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Darrell West

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Darrell M. West is vice president and director of Governance Studies and holds the Douglas Dillon Chair. He is Co-Editor-in-Chief of TechTank. His current research focuses on artificial intelligence, robotics, and the future of work. West is also director of the John Hazen White Manufacturing Initiative.

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TechTank

TechTank: Ways to Protect Your Privacy and Security With Online Dating Apps

Darrell West   Mon, Jan 11, 2021, 12:13 PM

Online dating apps like Tinder collect a large amount of personal information on their users. Tinder’s privacy policy clearly states your data may be used to deliver “targeted advertising.” Even a step beyond that, the policy says “you should not expect that your personal information, chats, or other communications will always remain secure.”

Your online data affects what job offers you have access to on LinkedIn, how much you pay for insuring your car, ads you will see on YouTube and if you can get approved for a loan.

TechTank

TechTank: What Will Tech Policy Look Like in the Next Administration?

Nicol Turner Lee, Darrell West   Mon, Nov 30, 2020, 1:21 PM

With Election 2020 coming to a close, President-elect Joe Biden is moving to assemble his administration and set his policy priorities. The new leader faces many challenging technology issues from antitrust, privacy, and content moderation to China and digital disparities made worse by COVID-19 as well as the kinds of folks to put into key tech policy positions. He does this at a time of diminished Democratic numbers in the House of Representatives and a Senate where party control is yet to be determined.

TechTank

TechTank: How Can We Cope With Zoom Fatigue?

Nicol Turner Lee, Darrell West   Wed, Oct 28, 2020, 3:02 PM

The phrase “telecommuting” was first coined in the early 1970s by a NASA employee named Jack Nilles. Nilles claimed telecommuting could offset traffic congestion, promote resource conservation, and be a major convenience for those so engaged. In addition to the societal and environmental benefits, CEOs of major companies said it increased productivity and offered greater flexibility for workers, as workplaces across the country adopted it as an option.

TechTank

TechTank: Will Disinformation and Voter Suppression Help Trump Win Reelection?

Elaine Kamarck, Chris Meserole, Darrell West   Wed, Sep 30, 2020, 12:05 PM

With the 2020 presidential election about to take place, concerns about foreign interference, disinformation, mail ballot snafus, and voter suppression remain high. Already, there have been major phishing attacks against leading campaigns and Facebook has removed hundreds of thousands of fake accounts operated by foreign entities. With countries such as Russia, China, and Iran having a major stake in the outcome, what should U.S. election officials be doing to safeguard the election? Are American policymakers prepared for what likely will be the most important election in decades?

TechTank

TechTank: Should Trump Ban TikTok and WeChat?

Nicol Turner Lee, Darrell West   Fri, Sep 18, 2020, 9:43 AM

On June 20th, President Donald Trump showed up in Tulsa, Oklahoma for his first campaign rally after a three-month hiatus. Before the rally, the Trump campaign bragged about the million tickets that had been pre-requested. But when the rally started only 6200 people showed up at the arena, and the President addressed a sea of empty chairs.

TechTank

TechTank: Congressman David Cicilline on Why We Need a Glass-Steagall Act for the Internet

Nicol Turner Lee, Darrell West   Wed, Sep 2, 2020, 10:05 AM

In 1932, Senator Carter Glass and Congressman Henry Steagall joined forces to pass a new banking law that divided investment from commercial banking. They argued there was an inherent conflict of interest in banks performing both activities and that it was harmful to consumers. As we move into the digital world, there are firms that perform a number of different business functions and there are questions whether this hurts consumers and creates unfair advantages for particular firms.