Evolving Technology Requires New Solutions

Manning Hall, the home of the School of Information and Library SciencesHow can internet users speak freely online while also being protected from harmful content? How can real security threats from foreign technology products be addressed without depriving people of apps they use daily? How can technology better protect minors, while still giving them access to innovative, private online experiences? These are the questions that now dominate conversations surrounding technology. A new center at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill aims to answer them.

The Center on Technology Policy, housed in the UNC School of Information and Library Science, launched on April 21 and aims to offer public policy solutions that can inform lawmakers in developing tech policy. As a result, emerging technologies can be regulated to minimize user risks and maximize benefits.

“Our goal is for the Center on Technology Policy to offer an affirmative vision for public policy that will improve our tech products and online content,” Matt Perault, CTP’s director. To achieve this, CTP plans to release policy briefs, podcasts, research papers and other materials to guide tech policy development and provide resources to the public on informed internet technology use.

CTP will build on the interdisciplinary strengths of UNC-Chapel Hill, and hopes to partner with the SILS research team and other technology-oriented groups across Carolina’s campus, such as the UNC Center on Information, Technology and Public Life, the UNC School of Law, and the UNC Center for Media Law and Policy.

The Center for Technology Policy is funded by private organizations and corporations.

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