The Aspen Institute

Socrates Salons include a public panel and reception on Friday and a day-long seminar on Saturday (8:30 am – 3:00 pm). Hosted in partnership with the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, the Chicago Salon will consider privacy, surveillance, and the impact of technology on democratic ideals.

Data and Democracy: The State of Privacy and Surveillance

With the expansive role of tech platforms, the consumption of information in digital spaces, and increased connectivity, the arenas of discourse and social interaction have become new sites of regulatory dilemmas. Does the widespread availability of personal data justify the government’s need for covert surveillance or does it make secrecy obsolete and unnecessary? The seminar will explore issues of liberty (e.g., issues relating to the freedom to communicate, freedom to connect, the right of privacy, and the right to be forgotten), security, and the impact of technologies on democracy around the world. Are they “technologies of freedom” or oppression? Recent revelations from Facebook and Google have redefined the debate about the proper balance between privacy and transparency. In this seminar, we will have a wide-ranging discussion about where to draw the line.

The Friday panel will feature Michelle Richardson, Director of the Data & Privacy Project at the Center for Democracy and Technology, in conversation with leading experts about the state of privacy and surveillance.

Register to attend just the Friday panel here. Tickets are $10 for Chicago Council Members and $20 for Nonmembers.

The seminar will be moderated by Michelle Richardson, Director of the Data & Privacy Project at the Center for Democracy and Technology.

Register to attend the Socrates Salon here. (A ticket to the Friday panel is included in your tuition.)