Colorado Senator Mark Udall will offer welcoming remarks at the Technology Policy Institute’s Aspen Forum, scheduled for August 21-23. Senator Udall, elected to the U.S. Senate in 2008 after serving five terms as Representative of Colorado’s 2nd district, has worked to promote the development of Colorado’s aerospace industry, and the clean energy and high technology sectors. Senator Udall currently serves on the Senate Armed Services Committee, the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, and the Select Committee on Intelligence.
Press Releases
Better Data Needed on Data Privacy and Security Issues
Without substantially better data and analysis, policymakers cannot make informed decisions concerning data privacy and security legislation, stated Thomas Lenard in testimony before the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. During the hearing, “Privacy and Data Security: Protecting Consumers in the Modern World,” Lenard also stressed that data privacy and security are different issues and should be dealt with separately by policymakers.
Aspen Panel: Information and Privacy: In Search of a Data-Driven Policy
Data privacy raises issues that are central to the health of the Internet ecosystem and will be a major focus of this year’s TPI Aspen Forum. While proposals have emanated from the Federal Trade Commission, the Department of Commerce, and Congress, few data exist on the nature and extent of the problem and how proposed privacy regulations would impact consumers. Distinguished speakers from academia, government and industry will debate the future of privacy policy during the discussion panel, “Information and Privacy: In Search of a Data-Driven Policy.” The TPI Aspen Forum is scheduled for August 21 – 23 in Aspen, Colorado.
Little Risk of Re-Identification through Health Data
Properly anonymized health data pose little risk of patient identification, state Jane Yakowitz and Daniel Barth-Jones in “The Illusory Privacy Problem in Sorrell v. IMS Health,” published today by the Technology Policy Institute. Moreover, if the Department of Health and Human Services were to abandon the distinction between personally identifiable and anonymized data (as the Federal Trade Commission has done in its recent report) “the result would be nothing short of disastrous for health care improvements and medical research,” according to the authors.
ICANN Should Move Toward Greater Private Sector Accountability
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers should be more accountable to its private sector users, state Thomas Lenard and Lawrence White in �Improving ICANN’s Governance and Accountability: A Policy Proposal,� published in the latest issue of Information Economics and Policy. Instead of increased government involvement, as some have been advocating, Lenard and White recommend ICANN be governed by its direct users, the registries and registrars, as a way of improving accountability, a longstanding issue with ICANN.
Event – Spectrum Incentive Auctions: the Nuts, Bolts and Economics
The FCC and the Administration want to make 120 MHz of spectrum currently used for broadcast available for other, presumably higher-value, wireless uses. Policymakers are proposing using voluntary auctions to encourage broadcasters to sell their licenses, but questions remain on how these incentive auctions would work in practice. Discussion at “Spectrum Incentive Auctions: the Nuts, Bolts and Economics,” hosted by the Technology Policy Institute, will focus on the economics of auctions and how spectrum incentive auctions should be structured to provide the most efficient outcomes for stakeholders. Discussants will also answer questions submitted by attendees. Questions can be submitted anonymously on the TPI website.
Tech Entrepreneur Peter Thiel to Speak at TPI Aspen Forum
Peter Thiel, technology entrepreneur, investor, and philanthropist, will join other notable keynote speakers at the Technology Policy Institute’s 2011 Aspen Forum, scheduled for August 21 – 23. Thiel, co-founder of PayPal and investor in such tech companies as Facebook, LinkedIn, and SpaceX, is expected to share his perspective on the current economy and the environment for innovation in the technology sector.
USF Reform Should Include Low-Income Subsides, Competitive Auctions
Transitioning the use of universal service funds to subsidize broadband creates a unique opportunity to reform the program. Reforms should include a focus on low-income subsides and competitive bidding in high-cost service areas, explain Scott Wallsten and Gregory Rosston in “The Path to Universal Broadband: Why We Should Grant Low-Income Subsides, and Use Auctions and Experiments to Determine the Specifics” recently published by The Economists’ Voice.
TPI Aspen Forum Preview Agenda Now Available
A preview agenda is now available for the Technology Policy Institute Aspen Forum, scheduled this year for August 21 – 23. Confirmed keynote speakers include Congresswoman Mary Bono Mack, Chair of the Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Dale Jorgenson, Samuel W. Morris University Professor at Harvard University, and Mark McLaughlin, President and Chief Executive Officer of Verisign.
Benefits from Information Collection Outweigh Costs
Economic analysis shows that the benefits of online information collection, such as ad-supported applications and content, greatly outweigh any costs or risks, state Paul Rubin and Michael Hammock in “Applications Want to be Free: Privacy Against Information,” released today by the Technology Policy Institute. Current arguments for increased privacy regulation are not based on economic theory or evidence and instead rely on anecdotes or a perceived inherent “right” to privacy online. As a result, policymakers should be leery of making radical changes to the current privacy regime without carefully considering the economic consequences.