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PODCAST

Explain to Shane

Technology has become increasingly important to policy debates, but these debates won’t be productive without an understanding of how the technology in question works. AEI Visiting Fellow Shane Tews interviews tech industry experts to explain how the apps, services, and structures of today"s information technology systems work, and how they shape our social and economic life.

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All Episodes

21:12

How Congress Could Make Your Smartphone Less Secure...

Explain to Shane ·

2022/04/05

At a time when cybersecurity is more important than ever, Congress is taking steps to weaken the security of your mobile device. By forcing app-store operators to allow “sideloading” — the unvetted downloading of any app or software from the open internet — bad actors could have a fast lane to your personal data and information. Furthermore, letting these platforms retain control over their digital marketplaces is crucial as both a physical and information war rages on in Ukraine. Why is Congress

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35:40

Why computer chips have major geopolitical and...

Explain to Shane ·

2022/03/15

Should US semiconductor chip manufacturers move their fabrication plants onto American soil? Should we be offering migration incentives for high-tech chip engineers from Taiwan in order to onshore design and engineering? What role, if at all, should the government play in subsidizing the construction of these plants for US companies? These and other questions remain unsettled when it comes to the geopolitical challenges around semiconductor design, production, and trade.On this episode of “Explain

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27:56

Does the chip industry need a boost from big...

Explain to Shane ·

2022/03/01

Is industrial policy making a comeback? Congressional legislation and industry representatives have encouraged the US government to put federal funds toward shoring up the domestic semiconductor industry to compete with China. Europe likewise appears poised to spend large sums of government money on its chip industry as part of a reaction to the global chip shortage.While free-market advocates who previously warned against heavy government spending seem to be on board, there are others who say the

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23:18

Communications infrastructure and America’s connected...

Explain to Shane ·

2022/02/15

What does federal broadband funding mean for the physical side of US internet networks? How do interagency battles over next-generation network deployment impact the daily operations of tower climbers, technicians, and engineers?ShaneinterviewsTodd Schlekeway, president and CEO ofNATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association, on the latest episode of “Explain to Shane.” They discuss how NATE’s members are navigating today’s telecommunications policy issues and working to power both

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26:24

What will the next generation of the internet look...

Explain to Shane ·

2022/02/01

The next generation of the internet, also known as Web3, seeks to permanently change the way our online world functions — namely through blockchain technology, decentralization, and token-based economics. What are the underlying technologies behind Web3, and can it solve the many policy issues we still haven’t gotten right with today’s internet?On this episode, Shane is joined by Gabrielle Hibbert, a Web3 researcher and developer, to discuss the opportunities and challenges posed by Web3, and how

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35:42

A potential breaking point for tech antitrust (with...

Explain to Shane ·

2022/01/18

Several bills seeking to restructure American antitrust law are moving forward in both bodies of Congress. The bills specifically target Big Tech firms — namely Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google — though they follow arbitrary metrics for “bigness,” and don’t address lawmakers’ main concerns with tech platforms. Meanwhile, the Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission are also stepping up enforcement against Big Tech. With a Senate markup approaching for one of the bills, we must ask: Is

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21:26

Can technology improve supply chain management? (with...

Explain to Shane ·

2022/01/04

As today’s supply chain challenges create bottlenecks across the economy, consumers and businesses of all sizes are dealing with unprecedented situations involving lack of component parts, trapped inventory, and delayed deliveries. But what if we could digitize parts of the supply chain and make them more efficient? Where, if at all, can technology contribute?On this episode of “Explain to Shane,”Shaneis joined byGlenn Richey, Harbert Eminent Scholar and chair of Auburn University’s Center for

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36:52

Unpacking the complexities of online content...

Explain to Shane ·

2021/12/21

The debate around online content moderation is not slowing down. People remain bitterly divided over whether social media platforms should take down more content, or not moderate at all. But this issue is not limited to the US: Across the world, authoritarian regimes are using online censorship to silence dissenters, and are retaliating against citizens who share certain content online. How are content moderation experts working to solve these ever-complex issues? On this episode, Shane is joined by

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29:12

How is cybersecurity law being constructed? (with Jim...

Explain to Shane ·

2021/12/07

The extent to which lawyers, corporate executives, and government officials focus on cybersecurity fluctuates with the threat level posed by malicious cyber actors. In light of numerous ransomware attacks on critical industries, lawmakers are looking at more regulatory obligations to mitigate the risks these threats pose. Companies, meanwhile, are working to comply with a chaotic patchwork of rules and regulations. The field of cybersecurity law is not systematic, and industries are working through

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22:22

A privacy-friendly digital wallet for children (with...

Explain to Shane ·

2021/11/16

How can children enjoy the groundbreaking innovations of the digital age with sufficient guardrails around their personal data? What existing laws and regulations aim to protect children online, and what steps must businesses of all sizes take to comply with them?On this episode of “Explain to Shane,”Shanesits down withRick Lane, founder and CEO of Iggy Ventures, to discuss why his firm chose to advise and invest inRego Digital Architectures’Mazoolaapp. Mazoola is the only independently certified

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21:38

A spectrum roadblock for the wireless industry (with...

