The Cato Surveillance Week online series brings together an outstanding lineup of academics, technologists, policymakers, and privacy advocates to discuss the most pressing topics in privacy and digital civil liberties.
Surveillance Series
Monday • October 7, 2024 • 1 – 2 PM EDT
Federal Surveillance Reform: Achievements and Unfinished Business
Have officials in the executive branch and Congress learned anything from surveillance mistakes and overreaches? How many other surveillance programs and authorities that potentially threaten the privacy and even constitutional rights of Americans have yet to be subjected to meaningful oversight?
Featuring:
- Sean Vitka, Policy Director, Demand Progress
- Liza Goitein, Senior Director of the Liberty and National Security Program, Brennan Center for Justice
- David Aaron, Former DOJ National Security Attorney
- moderated by Patrick Eddington, Senior Fellow, Cato Institute
Tuesday • October 8, 2024 • 1 – 2 PM EDT
State and Local Law Enforcement: Trends in Policing and the Law and Technology Surrounding It
In the four years since nationwide protests against police misconduct rocked the nation, momentum for police reform has stalled. At the same time, state and local law enforcement entities are constantly seeking to upgrade their abilities to conduct various forms of surveillance—whether using traditional human informants or emerging digital or forensic technologies. These developments arguably represent major day-to-day threats to individual rights.
Featuring:
- Radley Balko, Freelance Criminal Justice Journalist and Founder, The Watch
- Albert Fox Cahn, Founder and Executive Director, Surveillance Technology Oversight Project
- Jay Stanley, Senior Policy Analyst ACLU Speech, Privacy, and Technology Project
- moderated by Patrick Eddington, Senior Fellow, Cato Institute
Thursday • October 10, 2024 • 1 – 2 PM EDT
Government Surveillance and Journalism: The Threat Landscape
Journalists have been the targets of government surveillance, harassment, and violence for over a century—both in America and abroad. Modern surveillance technologies—facial recognition, artificial intelligence, spyware, and more—make it increasingly easy for governments to track not only journalists but also their sources, putting both at risk.
Featuring:
- Carlos Martinez de la Serna, Director of Programs, Committee to Protect Journalists
- Allie Funk, Technology and Democracy Initiative Lead, Freedom House
- Harlo Holmes, Chief Information Security Officer and Director of Digital Security, Free Press Foundation
- moderated by Patrick Eddington, Senior Fellow, Cato Institute
Friday • December 6, 2024 • 1 – 2 PM EST
Human vs. Machine: The Promise and Peril of Artificial Intelligence in the Law Enforcement Context
The development and deployment of artificial intelligence (AI) software for a range of applications has sparked intense debate over its implications for privacy and surveillance in multiple contexts. At the same time, police organizations argue that AI could help revolutionize and speed up police investigations by allowing for faster identification of crime suspects or missing or kidnapped persons.
Featuring:
- Orin S. Kerr, William G. Simon Professor of Law, University of California, Berkley Law School
- Don Bell, Policy Counsel, Project on Government Oversight
- Esha Bhandari, Deputy Director of the Speech, Privacy, and Technology Project, American Civil Liberties Union
- moderated by Patrick Eddington, Senior Fellow, Cato Institute