The Center for Internet and Society at Stanford Law School is a leader in the study of the law and policy around the Internet and other emerging technologies.
CIS in the news.
"Privacy scholar Ryan Calo has argued that creepiness in advertising can be problematic in itself. How so? He says that making people feel “creeped out” online creates harm." Read more » about FTC's Ohlhausen: Privacy Regs Could Harm Startups
"‘The biggest legal question is the fact that there are questions,’ says Bryant Walker Smith, a fellow at the Centre for Internet and Society at Stanford University Law School." Read more » about What driverless car entrepreneurs can learn from the aviation industry
"M. Ryan Calo, a University of Washington law professor with expertise in robotics and data security, notes that there are upsides to robotic warfare, like the speed at which computers can make decisions and their ability to approach problem-solving in ways that are beyond humans." Read more » about Human rights experts, activists push for ban on 'killer robots'
"Bryant Walker Smith, a lecturer at Stanford Law School who studies driverless vehicles, said there’s still no consensus on how we’ll know these cars are safe enough. Should it be as safe as the average driver or better? “NHTSA’s research will, I hope, help address these questions,” he said." Read more » about Roadmap for Driverless Cars: Five Highlights
"“Autonomous systems interacting with each other competitively can escalate quickly and unpredictably,“ says Dr. Peter Asaro, a philosopher of science at the New School and co-founder of the International Committee on Robot Arms Control." Read more » about The Pros and Cons of Killer Robots
"Even though technology companies like Google generally fear that innovation far outpaces regulation and risks being stifled by it, it has a different approach with cars than with software or cellphones because cars have been heavily regulated for decades, said Ryan Calo, a law professor at the University of Washington who co-founded the Legal Aspects of Autonomous Driving center at Stanford." Read more » about Self-Driving Cars for Testing Are Supported by U.S.
""Young people don't think about privacy of information to third parties," Hartzog said. "When they get older, it becomes more real. It largely stems from young people not thinking about their information being given to third parties, and maybe not caring."" Read more » about How much do college students care about online privacy?
"However, the level of precision that satisfies marketers is very different from the exactitude required by government agencies, says Jennifer Granick, director of civil liberties at Stanford University’s Center for Internet and Society. " Read more » about Taking a Flier on Big Data
"“In the spectrum of highly protected to lower-protected, they’re definitely on the lower end of the scale,” Ms. Ahrens said." Read more » about Beneath the Fold: The Twisted Tale of Origami v. Sarah Morris
""There's this idea that you can access information, but if you access it fast then you're a criminal," Granick said. "If anything, these are very subjective calculations that shouldn't be the basis for whether someone goes to prison."" Read more » about Scripps Employees Called 'Hackers' For Exposing Massive Security Flaw
""The face is a really intimate place and to have a piece of technology on it is unsettling," Calo said. "Much as a drone is unsettling because we have some ideas of war."" Read more » about Google's wearable Glass gadget: cool or creepy?
"“There are moral, ethical reasons to not delegate the authority to kill people to machines,” said Peter Asaro, co-founder of the International Committee for Robot Arms Control, an international nonprofit opposed to military robots."
"Lethal robots cannot be made infallible, said Patrick Lin, director of the Ethics + Emerging Sciences Group at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo." Read more » about Militaries’ growing use of ground robots raises ethics concerns
"Ryan Calo, a law professor at the University of Washington, thinks that drones will give people the jolt they need to bring our privacy laws into the 21st century." Read more » about Why Drones Make Us Nervous
A recent incident on a commercial airliner raises an interesting question: can an airline bar you from taking pictures on their plane? Read more » about Airlines Can Keep You From Snapping, But Not Sharing Photos
"According to Julie Ahrens, a lawyer who specializes in issues of copyright and fair use at the Center for Internet and Society at Stanford University, a photograph of an artwork could be considered a “derivative work,” which is “potentially a violation of the copyright holder.”" Read more » about Why Can’t We Take Pictures in Art Museums?
"In a November 2012 study, “Automated Vehicles are Probably Legal in the United States,” Stanford researcher Bryant Walker Smith analyzed the legal issues surrounding autonomous vehicles and concluded that since they aren’t explicitly addressed, the law does not prohibit their use." Read more » about Correcting Misconceptions about Autonomous Vehicles: Reason Magazine Editio
"Another panel addressed the proposition that user interface and user experience design need to be a "fundamental element" of legal tools if they are going to have mass market acceptance. Margaret Hagan, an accomplished graphic artist attending Stanford Law School, captivated the audience with her drawings which colorfully communicate legal principles graphically." Read more » about Stanford Looks to FutureLaw
From Roombas to drones, scientists are developing machines to be more and more self-sufficient. But even if they’re programmed to do good—what happens when something goes wrong? If a robot 'accidentally' kills someone, who’s to blame? Read more » about Robotic Justice
"“I think it’s right to think about shutting down the process and saying we just can’t agree,” Mr. Mayer said. “We gave it the old college try. But sometimes you can’t reach a negotiated deal.”" Read more » about Do-Not-Track Talks Could Be Running Off the Rails
"Drones put a fine point on that sense of vulnerability, and as eminent drone theorist and law professor Ryan Calo argues, can thus be seen as "privacy catalysts" that may well precipitate more comprehensive privacy protections." Read more » about Privacy Concerns Shouldn’t Ground Journalism Drones