet Caucus Advisory Committee (ICAC), part of a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. Congressional staff and members of the press welcome. The ICAC is a private sector organization comprised of public interest groups, trade associations, non-profits, and corporations. The ICAC takes no positions on legislation or regulation. Rather, it's a neutral platform where thought leaders debate important technology issues that shape legislative and administration policy in an open forum. We vigilantly adhere to our mission to curate balanced and dynamic debates among Internet stakeholders. Our volunteer board members ensure that we dutifully execute that mission. More information on the ICAC is available at www.netcaucus.org.
[thaudio href="http://netcaucus.org/audio/2016/20160422cryptobalance.mp3"]Listen to Audio[/thaudio] Download Audio View Photos on Flickr.
Location Rayburn House Office Building Room 2237 Follow: @NetCaucusAC | #CryptoBalance
While a last minute hack averted some major courtroom drama between the F.B.I. and Apple the tension around strong encryption has only risen. There are still ongoing court cases where law enforcement wants access to encrypted devices. Recently both the House and Senate introduced legislation that seek to find the balance between privacy, security, and law enforcement access to personal communications. Given the concerns in Europe this issue will get even more intense as we race to the next election cycle. Join us on Friday as our panel looks at the cases, the legislation, and the industry developments at issue.
Panelists: * Kevin Bankston, Director, Open Technology Institute, New America (Bio) * Richard Downing Deputy Assistant Attorney General (Acting), U.S. Department of Justice (Bio) * Matthew Green, Assistant Professor, Johns Hopkins Information Security Institute (Bio) * Susan Hennessey is Fellow in National Security in Governance Studies at the Brookings Institution (Bio) * Chris Strohm, Reporter, Bloomberg News (moderator) (Bio)
This widely attended educational briefing is hosted by the Congressional Internet Caucus Advisory Committee (ICAC), part of a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. Congressional staff and members of the press welcome. The ICAC is a private sector organization comprised of public interest groups, trade associations, non-profits, and corporations. The ICAC takes no positions on legislation or regulation. Rather, it's a neutral platform where thought leaders debate important technology issues that shape legislative and administration policy in an open forum. We vigilantly adhere to our mission to curate balanced and dynamic debates among Internet stakeholders. Our volunteer board members ensure that we dutifully execute that mission. More information on the ICAC is available at www.netcaucus.org.
This discussion covers the new privacy rules proposed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to cover broadband service providers. The FCC plans to vote on the proposed rules on Thursday, March 31. Friday’s briefing is your opportunity to hear from a panel of experts what the new rules might mean for consumers, for businesses and for the state of privacy generally.
Speakers * Jim Halpert, DLA Piper (Bio) * Katharina Kopp, Center for Democracy & Technology (Bio) * Laura Moy, Georgetown University Law School (Bio) * Debbie Matties, CTIA (Bio)
This widely attended educational briefing is hosted by the Congressional Internet Caucus Advisory Committee (ICAC), part of a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. Congressional staff and members of the press welcome. The ICAC is a private sector organization comprised of public interest groups, trade associations, non-profits, and corporations. The ICAC takes no positions on legislation or regulation. Rather, it's a neutral platform where thought leaders debate important technology issues that shape legislative and administration policy in an open forum. We vigilantly adhere to our mission to curate balanced and dynamic debates among Internet stakeholders. Our volunteer board members ensure that we dutifully execute that mission. More information on the ICAC is available at www.netcaucus.org.
Date: Thursday, March 24, 2016
Description: The predecessor to the Privacy Shield was the EU-US Safe Harbor, which was invalidated by a European Court back in October over surveillance concerns (watch prior event here). That court ruling triggered widespread concern over the effect on Internet businesses in the U.S.
Our event features officials from the European Commission and from the U.S. Department of Commerce, the entities that negotiated the EU-US Privacy Shield.
