Tech Policy Lab

Course Information

Registration Information

Meeting Times

Day Time Location
MON, WED 2:15 - 3:30 pm TNH 3.129

Evaluation Method

Type Date Time Location
None

Description

We live in the age of data.  Our phones, our wallets, our watches, and our cars spew out digital breadcrumbs about our lives.  This data turns out to be quite valuable, and a number of governmental and commercial bodies now sort, aggregate, monetize, interpret, and even steal these digital scraps. For many of us, this data exchange has become a regular feature of life in the 21st century – a feature with significant benefits and significant costs.  How should judges and legislators respond?  This course will examine some of the legal and policy questions posed by emerging technologies.  Relevant areas of inquiry include: privacy; ethics; entrepreneurship; international law; national security; corporate strategy; and much more.  The course will provide an overview of the pressing technology policy questions facing individuals, governments, and Internet firms today.   Each class will feature a current tech policy question – such as “should Congress require internet companies to maintain the ability to decrypt their encrypted data?” or “should the 4th Amendment apply to data stored abroad?” – and a related set of readings.  Grades will be based on end-of-semester projects and overall course performance.  There are no prerequisites.  Enrollment will be capped at 18 students.

Instructors

Headshot of Woods, Andrew K. Woods, Andrew K.
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Important Class Changes

Date Updated
04/28/2017 Exam information updated
Instructor(s) updated