Global Technology Policy Newsletter June 2017
ACM PUBLIC POLICY HIGHLIGHTS
ACM provides independent, nonpartisan, and technology-neutral research and resources to policy leaders, stakeholders, and the public about public policy issues, as drawn from the deep technical expertise of the computing community.
ACM Code of Ethics 2018 – The deadline for public feedback on Draft 2 has been extended until June 5, 2017. This is the last opportunity to comment before the final version.
Internet of Things Privacy and Security – The ACM U.S. Public Policy Council and the ACM Europe Council Policy Committee jointly released a Statement on Internet of Things Privacy and Security addressing existing and expected privacy and security concerns in the IoT ecosystem.
Algorithmic Transparency and Accountability – Recognizing the ubiquity of algorithms in our daily lives, as well as their far-reaching impact, the ACM US Public Policy Council and the ACM Europe Council Policy Committee issued a joint Statement on Algorithmic Transparency and Accountability with a list of seven principles designed to address potential harmful bias. The ACM U.S. Public Policy Council approved the principles earlier this year. The joint statement demonstrates and affirms their shared support for principles to help minimize the potential for harm in algorithmic decision making.
Algorithmic Bias – The Co-Chair of the Algorithmic Working Group of the ACM U.S. Public Policy Council, Jeanna Matthews, is quoted in this article on use of algorithmic tools for data-informed decisions published in The Register in the United Kingdom.
Computer and Network Security – The ACM U.S. Public Policy Council issued a set of guidelines for organizations to protect the security of their computing and network systems. In its Statement on Computing and Network Security, the Council identified nine principles that entities should follow to protect their systems from threats. The group highlights the need for robust protections to secure computing and network systems and proposes that these recommendations be adopted going forward.
Computer Science Education – The ACM Education Policy Committee co-sponsored a briefing for congressional staff on policy issues related to computer science and other STEM fields on May 10, 2017. The briefing attracted more than 100 congressional staff and education policy leaders.
Cybersecurity Education – The ACM Joint Task Force on Cybersecurity Education will release its next version of the international curriculum guidelines for public comment during the month of June.
Data Science Education – The video and presentations from last month’s National Academies of Sciences’ Roundtable on Data Science Postsecondary Education are now available. ACM is a sponsor of the roundtable series.
Data Science Education – ACM is sponsoring a special lecture on “Data Science: A Collaboration of Statistics and Computer Science” with speakers Lise Getoor, University of California, Santa Cruz, and Robert Tibshirani, Stanford University, at the Joint Statistical Meetings (JSM2017) on July 31 in Baltimore, Maryland. More than 6,000 attendees from 52 countries are expected to attend.
Apply to Attend the ACM Europe Summer School on Data Science – The first ACM Europe Summer School on Data Science will take place in Athens on 13-19 July 2017. The deadline for applications is 7 June 2017.
50th Celebration ACM A.M. Turing Award – Watch the live stream of the 50 Years of the ACM Turing Award Celebration Conference on 23-24 June 2017. World renowned computer scientists will address privacy, security, digital preservation, high-performance computing, and computing ethics in an environment increasingly reliant on the use of algorithms in decision making by the public and private sectors.
Register for the ACM Europe Conference 2017 – The ACM Europe Council will hold its ACM Europe Conference on 6-8 September 2017 in Barcelona, Spain. Panels will address leading emergent technology and policy issues.
ACM SIG News – AI Matters, a newsletter of ACM SIGAI, features an article on the ACM U.S. Public Policy Council and an article on the USACM-EUACM Statement on Algorithmic Transparency and Accountability, authored by SIGAI Policy Officer Larry Medsker.
Upcoming ACM Public Policy Meetings
• The ACM Europe Council Policy Committee will hold a monthly conference call.
• The ACM U.S. Public Policy Council governance body will hold a bimonthly call on July 18, 2017 to discuss next steps for policy projects related to algorithms, big data, Internet of Things, cybersecurity, voting systems, privacy, security, digital governance, accessibility, and intellectual property.
• The ACM Education Policy Committee will hold a small working group call on postsecondary computing education to discuss further the report on effective transfers of students from 2-year institutions to 4-year institutions.
EUROPE HIGHLIGHTS
Digital Assembly 2017 – Registration is open for the Digital Assembly 2017 on 15-16 June in Malta. The event is co-organized by the European Commission and the Maltese Presidency of the Council of the European Union. Workshops and panel discussions will explore how to make the most of the digital transformation, the challenges and opportunities of the data economy, strengthening the critical infrastructures of IoT devices, and digital disruption.
