APRIL NEWSLETTER

Shaping Tech's Role in the Coronavirus Response

As the world grapples with the realities of a global pandemic, many people are conducting more of their lives online. CDT is working diligently to respond to the quickly changing landscape, urging policymakers to rise to the unique needs of the moment while respecting and upholding individual human rights.

This morning, CDT’s Michelle Richardson provided testimony for a “paper hearing” on big data and the coronavirus response before the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee. CDT's testimony highlights that unregulated personal data is often repurposed to represent health metrics and target consumers, and discusses the privacy risks associated with tracking people’s location and proximity. Additionally, many companies and governments are assessing new ways of collecting and using data in response to the coronavirus, and the testimony includes a list of considerations they should make when doing so.

As we look to the future, policymakers will have to take a number of steps to solve the problems stemming from this crisis. It is clearer than ever that the internet is a must-have for participating in modern life, and it is time for internet access to be treated like the utility that it is. Schools are working to ensure that their students can access the support they need, and they must consider student privacy and the possible impacts of data generated by educational technologies. Antitrust agencies often restrict companies from sharing information with each other about consumer demand, inventory levels, and labor shortages, but temporary relaxation of these rules may help ease pressure on supply chains for key products.

Our teams are consistently adding to the conversation. To read more about the above, and to stay up to date on CDT’s response to the novel coronavirus, visit us at cdt.org/coronavirus.

In Case You Missed It

A new paper from CDT’s antitrust and competition fellow, Avery Gardiner, addresses the question of when digital platforms and their conduct should face scrutiny, and where U.S. antitrust agencies should start their inquiries.

CDT joined the ACLU, the ACLU of Massachusetts, and EFF in filing an amicus brief in Commonwealth v. Mora. We argue to the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court that the Fourth Amendment and the Massachusetts State Constitution prohibit warrantless, persistent video surveillance of the front of a home.

On the most recent episode of CDT’s podcast, Tech Talk, the authors of the book Data Feminism, Catherine D’Ignazio, and Lauren Klein, join us for a conversation about how intersectional feminism can inform data science and ethics. The episode also features a talk by the Brennan Center’s Larry Norden on election infrastructure.

CDT in the Press

Michelle Richardson spoke with Law360 about location privacy in the coronavirus response: “Hopefully, we can focus on pieces of data that we know actually serve people and help in these situations. Now is not the time to do big data grabs and experiment over time. Because if we are sincerely looking at how mass data collection has happened in the U.S. in the past, it is likely to be not all that effective, and ripe for abuse.”

She also talked with Morning Consult about privacy concerns with the mass transition to remote work: “Employers have always had incredible control over how employees spend their time, but the technology makes it faster, more invisible and more sophisticated.”

Maurice Turner spoke with the Washington Post about the quickly changing election landscape: “Any time the process changes, it increases the risk that voters will not understand what’s going on and it increases the opportunity for malicious actors to take advantage of the process to undermine operations and spread disinformation.”

Partner Spotlight

CDT collaborates with both Facebook and Google throughout the year on projects designed to increase consumer privacy, data security, online free expression, and other critical issues in tech policy. In the wake of the COVID-19 global pandemic, CDT is pleased that both companies are finding ways to use aggregate anonymized location information to promote public health while still protecting consumer privacy.

To learn more about their efforts, please visit Facebook’s Data for Good page and Google's COVID-19 Community Mobility Reports.

Staff Spotlight
Stan Adams — Deputy General Counsel & Open Internet Counsel

How long have you been working in digital rights? I started working in digital rights while still in law school. There, I designed and built expert systems to help people navigate complex legal questions and facilitate access to justice. I helped to teach these skills to other students briefly after graduation, but most of my advocacy career has been here at CDT, where I've been since 2015.

What is your favorite policy area here at CDT? My favorite issues at CDT are those that touch on the fundamental protections guaranteed by the Constitution (and the Amendments), because they are broad in both scope and impact. And they make for the most interesting litigation.

What is the best book you've read recently? The Sympathizer, by Viet Thanh Nguyen. Before that, The Book of Night Women, by Marlon James.

What is the most recent cultural activity you've been to? I attended a traditional tribal gathering to celebrate a successful harvest and to honor our shared history as hunter-gatherers. It was nice to see my family and we all enjoyed the bonfire. Before that, I went to a monster truck rally.

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