Postdoctoral Fellowship on Information Technology, and CivilLiberties: Public Policy Considerations

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This one year, full.time postdoctoral fellowship enables a new PhD in Science, Technology and Society, with a masters degree in computer science, to develop her capabilities for policy analysis of the implications of new developments in information technology for civil liberties. Her research will examine five areas: technologies for unique identification, regulation of records held by private organizations, FBI National Crime Information Center 2000, effects of network security regulations on privacy and usability, and mechanisms for using information technology to strengthen individual privacy and enhance citizen access to electronic information. The project's objectives are to combine technical and legal perspectives about the impacts of information technology on civil liberties, and to articulate the options for and implications of policy decisions in this area. To gain formal training in legal and public policy analysis, this investigator will work with a legal scholar who specializes in civil liberties, including the implications of computer technology for the protection or infringement of personal privacy. Lectures, seminars, tutorials and coursework will provide the necessary exposure to theories, methods, and tools to identify and assess policy options in this area. This project addresses a central issue in technology and public policy: ethical and value implications of new developments in information technology. The proposed training will augment this researcher's ability to undertake research in this area; the investigator, host specialist and host institution are very well qualified to undertake and support the effort; collaborative work is likely to continue after the award period. Results are likely to be appropriately disseminated and useful. An award in the amount of $28,000 is therefore recommended.