Speakers * Andrea Glorioso, Eu Delegation to the US, Counselor: Digital Agenda & ICT (Bio) * Ted Dean, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Services, U.S. Department of Commerce (Bio) * Nancy Scola, POLITICO (Bio)
Date: Friday, January 15, 12:00 pm Location: Rayburn House Office Building Room 2226 Follow: @NetCaucusAC | #ConsumerSpeech
Online review sites have enabled millions of consumers to share feedback about products and businesses — even the federal government has begun to encourage the public to review its services as a way to improve performance. But some businesses are less open to customer feedback. By including gag clauses in contracts and user agreements, these businesses try to prevent customers from leaving critical reviews of products and services, and threaten these reviewers with fines of hundreds or thousands of dollars if the comments are not removed. Some businesses maintain that negative reviews are detrimental and that anti-disparagement clauses are necessary to protect themselves from false or malicious reviews. Intellectual property and defamation laws have also been conscripted in the attempt to muzzle negative opinions.
Often hidden in the fine print of contracts, these clauses have already been struck down in courts a number of times — but sometimes, they aren’t struck down right away. In the majority of cases, customers are intimidated, cases go unheard and legitimate criticism by consumers is silenced. What is the right way to protect both consumers and businesses from bad-faith contracts and reviews? What other consumer protection issues must be dealt with to ensure a robust economy in the internet age?
Speakers: * Eric Goldman, Director, High Tech Law Institute, Santa Clara University School of Law (Bio) * Brad Young, Senior Counsel, TripAdvisor * Carl Settlemyer, Senior Attorney, Federal Trade Commission Division of Advertising Practices * George Slover, Senior Policy Counsel, Consumers Union (Bio) * Miranda Bogen, Fellow, Internet Law & Policy Foundry (moderator) (Bio)
This widely attended educational briefing is hosted by the Congressional Internet Caucus Advisory Committee (ICAC), part of a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. Congressional staff and members of the press welcome. The ICAC is a private sector organization comprised of public interest groups, trade associations, non-profits, and corporations. The ICAC takes no positions on legislation or regulation. Rather, it’s a neutral platform where thought leaders debate important technology issues that shape legislative and administration policy in an open forum. We vigilantly adhere to our mission to curate balanced and dynamic debates among Internet stakeholders. Our volunteer board members ensure that we dutifully execute that mission. More information on the ICAC is available at www.netcaucus.org.
Date: Friday, October 13
Speakers: * Damien Levie, Head of Trade Section, Delegation of the European Union to the United States (Bio) * Mary Ellen Callahan, Partner, Jenner & Block, Moderator (Bio) * Adam Schlosser, Director, Center for Global Regulatory Cooperation International, U.S. Chamber of Commerce (Bio) * Abigail Slater, VP, Legal and Regulatory Policy at the Internet Association (Bio) * Amie Stepanovich, U.S. Policy Manager, Access (Bio)
Details:
On Tuesday the European Court of Justice (ECJ) declared the US EU Safe Harbor digital privacy agreement invalid as part of a suit against Facebook. The implications of this decision are massive for U.S. Internet companies. The ECJ decision torpedoed the 15 year-old Safe Harbor agreement between the U.S. Department of Commerce and the European Union. Since the U.S. does not have a digital privacy law that the EU recognizes as “adequate” the Safe Harbor agreement served as a stop gap to assure that personal information of EU citizens could flow to U.S. Internet companies. Close to 5,000 U.S. companies rely on the Safe Harbor to operate internationally, including Google, Facebook, and Amazon. The European court justified the scuttling of the Safe Harbor in large part by noting that NSA surveillance was unstoppable and renders the Safe Harbor an inadequate protection for Europeans’ personal information.
Our panel will explore the EU court’s decision and whether Congress will have to pass a digital privacy law immediately before international data flows dry up. Our panel will also look at other options for U.S. companies in lieu of congressional legislation.
Date: Tuesday, September 25
Speaker: Julia Hartz
Details:
Join the Advisory Committee to the Congressional Internet Caucus and the Women’s High Tech Coalition for a fireside chat about re-imagining the workplace with Julia Hartz, Co-Founder & President of Eventbrite.
