Policy Analysis

My work explores the intersection of basic needs, technology, governance by rethinking systems and institutions to be innovative and re-designed for citizens.

 
Jordan Shapiro Jordan Shapiro

PPI Blog: To prepare for the future of the digital economy, we need to increase chip manufacturing

Congress has the opportunity to increase chip manufacturing in the United States through the United States Innovation and Competition Act from the Senate, or the America Creating Opportunities for Manufacturing, Pre-Eminence in Technology and Economic Strength (COMPETES) Act from the House. Unfortunately, a stalemate over semi-unrelated trade provisions in the bill are preventing its passage, delaying $52 billion in funding provisioned to increase production in the United States. Continued stalemate is bad news for the future of the American economy.

Read More
Jordan Shapiro Jordan Shapiro

PPI Report: Why is digital privacy so complicated?

The exact definition of digital privacy is complex, imperfectly aligned with typical understandings of privacy in an analog context. Historically, the vast majority of human actions and interactions existed beyond the scope of surveillance. Today, it’s nearly impossible to go about our daily lives without digital tools that facilitate modern life, but also collect data about individuals. When this growing flood of data is linked to an individual it is called “personal identifying information” (PII), the centerpiece of the debate over digital privacy.

Read More
Jordan Shapiro Jordan Shapiro

PPI Blog: Mobile IDs would serve American consumers better

How can we move the humble state driver’s license or ID card into the 21st century? Today, U.S. state licenses are the principal consumer ID for day-to-day purposes. They certify identity and age using anti-counterfeiting features and are used to verify driving, or non-driving, privileges.

However, some states are using existing and well-tested technology to make their state ID cards more useful and more private at the same time without compromising security: digital ID.

Read More
Jordan Shapiro Jordan Shapiro

Grey box testing for AI Transparency

With greater numbers of states, national governments, and supranational groups seeking to regulate big tech on anti-trust and anti-competitive guidelines, a major question arises: where are technology companies causing the most harm? With services provided mostly free of monetary compensation, anti-trust does not go to the heart of power in tech. Instead, it is their ability to use customer data, exploit their privacy, and implement their technologies in public and private contexts with zero oversight. Government oversite of algorithms and source code and standardization of anti-discrimination guidelines are essential to ensuring technology is for public good.

Read More
Jordan Shapiro Jordan Shapiro

Machine Readable Laws: Macro-considerations for government digitalization strategy

Covid-19 galvanized governments to speed up their adoption of digital tools. Current regulations and infrastructure are not ready to meet full-scale digitization by governments, calling for a macro-strategy to redesign how governments interface with technology.

This article begins to explore plans for government adoption of technology through the lens of machine-readable laws.

Read More