October 25, 2013

Welcome to the New Home of the Tech Policy Lab

Dr. Friedman, Dr. Kohno, and I are delighted to launch this collaboration, aimed at enhancing technology policy through interdisciplinary research. We are three faculty members at the University of Washington that work on privacy, security, integrity, human rights, and other overlapping issues from different perspectives. Together with our students, interns, and managing fellow, we intend […]

October 3, 2013

Tech Policy Lab Co-Directors Quoted in FTC Report on the Internet of Things

FTC

In 2013 the FTC hosted a workshop on The Internet of Things: Privacy and Security in a Connected World where Lab Faculty Directors Ryan Calo and Yoshi Kohno participated in panels. The below report includes Co-Director Kohno’s recommendation that security should be designed into every IoT product, at every stage of development, including early on in the design cycle of a technology.

Problematic Advertising Strategy – Ryan Calo featured in The Atlantic

Ryan Calo’s research on Digital Market Manipulation is featured in a new piece by Rebecca Rosen in The Atlantic. “Most of the time, targeted ads are pretty harmless. You searched for a flight to Denver? Here are some hotels in Denver. You looked for new running sneakers? Here are a few options. But a new “study” from marketing […]

September 12, 2013

University of Washington Launches Interdisciplinary Tech Policy Lab with $1.7 million Founding Gift from Microsoft

University of Washington Launches Interdisciplinary Tech Policy Lab with $1.7 million Founding Gift from Microsoft SEATTLE, Washington – September 13, 2013 –The University of Washington announced today the launch of a pioneering laboratory designed to examine cutting-edge issues such as cybersecurity, consumer privacy and online censorship, and to improve national policies on new technologies. Leaders from […]

The Seattle Times Covers Our Launch

A new piece by Briar Dudley on the Seattle Times discusses creation of the Tech Policy Lab. “A new think tank addressing tech policy issues such as privacy, security and censorship is being launched today at the University of Washington. Called the Tech Policy Lab, it’s an interdisciplinary program involving the UW’s School of Law, […]

Launch Featured on Geekwire

Geekwire

Geekwire posted about the launch of the Tech Policy Lab: "The formation of the lab comes at a critical time in consumer privacy, as a result of the NSA data surveillance controversy. Microsoft and other large tech companies have been objecting to restrictions on the amount of information the companies can release about the user data they’ve been compelled to turn over to the government."

September 11, 2013

Sales Pitches From Your Refrigerator (New York Times)

Everyday devices are getting smarter, more connected. Soon your refrigerator will tell you when it’s time to buy milk. But as long as the fridge is making suggestions, why not suggest a particular brand? And did you know you can save 10 cents if you also buy the same brand’s new ice cream? Read Ryan’s […]

September 5, 2013

What Does It Really Matter If Companies Are Tracking Us Online? (The Atlantic)

The Atlantic explores the erosion of online privacy through the lens of Ryan Calo’s “Digital Market Manipulation”: A new paper by professor Ryan Calo at the University of Washington goes the furthest I have seen in elucidating the potential harms of digital-ad targeting. And his argument basically boils down to this: This isn’t about the […]

September 1, 2013

How Online Advertisers Could Use Your Data Against You

We all know about the data being collected on us by advertisers while we’re online. But what are the ethical ramifications of collecting this data? Ryan Calo, professor at the University of Washington, has written on the future of digital marketing in the Stanford Law Review Online and joins Marketplace Tech host Ben Johnson to discuss the different […]

March 5, 2013

Bad laws would hurt good drones

Ryan Calo writes at CNN on the uneasy collision of drones and privacy: An Alitalia passenger jet pilot said he saw a drone over Brooklyn on Monday. Whether it’s true or not — the Federal Aviation Administration is investigating — we are going to be hearing more and more about drones in American skies.