As co-founder and President of Eventbrite, Julia Hartz has evolved the company from an innovative ticketing platform to the world’s largest marketplace for live experiences. Since the company founding in 2006, Eventbrite has generated over $3 billion in gross ticket sales, with more than 200 million tickets processed to events and experiences around the globe. Eventbrite has secured $200M in funding, and through Julia’s leadership, has cemented its place in the “Unicorn Startup Club,” reserved exclusively for companies with an over $1B valuation.
Under Julia’s guidance, company culture and optimizing workplace performance has remained an integral part of Eventbrite, which now boasts over 500 employees in eight offices around the world. Eventbrite secured a spot on Fortune’s 100 Best Workplaces for Millennials, and has been voted one of the “Best Places to Work in the San Francisco Bay Area” six years running. In the years since founding Eventbrite, Julia has been honored as one of Fortune’s 2015 40 Under 40 business leaders, Inc.’s 35 under 35 in 2014, Fortune’s Most Powerful Women Entrepreneurs in 2013, and has been profiled in Forbes in both 2013 and 2015.
Julia landed in Silicon Valley via Hollywood where she began her career as a development executive at MTV and FX Networks. In today’s digital age, Julia believes that real-life, human experiences lead to individual happiness and strong global communities. This belief continues to fuel her passion while running Eventbrite today.
This address by Ms. Hartz is a continuation of the Congressional Internet Caucus Advisory Committee Speakers Series, which brings Internet leaders and luminaries to the Capitol Complex to share their expertise with Internet policy leaders in Congress. Past “Speakers” have included Internet founding fathers such as Vint Cerf, Tim Berners-Lee and Marty Cooper as well as industry leaders like Bill Gates, Michael Eisner, Meg Whitman, and Kazuo Hirai. Renowned Internet researcher danah boyd kicked off the 2014 Speakers Series back in February.
This widely attended educational briefing is hosted by the Congressional Internet Caucus Advisory Committee (ICAC), part of a 501 (c)(3) charitable organization. Congressional staff and members of the press welcome.
Date: Friday, September 25
Details:
Join us for a discussion on the history of WiFi and the role it plays in everyone’s mobile data usage. Our panel will explain how clever engineers developed WiFi in a backwater band of spectrum that the FCC set aside in the 80’s for “junk” common household appliances like cordless phones, microwave ovens, garage door openers and baby monitors. This junk band was unique in that the FCC did not require an application to use the spectrum nor did it require a license (i.e. unlicensed). This “permissionless” use of the spectrum was completely different from the government’s traditional top-down spectrum allocation and assigned use method. When bandwidth-hungry smartphones were introduced WiFi provided a critical spigot to offload data from the traditional mobile networks. That trend continues today. The viral success of WiFi on the unlicensed junk band showed the FCC a new way to approach spectrum allocation which it has been implementing for several years. Our panel will finish with a discussion of upcoming FCC spectrum initiatives including a short conversation of the opportunities and challenges facing FCC unlicensed spectrum including uncertainties surrounding proposed deployment of LTE-U.
Speakers: * Paula Boyd, Director, Government and Regulatory Affairs, Microsoft (bio) * Fred Campbell, Executive Director, Center for Boundless Innovation in Technology, moderator(bio) * Larra Clark, Office for Information Technology Policy, American Library Association (bio) * John Hunter, Director, Spectrum Policy, T-Mobile (bio) * David Young, Vice President, Public Policy, Verizon (bio)
Date: Friday, September 18
Details:
From sheckels to silver dollars, the medium with which we exchange for goods and services has always been indicative of the times. Today we explore the next era of currency, one backed by mathematics, powered by the Internet, driven by the market and delivered by the innovative open source protocol known as Bitcoin. Experts will discuss the social and economic benefits as well as the challenges in reinventing currency. The panel will explore how the Internet is disrupting everything including money.
