The Critical Role of Encryption in Safeguarding Data Privacy

This episode focuses on privacy, encryption, and the outlook for 2024, particularly in data privacy and artificial intelligence regulation in Washington, D.C. The episode features two experts: Maureen Ohlhausen, a former acting chairman and commissioner at the Federal Trade Commission, and Jim Kohlenberger, a technology policy advisor to two U.S. Presidents and former Chief of Staff for the Office of Science and current Technology Policy and co-chair of Trusted Future. Ohlhausen discusses the challenges and progress in enacting a federal privacy law, highlighting the complexities and debates around the preemption of state laws and the rights and obligations of consumers and businesses. Kohlenberger emphasizes the critical role of encryption in cybersecurity, increasing risks of data breaches, especially in cloud storage, and global policy trends that may weaken encryption, potentially undermining privacy and security.