Consumer Trust, Privacy Important in Helping Foster US Innovation, ITIF Panelists Say
Consumer trust and privacy go hand in hand with fostering technological innovation that will continue to be a challenge faced by the next president and Congress, said some panelists during an Information Technology and Innovation Foundation-sponsored discussion at the Democratic National Convention Wednesday. FTC Commissioner Terrell McSweeny said, for instance, the impact of robotics on the labor markets may not mean people are being replaced but there's more of a collaboration between robots and workers. And that's where consumer trust matters, as well as in privacy, security and data ethics by design. She said consumers need to trust products like autonomous vehicles, drones and wearables to spur their adoption.
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Facebook Chief Privacy Officer Erin Egan said innovation needs to be understandable and resonate with the average American. For example, she said artificial intelligence can help people by making it easier to understand the world. If companies and others can help people understand technology better, IoT can become "the internet of jobs." She urged more public/private partnerships, echoed by Microsoft Chief Legal Officer Brad Smith. He said the U.S. also should invest more in basic research so companies can apply that research. But even if the U.S. has autonomous vehicles the nation also needs the infrastructure -- roads and bridges -- otherwise the cars are "not going to go very far or very fast."
Rep. Suzan DelBene, D-Wash., said consumer trust also involves improving privacy protections. "I think people have had legitimate concerns about what’s happening to their information and how that’s being protected,” she said. For instance, she said the Electronic Communications Privacy Act is 30 years old and needs to be updated so a person's digital information has the same consistent protections as a piece of paper in a file drawer (see 1606090007). "People are starting to understand a little bit more that there is a disconnect sometimes between how we look at the physical world and how we look at the digital world. As policymakers we need to be better stewards of policy and update policy so there is that consistency.” This includes issues of privacy, security and interoperability.
Rep. Scott Peters, D-Calif., who like DelBene is on the House Judiciary Committee, said the implications for the First and Fourth Amendments "are really profound" as data breaches and terrorism persist. He said the business community is frustrated because Capitol Hill isn't set up to be dynamic or innovative, but it needs to be. "D.C. is set up to think backwards a little bit ... It’s 'what’s your rank,' not your idea," he added.
When asked about the FCC's proposed privacy rules for telecommunications companies, McSweeny said the FTC doesn't have jurisdiction over common carriers so it's important the FCC step in, even though having two sets of rules isn't optimal. She also said for innovation to flourish it requires more consumer trust, more competition and "smart" government, meaning it needs more technologists to work there.