Speakers: * Perianne Boring, Founder & President, Chamber of Digital Commerce (Bio) * Joseph Colangelo, Executive Director, Consumers' Research (Bio) * Jinyoung Englund, Digital Currency Council (Bio) * Andrea Peterson, Reporter, Washington Post, moderator (Bio)
Date:Monday, August 3, 2015
Details:
Details: In just ten years, the commercial drone sector is projected to become a multi-billion-dollar industry, creating thousands of jobs and putting over 80,000 new vehicles in the air. These Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) have extended the Internet to the skies, bridging the gap between atoms and bits and promising to bring connectivity to remote corners of the world.
From expanding Internet access for rural populations to rapid delivery services, precision farming, and search-and-rescue operations, the commercial possibilities of Internet-enabled UAV are endless. Drones promise to revolutionize traditional industries across the world.
Some of the biggest Internet companies are looking skyward, but commercial drone use in the United States is currently hindered by privacy and safety concerns that have often forced companies to move testing and business overseas. The FAA, NASA, and industry are working on standards and regulations to allow commercial drone companies to operate legally and safely in the United States. This briefing will address the breadth of potential uses for commercial drones in an interconnected world and sketch out the policy landscape of Internet-enabled UAVs.
Later in the day, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) will start a "multistakeholder process" aimed at developing privacy best practices for the commercial and private use of unmanned aircraft systems.
Speakers: * Michael Drobac, Executive Director, Small UAV Coalition (Bio) * Lisa Ellman, Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Practice Group, Hogan Lovells (Bio) * Brian Fung, Reporter, The Washington Post (Bio) * Paul Misener, VP Public Policy, Amazon (Bio)
Date:Friday, July 24, 2015
Details:
Do warrants allow law enforcement to reach into data centers across borders? Can 19th-century international legal processes keep up with 21st-century speed? Join us for a briefing on the law and policy that determines the reach of law enforcement into data stored outside of the United States and the important questions and issues the debate has raised:
- the need to modernize and make more efficient Mutual Legal Assistance Treaties (MLATs)
- why starting an international dialogue to establish global norms is critical
- legal challenges to a U.S. government attempt to force technology companies to turn over customer data stored abroad with extraterritorial warrants
Issues related to digital privacy are triggering increased scrutiny of the U.S. government from both the American people and foreign governments, and digital privacy laws have emerged as a key issue in the 114th Congress.
The Microsoft v. United States of America case exposes the gray areas of law governing extraterritorial warrants online, the complexities of MLATs, and how digital privacy intersects with foreign policy. Experts from across the digital privacy and corporate sectors will gather to discuss the policy implications of the case and the current state of digital privacy in a globalized world.
Speakers: * Bryan Cunningham, Senior Advisor, The Chertoff Group (Bio) * Jennifer Daskal, Assistant Professor of Law, American University Washington College of Law (Bio) * Victoria Espinel, President & CEO, BSA | The Software Alliance (Bio) Moderator * John Frank, Vice President and Deputy General Counsel, Microsoft * Nuala O'Connor, President & CEO, Center for Democracy & Technology (Bio)
Date:Friday, July 17, 2015
Details:
Did you know Congress is a major player in the music streaming business? Really, Taylor Swift and Apple have nothing on the House and Senate. Congress has been at the policy turntables a long time making key decisions on how music is distributed through every new medium from radio to cable, satellite, and the Internet.
In the mid-1990s, Congress crafted a law that determined how licensing and royalty rates would be set for digital music streaming. As a result, the same song played in Pandora, Spotify, and on FM radio is governed three different ways.
The current system is a complicated patchwork of laws and court rulings cobbled-together to govern most of the music played on your computer, phone, and tablet. This complex legal framework means almost no one has a clear understanding of how the rules work or what powers Congress has in the digital music marketplace.
With more and more people streaming their music, “Everything Has Changed” in the music marketplace. The one thing most people can agree on is that this complicated patchwork of rules needs an update.
Our expert panelists will provide an educational background on the law and policy shaping digital music streaming. This panel is intended to give you a basic understanding of how the Internet music marketplace works, how we got here, who gets to set the price on what to pay for a play, and what it all means for Congress and their constituents — like Taylor Swift.