Explain to Shane ·

2021/11/10

For several years, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has been working to modernize the use of key sections of spectrum airwaves — known as C-band — for commercial deployment. Through a series of auctions, the FCC sold the license rights to C-band airwaves to commercial 5G mobile telecommunications providers, unleashing a massive wave of private investment to enable 5G deployment. But the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recentlywarnedthat using C-band for 5G could interfere with air

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25:08

A co-author of Section 230 on the law’s past,...

Explain to Shane ·

2021/11/02

Congress passed Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act in 1996 when the internet was just coming onto the horizon for commercial use, and there was a need to protect nascent platforms from liability for user-generated content. Often coined “the 26 words that created the internet,” Section 230 is widely credited for fostering the innovative ecosystem that created today’s successful social media firms. But a continued controversy over online content moderation has now made Section 230 a target

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27:02

Analyzing Congress' skirmish with Big Tech (with...

Explain to Shane ·

2021/10/19

With five bills introduced to the House Judiciary Committee in June of this year, Congress is moving swiftly to rein in what it sees as the market power and abusive business practices of “Big Tech” firms — namely Apple, Amazon, Facebook, and Alphabet Inc.’s Google. What is behind Congress’ push for new antitrust laws targeted at these companies, and how would these laws impact consumers? On this episode, Shane and AEI co-host Mark Jamison are joined by NetChoice Policy Counsel Jennifer Huddleston

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16:04

What’s going on at the Federal Trade Commission?...

Explain to Shane ·

2021/10/07

Under Chairwoman Lina Khan’s leadership, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is undergoing a number of process reforms that are poised to make the commission less democratic by allocating more power to the chair herself. If successful, what impact will these reforms have on the future of the commission — and on the laws it’s tasked with enforcing? In the second episode of a two-part discussion, Shane and AEI Nonresident Senior Fellow Mark Jamison continue a conversation with Bilal Sayyed on how

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27:46

What’s going on at the Federal Trade Commission?...

Explain to Shane ·

2021/10/05

Under Chairwoman Lina Khan’s leadership, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is undergoing a number of process reforms that are poised to make the commission less democratic by allocating more power to the chair herself. If successful, what impact will these reforms have on the future of the commission — and on the laws it’s tasked with enforcing? In the first episode of a two-part discussion, Shane and AEI Nonresident Senior Fellow Mark Jamison co-host a conversation with Bilal Sayyed, former

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34:42

Should Section 230 be reformed? (with Neil Fried)

Explain to Shane ·

2021/09/21

Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act shields online intermediaries such as social media platforms from civil liability for content users post — and reply comments — but also allows them to moderate illegal, lewd, or otherwise harmful content as they see fit. These dual protections afforded to internet-based companies by Section 230 have been credited for the innovation and growth of social media companies, but the law is often criticized across partisan lines. Does Section 230 invite too

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31:18

How data privacy laws have upended international...

Explain to Shane ·

2021/09/07

As countries impose new requirements on data collection and governance, the flow of consumer data between countries and business entities is more restricted than ever. For companies that need to comply with these new regulations, it can be challenging to build compliance tools around a patchwork of national laws without upending their fundamental business models. What does the regulatory landscape of today’s data governance world look like? And where, if at all, can regulators, trade experts, and

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29:16

How are tech firms weathering the challenges of...

Explain to Shane ·

2021/08/17

Today, technology companies are facing some of their largest security, supply chain, and regulatory threats ever. Members of Congress, the administration, and Federal Trade Commission are trying to require that firms allow anyone, anywhere to repair their consumer devices — at a high cost to product quality and individual security. Meanwhile, cyberattacks and data breaches are on the rise, and while trying to get next-generation 5G products off the ground, both software and hardware providers are

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29:30

Understanding the ‘splinternet’ and online security...

Explain to Shane ·

2021/08/03

The potential for a fragmented, decentralized global internet (or “splinternet”) is a concern on many levels. Two aspects of internet governance are at play here: the technical aspects of connectivity (or lack thereof), and content delivery — in essence, what material is permitted, censored, or filtered. As China, Russia, and authoritarian-leaning regimes advance top-down visions of the internet that reflect their national interests, will the internet fragment further? And what would moving away

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30:38

‘Privacy by design’: How to engineer better data...

Explain to Shane ·

2021/07/20

Efforts to legislate data protection (or “privacy”) have become a top priority in the US and Europe. But the real issue at hand is data governance — namely the collection, storage, and deletion of data that companies collect about customers. These companies, especially those whose mobile digital applications collect location data, contacts, and other personal information, now face a patchwork of potential legislation to regulate data access and retention. But what if engineers and corporate leaders

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136 results

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