CDT’s U.S. Newsletter — May 2021


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MAY NEWSLETTER  

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Capabilities and Limitations of Automated Content Analysis

To navigate the explosion in the amount of user-generated content online, companies ([link removed]) and governments are turning to automated content analysis tools that increasingly have come to shape what information we see and who gets an opportunity to speak.

When used to evaluate people's multimedia content, these tools have key limitations that create human rights risks. This week, CDT released a new report, Do You See What I See? The Capabilities and Limitations of Automated Multimedia Content Analysis ([link removed]), that explores a variety of machine learning techniques for analyzing images, video, and audio media, and explains what automated tools can—and cannot—tell us about digital content.

The implications for policy debates ([link removed]) are wide-ranging, particularly in conversations around government mandates for upload filters, ranking and recommendation algorithms, and surveillance and examination of individuals' social media content by state actors. But no matter the real-world context, the consequences are often disproportionately borne by those in our society who are already vulnerable or disadvantaged.

While automated content analysis can be a useful tool, humans' perspectives on the meaning of online content will differ. Policymakers, companies, and the general public must understand that no amount of sophistication in machine learning technology can resolve policy questions on which humans disagree. 

In Case You Missed It

We unpacked important issues raised by the Facebook Oversight Board's Trump decision ([link removed]), including questions about Facebook's treatment of high-profile users, the Board's application of international human rights standards, and what the decision means for Trump's account, as well as those of other world leaders.

In our analysis of the Supreme Court case Mahanoy Area School District v. B.L. ([link removed]), we argued that off-campus online student speech should not fall within an exception to the First Amendment that makes it easier for schools to punish student speech when it substantially disrupts the operation of the school. The case arose when a school suspended a high schooler for comments made on Snapchat on a Saturday off school grounds, prompting the student to sue, arguing that the school violated the First Amendment.

CDT called for data gathered about vaccination patients ([link removed]) by pharmacies participating in the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program to be used for limited and necessary purposes, not commercial gain. Entities administering COVID-19 vaccines, including pharmacies, should collect only the data necessary to facilitate vaccine administration, use the data only for that purpose, and delete the data once it is no longer needed for that purpose.

CDT Advisory Council member Susan Landau released a new book, "People Count: Contact-Tracing Apps and Public Health ([link removed])." The book provides an introduction to contact-tracing technology and its usefulness for public health, and considers questions of efficacy, equity, and privacy.

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CDT in the Press

Praising President Biden's revocation of the Trump social media executive order — which CDT had sued to block — we told Reuters ([link removed]) that the order "was an attempt to use threats of retaliation to coerce social media companies into allowing disinformation and hateful speech to go unchecked." 

Emma Llansó joined Voice of America ([link removed]) to discuss the Facebook Oversight Board's decision regarding the account of former President Donald Trump.

Will Adler was quoted in a USA Today story ([link removed]) fact-checking claims that the Colonial Pipeline hacks proves election infrastructure could have been hacked. He told the paper, "election officials do a great job of insulating voting systems from the internet. Moreover, elections are highly decentralized, with thousands of jurisdictions managing elections across the country. All of that means that there is no easy central point of attach that would allow a potential cyber attacker to disrupt an election or manipulate results." 

CDT "in Person"

On April 30, CDT's Lydia X.Z. Brown presented testimony at a public hearing of the California Fair Employment and Housing Council on algorithms and bias. Lydia's testimony was part of a panel on algorithms and employment that also featured Aaron Rieke from Upturn and Pauline Kim from Washington University in St. Louis School of Law. You can read Lydia's testimony here ([link removed]), and Ridhi Shetty's post about California's efforts in this area here ([link removed]). 

Do the possibilities presented by an innovative, open, and free internet inspire you? Do you find yourself engaged in passionate discussions about responsible use of AI? Are you yearning to put your expertise to work on privacy legislation? If so, you might be a great fit for our team. You can view our open opportunities here ([link removed]).

Will we see you at RightsCon this year? CDT is proud to host a variety of panels on restoring trust in American elections, community engagement in student privacy, how to explain the internet, and building an anti-censorship ecosystem. We are also pleased to be joining valued community partners on panels about policy communication strategies, AR/VR, government surveillance, and content moderation. You can view the RightsCon 2021 schedule here ([link removed]). 

Have you listened to the latest episodes of Tech Talk ([link removed])? Join host Jamal Magby in a conversation with CDT's Free Expression Team, Emma Llansó and Caitlin Vogus, on the Facebook Oversight Board's recent decision and the big question it left unanswered: Will former President Trump be allowed back on Facebook and Instagram? 

CDT is pleased to announce our 2021 Tech Prom on Wednesday October 20, 2021, from 5:30—10:00pm at the Anthem in Washington, D.C. Tech Prom is an invitation-only evening bringing together guests from across the tech policy community. We are currently in the early stages of sponsor outreach. If you are interested in sponsoring Tech Prom, you can learn more here ([link removed]). 

Partner Spotlight

CDT is pleased to partner with the Ford Foundation on a broad array of issues, including the continued effort to include technologists in the technology policy conversation. Most recently, our work has shifted to also include the intersection of AI and disability rights and worker privacy. The Ford Foundation is dedicated to creating a world where everyone has the power to shape their lives, investing in transformative ideas, individuals, and institutions. You can learn more about Ford on their website, www.fordfoundation.org ([link removed]). 

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Staff Spotlight

Elizabeth Laird, Director, Equity in Civic Technology

How long have you been working in digital rights? I have been working on supporting the responsible use of data and technology by public agencies for the past 17 years, working on issues like advocating for the effective use of data to help students and families, implementing a restrictive state student privacy law in a way that doesn't harm students, and training an entire agency (500 staff members and 1,500 school bus drivers and attendants) on protecting student and family privacy to keep them safe and protect their well-being. 

What is your proudest moment while here at CDT? I have many, but the one that stands out is when a group of seasoned privacy professionals remarked that the meeting that we hosted was the first time that they had engaged with parents of issues of student privacy. I am very proud of our work in lifting up voices of those who have the most at stake, especially the most vulnerable. 

What is the best book you've read recently? I love to read fiction in my free time and recently read Sing Unburied Spring by the incomparable New Orleanian Jesmyn Ward. 

Cats or dogs? Yes.  

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