Speakers: * Kevin Erickson, Communications and Outreach Manager, Future of Music Coalition (Bio) * Alec French, Founder and Principal, Thorsen French Advocacy LLC (Bio) * Tim Lordan, Executive Director, Congressional Internet Caucus Advisory Committee (moderator) * Julia Massimino, Vice President, Global Public Policy, SoundExchange (Bio) * Jon Potter, President and Co-Founder, Application Developers Alliance (Bio)
Date: Friday, July 10, 2015
Details: The explosion of online platforms enabling public participation -- blogs, comment sections, review websites, and social media, among others -- has let millions of individuals share opinions and exercise their freedom of speech online. However, such public declarations can also expose contributors to retaliation by the subjects of their commentary under the guise of defamation or libel suits. Strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPP) are lawsuits that intend to censor and silence critics by intimidating them with the prospect of defending an expensive lawsuit. Twenty-eight states have enacted anti-SLAPP statutes to speed the process of dismissing of such lawsuits, but there is currently no federal anti-SLAPP legislation.
Our expert panel will discuss the current state of SLAPP legislation including the introduction of the SPEAK FREE Act of 2015, and what can be done to protect public participation and freedom of speech online.
Speakers: * Amy Austin, Publisher Emeritus, Washington City Paper (Bio) * Miranda Bogen, Policy Fellow, Congressional Internet Caucus Advisory Committee (Bio) moderator * Laurent Crenshaw, Head of Federal Public Policy, Yelp (Bio) * Kevin Goldberg, Attorney, Fletcher, Heald & Hildreth (Bio) * Jennie Rasmussen, Senior Policy Counsel, American Association for Justice
Date: Friday, June 5, 2015
Our expert panel debates the latest developments in the international drama that is Internet governance. There is much fodder for discussion: the federal government’s decision to cede control of key Internet functions to ICANN, ICANN’s efforts to become an accountable steward of these functions, attempts by international organizations such as the U.N. to exert greater control over Internet decisions in fora like WSIS+10, and the .sucks domain name controversy.
Speakers: * Jamie Hedlund, Vice President, Strategic Programs, Global Domain Division, ICANN * Michelle Sara King, President & CEO, King Consults * Cheryl Miller, Director, International Public Policy and Regulatory Affairs, Verizon * Milton Mueller, Professor, Syracuse University School of Information Studies * Jon Nevett, Co-Founder & EVP, Donuts Inc. * Peter Dengate Thrush, former Chairman of the Board of Directors, ICANN * Sally Shipman Wentworth, Vice President of Global Policy Development, Internet Society moderator
Date: Friday, May 1, 2015
On June 1, 2015 a set of key provisions of the PATRIOT Act will expire unless Congress reauthorizes them. The provisions due to sunset without Congressional reauthorization have become extremely controversial in the wake of the revelations by NSA leaker Edward Snowden. The PATRIOT Act serves as the basis the most controversial government program — the NSA’s “bulk collection program.” Civil liberties advocates and some Internet industry coalitions have called on Congress and the President either to let these provisions expire or to make substantial changes in the law that “maintain national security while preserving privacy, transparency, and accountability.”
There will be a great deal of public scrutiny on the Congressional decision and on each Members’ vote. We invite you to a debate on what is at stake in the reauthorization or in the revision of the PATRIOT Act.
Renowned Washington Post national security journalist Ellen Nakashima moderated our expert panel that includes the general counsel of the Director of National Security as well as civil liberties advocates and industry representatives. We hope you will avail yourself of this opportunity to participate in a debate on this important issue.
