Panel — Anonymity and Freedom

Americans in the age of COVID-19 are relying more than ever on digital networks to work, socialize, and learn—which makes safeguarding the privacy and security of those networks even more essential. The 2021 Cato Surveillance Conference brings together an outstanding lineup of academics, technologists, policymakers, and privacy advocates to discuss the most pressing topics in privacy and digital civil liberties, kicking off with a keynote address from Sen. Ron Wyden (D‑OR). Speakers will examine how the “surveillance‐​industrial complex” is increasingly outsourcing surveillance that used to be the exclusive province of intelligence agencies to a burgeoning private surveillance industry. We’ll look at how a year of virtual classrooms has given rise to a disturbing trend of schools employing spyware to monitor students. We’ll explore how anonymity—increasingly the scapegoat for everything toxic about online culture—is crucial to free speech and a vibrant culture of dissent. And we’ll demonstrate just how vulnerable the ubiquitous “Internet of Things” makes us with a live hacking demonstration. Join us live online, streaming from the Cato Institute.

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