On May 2, 2019, Francella Ochillo, the National Hispanic Media Coalition’s Vice President & General Counsel, presented at Public Knowledge’s Emerging Tech for Social Change Conference in Washington, DC. The conference focused on what policies need to be in place to ensure that artificial intelligence, virtual reality, 3D Printing, and the internet of things are used for social good. Members of Congress, staffers, public interest groups, and industry leaders gathered to discuss policy solutions that would positively impact marginalized communities.
Ms. Ochillo’s comments focused on concerns about digital colonialism, evidence of how local and federal government agencies have contributed to data sharing harms, and why digital literacy was an essential component of any privacy framework. Other panelists, including Sean Perryman (Internet Association), Mutale Nkonde (Data & Society), Gabrielle Rejouis (Georgetown’s Center on Privacy & Technology), and Leonard Bruce (Gila River Indian Community), discussed digital harms to communities of color and the need to include marginalized voices in policy debates.