Speakers:
Chris Calabrese, Senior Policy Director, Center for Democracy & Technology Jessica Herrera-Flanigan, Reform Government Surveillance Neema Singh Guliani, Legislative Counsel, American Civil Liberties Union, Robert S. Litt, General Counsel of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence Ellen Nakashima, National Security Reporter, The Washington Post (Moderator)
Date: Friday, April 10, 2015
President Obama has made the public-private sharing of threat information one of the most pressing priorities in his massive push to protect the nation’s cyber infrastructure. In February at the Cyber Security Summit, the President signed an executive order to promote better sharing of threat information, “both within the private sector and between government and the private sector.” As part of that strategy, he has called upon Congress to pass legislation to increase the flow of threat information.
Yet, Congress has attempted to pass such legislation before and was met with vigorous opposition. Almost two years ago the “Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA)” met an abrupt end amid civil liberties, privacy, and surveillance concerns — and that was before the NSA revelations by Edward Snowden.
Now the President and Congress are back with new legislation to protect cyber systems via information sharing. Bills are being prepared and you are likely to see Congress vote on it shortly. Our panel of experts will explore the issues related to information sharing, whether the approach will secure the homeland and whether the legislation puts civil liberties and privacy at risk.
Speakers:
Cory Bennett, Cyber Security Reporter, The Hill (Moderator) Robyn Greene, Policy Counsel, Open Technology Institute at New America Dena Graziano, Director, Federal Government Affairs, Symantec Heather Molino, Cornerstone Government Affairs (former Minority Staff Director for the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence)
Date: Thursday, March 12, 2015
Recently the “Crypto Wars” debate started anew when FBI Director Comey suggested that Apple and Google’s encrypting their smart phones presented grave concerns to law enforcement. He suggested that law enforcement should hold to the keys to such communications. UK Prime Minister David Cameron amplified that concern in the wake of the Paris terrorist attack suggesting that encrypted communications should be beyond the ears of law enforcement. And just recently President Barack Obama has called for public conversation on encryption policy. That is a conversation we want to start on March 12.
The data encryption, or crypto, debate is a balancing act between providing digital security for personal communications while allowing security agencies access to prevent or respond to catastrophes. Corporations and privacy advocates argue that strong encryption is good for business and the only way to truly secure your computer or mobile device, but does this protection come at a cost? Are there any technical solutions to address this challenge?
Panelists: * David Bitkower, Deputy Assistant Attorney General (Criminal Division), United States Department of Justice (Bio) * Jen Ellis, Senior Director of Community and Public Affairs, Rapid7 (Bio) * Tal Kopan, Cybersecurity Reporter, Politico Pro (Moderator) (Bio) * Amie Stepanovich, Senior Policy Counsel, Access (Bio) * Heather West, Public Policy, CloudFlare
Date: February 27, 2015
Panelists debate and discuss the new FCC "Open Internet" rules approved by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) the prior day. Panelists review what may be in new rules and what the future holds for net neutrality law and policy.
Panelists: * Anna-Maria Kovacs, Visiting Senior Policy Scholar, Georgetown University * Tim Lordan, Executive Director, Congressional Internet Caucus Advisory Committee (moderator) * Geoffrey A. Manne, founder and Executive Director, International Center for Law and Economics * Sarah Morris, Senior Policy Counsel, Open Technology Institute at New America Foundation * Melanie Wyne, Senior Technology Policy Representative, National Association of REALTORS
Date: December 8, 2014
Companies like Uber, Lyft, and Airbnb are high profile examples of the so-called sharing economy, in which ordinary people use online platforms to rent (rather than sell) products and services to each other. Also known as collaborative consumption, or peer to peer commerce, this new way of doing business uses the Internet to connect individual sellers and consumers, and is changing the economy in many ways.
Despite the successes of sharing economy pioneers, there is a growing backlash about circumvention of regulations and community standards, and displacement of workers – such as taxi drivers – in established industries. These debates are important because we might only be in the early stages of the sharing economy. In the future, a large number of industries could be disrupted by these new business models.
