November 16, 2013

Federal Trade Commissioner Julie Brill Visits the Lab

The Tech Policy Lab was honored to host Commissioner Julie Brill of the Federal Trade Commission at the University of Washington, School of Law on November 13. Commissioner Brill met with students and faculty to discuss her career in public service and current issues in digital privacy. Below are her answers to some questions discussed […]

October 29, 2013

An End to Cookie Tracking? – Prof. Calo quoted by The Wall Street Journal

The Wall Street Journal

The Wall Street Journal is saying "The end could be near for cookies, the tiny pieces of code that marketers deploy on Web browsers to track people's online movements, serve targeted advertising and amass valuable user profiles."

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 […]