“Slow down, cowboys” — that’s what Senator Kamala Harris (D-California) said when prosecutors in her office wanted to bring a case against companies that let apps download someone’s entire address book, because surely that’s a complete violation of privacy?! The issue was a perfect example of the perfect storm playing out right now between existing laws and new technologies that are evolving faster than laws can.
So how do we move forward, bringing transparency and even more openness — while also protecting privacy and safety (especially of those who are vulnerable)? The problem is that many litigators and legislators are unfortunately faced with false choices: to be “soft” on crime or “hard” on crime, for example, when the answer is to be “smart” on crime instead.
Born and bred in the world’s 6th-largest economy — that is, the state of California, where she was once District Attorney, then Attorney General, and is now U.S. Senator — Harris shares not just “protocols and procedures, but perspective” in this episode of the CFI Podcast recorded as part our annual CFI Tech Policy Summit, in Washington, D.C., last month.
Kamala Harris
Matt Spence
The CFI Podcast discusses the most important ideas within technology with the people building it. Each episode aims to put listeners ahead of the curve, covering topics like AI, energy, genomics, space, and more.