Panelists: * Arun Sundararajan, New York University Stern School of Business * Adam Thierer, Mercatus Research Center at George Mason University * Alex Howard, E Pluribus Unum (moderator) * David Hantman, Airbnb * John Breyault, National Consumers League
Date: November 6, 2014
“Hunger Games” Actress Jennifer Lawrence stated in November’s Vanity Fair that exposure of her personal nude photos was a “sex crime.” Was it? If not, what kind of legal recourse does Jennifer Lawrence — or an everyday American citizen like you — have against hackers and web sites that peddle such photos? Today’s digitized era raises new, complicated questions regarding non-consensually shared private photos. What are the legal and social underpinnings in scenarios spanning from hacked private photos and revenge porn, to “upskirt” photos taken in public areas? Should American citizens hold certain privacy expectations and if so, what are they?
Speakers: Mary Anne Franks, University of Miami School of Law; Emma Llansó, Center for Democracy and Technology; Rob Pegoraro, Yahoo Tech; David G. Post, Volokh Conspiracy on WashingtonPost.com; Tal Kopan, POLITICO Pro
Date: October 16, 2014
Since the last update of the Communications Act (in 1996) many leaders have proposed updating the act for the digital age. Our panel discusses whether the Internet — which started out digital — needs to be part of a rewrite that includes broadcast, cable, telephone, and satellite services.
Speakers:
Doug Brake, Information Technology Innovation Foundation Justin "Gus" Hurwitz, Nebraska College of Law Sarah Morris, New America Open Technology Institute Cathy Sloan, Computer and Communications Industry Association
Date: September 29, 2014
A panel of experts explains what the Internet tax moratorium is and what failing to reauthorize it will mean for constituents and for the economy.
Speakers: Scott Mackey, KSE Partners Katie McAuliffe, Americans for Tax Reform Dr. Nicol Turner-Lee, Vice President and Chief Research and Policy Officer, Minority Media and Telecommunications Council
Date: August 8, 2014
In May, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled that Google and other search engines must consider requests by any EU citizen to delete information about them, under a policy known as “the right to be forgotten.” Google alone has processed more than 90,000 take down requests since May. Europe’s new privacy right clashes with other deeply held values such as freedom of expression and transparency. Many observers are concerned that the EU’s approach could even affect American Internet users. EU privacy regulators have suggested that the search engines must delete results not only within the EU, but globally, in spite of our First Amendment rights to publish and view the information.
Speakers: Mike Godwin, Senior Policy Advisor, Internews Joe Jerome, Policy Counsel, Future of Privacy Forum Emma Llansó, Director of CDT’s Project on Free Expression, Center for Democracy and Technology Rob Pegoraro, Columnist, Yahoo Tech David Hoffman, Director of Security Policy and Global Privacy Officer, Intel Michael Kubayanda, Congressional Internet Caucus Advisory Committee
Date: Friday, July 18, 2014 It has been one year since the sweeping NSA surveillance programs were revealed by controversial leaker Edward Snowden. As Congress considers reforming these programs we need to also assess the impact that this controversy has had on U.S. commercial interests, on our confidence in our leaders, and on U.S. credibility […]
Date: June 18, 2014 The MIT CSAIL Information Policy Project and Congressional Internet Caucus Advisory Committee hosted a briefing announcing new research jointly conducted by the Cooperative Association for Internet Data Analysis (CAIDA) and MIT on Internet traffic congestion that will help inform the FCC policy debate on net neutrality rules.
On March 27 the CEO of Zillow, Spencer Rascoff, participated in the Congressional Internet Caucus Advisory Committee Speakers Series in Rayburn over lunch. It was a fascinating conversation facilitated by Alexander Howard that probed the myriad uses of open data in the housing market.
On Thursday May 15 the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) plans to release two major plans that may significantly affect the growth and vibrancy of the Internet (FCC announcement here). You have undoubtedly heard about so called “Net Neutrality” and the broadcast Spectrum auctions. The FCC will introduce two plans on those respective issues on Thursday, […]
Note: This is a fast-paced 60-minute flash-luncheon briefing format. Date: Friday, June 13, 2014 Time: 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm. Location: Rayburn House Office Building, Room 2226 Twitter: @NetCaucusAC #FirstSale