How to Hack Government: Technologists as Policy Makers

Terrell McSweeny Commissioner, Federal Trade Commission

Ashkan Soltani Chief Technologist, Federal Trade Commission

As the leading federal agency responsible for protecting your privacy rights online, technology is at the core of the Federal Trade Commission's work. You may be familiar with the agency's enforcement actions against some of the world's biggest tech companies for privacy/data security violations - but you may not know how your research skills can inform its investigations and policy. Come hear about some of the Commission's recent tech-related actions, research and reports, plus how its work impacts both consumers and businesses. You'll also learn how you can directly or indirectly help the agency protect consumers, guide businesses to develop better/strong data security, and much more.

Terrell McSweeny serves as a Commissioner of the Federal Trade Commission - sometimes referred to as the Federal Technology Commission. This year marks her second DEF CON adventure. When it comes to tech issues, Commissioner McSweeny wants companies to implement security by design, to be transparent about their data collection practices, and to give consumers as much control as possible.

Twitter: @TMcSweenyFTC

Ashkan Soltani serves as the FTC's fourth Chief Technologist. He is a privacy and security researcher whose work draws attention to privacy problems online, demystifies technology for the non-technically inclined, and provides data-driven insights to help inform policy. Ashkan was recognized as part of the 2014 Pulitzer winning team at the Washington Post and was the primary technical consultant on the Wall Street Journal's "What They Know" investigative series on online privacy.

Twitter: @TechFTC