Artificial Intelligence – A Plenary Session of the European Parliament’s Economic and Social Committee on 31 May – 1 June will debate the future of artificial intelligence and the legal and regulatory implications. Watch the live webcast.
Computing Research – The European Commission published the results of the Horizon 2020 Interim Evaluation.
Automated Vehicles – Members of the European Union and of the European Economic Area have agreed to test crossborder corridors for connected and automated vehicles.
Free Wi-Fi in Public Spaces – The European Commission proposes to install state-of-the-art Wi-Fi equipment to provide free Wi-Fi connectivity for citizens and visitors in public spaces such as parks, squares, public building, libraries, and museums everywhere in Europe.
Europe – Opportunities for Public Input
Review of the Significant Market Power (SMP) Guidelines
The European Commission has opened a public consultation on the review of the SMP Guidelines of 2002 in view to update them in time for the implementation of the new European Electronic Communications Code.
European Commission
Deadline: 26 June 2017
Database Evaluation of the Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) Directive
European Commission
Deadline: 28 July 2017
Modernising the Regulations Establishing the .eu Top-Level Domain Name
European Commission
Deadline: 4 August 2017
Database Directive: Application and Impact
European Commission
Deadline: 30 August 2017
UNITED STATES HIGHLIGHTS
Copyright – On June 1-2, the National Institute of Standards and Technology will hold its 2nd NIST Big Data Public Working Group Workshop for the NIST Big Data and Interoperability Framework. The workshop will explore how to foster an interoperable ecosystem, application challenges, analytics challenges, and exascale big data analytics and systems. A webcast will be available.
Privacy and Security – The Federal Trade Commission will hold a workshop on “Connected Cars: Privacy, Security Issues Related to Connected, Automated Vehicles” on June 28, 2017. The workshop is free and open to the public. Advance registration is not required but is strongly encouraged. A webcast will be available.
Technical Report on Internet of Things – The U.S. Government Accountability Office released a 78-page technical report on “Internet of Things: Status and Implications of an Increasingly Connected World.” The report discusses information security, privacy, safety, standards, economic issues, and views from two meetings with technical experts.
IoT Security Patches and Upgrades – The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Internet Policy Task Force hosted a public meeting to discuss security upgradability and patching of Internet of Things technologies. Watch the archived webcast.
Copyright – The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Internet Policy Task Force hosted a public meeting to discuss how best to communicate to consumers regarding license terms and restrictions in connection with online transactions involving copyrighted works.
United States – Opportunities for Public Input
Draft Whitepaper: Profiles for the Lightweight Cryptography Standardization Process
National Institute of Standards and Technology
Deadline extended: June 16, 2017
Draft: NIST Cybersecurity Framework: Implementation Guidance for Federal Agencies
National Institute of Standards and Technology
Deadline extended: June 30, 2017
Draft: Platform Firmware Resiliency Guidelines
National Institute of Standards and Technology
Deadline extended: July 14, 2017
Have events to add? Please let us know at: acmpo@acm.org
ACM Europe Council Policy Committee
The ACM Europe Council Policy Committee is a standing committee of the ACM Europe Council. It serves as the focal point for ACM’s interaction with the EU and member states’ governmental bodies, the computing community, and the public in matters of European public policy related to computing and technology. The committee represents a diverse community of computing practitioners, scientists, educators, researchers, and other technology professionals from government, business, academia, and the nonprofit sector. The committee’s contributions to public policy draw from the deep scientific and technical expertise of the computing community.
ACM U.S. Public Policy Council
The ACM U.S. Public Policy Council is chartered as the focal point for ACM’s interaction with the U.S. government, the computing community, and the public in matters of U.S. public policy related to computing and technology. USACM represents a diverse community of computing practitioners, scientists, educators, researchers, and other technology professionals from government, business, academia, and the nonprofit sector. Its contributions to public policy draw from the deep scientific and technical expertise of the computing community.
ACM Education Policy Committee
The ACM Education Policy Committee is a high-level committee of acclaimed computer scientists and educators dedicated to improving opportunities for quality education in computer science and computing-related fields. The Education Policy Committee develops initiatives aimed at shaping education policies that impact the computing field. A primary goal of the EPC is to ensure that computer science, computing, and informatics education is recognized in educational initiatives at all levels of the educational pipeline.