Technology and Privacy

At a Glance

Cato’s research on technology policy advances a vision of free minds and free markets within the information policy, information technology, and telecommunications sectors of the American economy. Cato scholars work to address the many contentious public policy concerns and debates surrounding these important sectors, including privacy, youth online safety, identification, data security, and the information economy; the importance of free speech; the benefits of new technologies including artificial intelligence; regulation of traditional telecommunications, internet network management, and electromagnetic spectrum.

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blog

The Digital Panopticon: Why Automated Surveillance Threatens a Free Society

By Mike Fox

True accountability requires holding every link in the chain responsible: the corporations manufacturing and operating the automated tools, the jurisdictions purchasing them, and the officers executing high-risk traffic stops based on unverified alerts.

blog

The White House’s Secret AI Testing Framework Threatens Trust and Innovation

By Juan Londoño

Recent reports indicate that the White House has decided not to release its framework for voluntary testing of frontier AI models to the public. The lack of transparency around the potential new framework the White House has landed on will foster greater public distrust due to the risk of abuse and cronyism. This defeats the very purpose the framework aims to achieve.

Commentary

U.S. Customs Officers Want Your Password? It’s an Insidious Trap.

By Mike Fox

Your privacy rights don’t disappear at the border.

blog

Are Algorithms Enabling Automated Collusion?

By Christopher Gardner and Juan Londoño

There are concerns among policymakers that algorithmic pricing could facilitate otherwise unlawful collusion among competitors. However, with a few notable exceptions, it usually fosters competitive behavior. It reduces the costs of monitoring and responding to market conditions, thereby making an old process more efficient.