Decoding My Summer in Tech Policy

When I interviewed for a communications internship with New America’s Open Technology Institute (OTI), I was asked why I was interested in tech policy and why I wanted to work on issues like net neutrality and encryption. I use some kind of technology everyday, but the policies that govern it were obscure to me. I could talk about and value OTI’s mission, but I couldn’t accurately explain the importance of the issues that support that mission. So, like any other college student desperate for an internship, I did my best to draw a parallel between their mission and my interest in communications and hoped they would see I had the potential to learn and appreciate the complexities of tech policy.

Clearly it worked, as I awoke later that week to an email offering me the position. I was filled with excitement, but secretly hoped I would not be asked again to explain my interest in tech policy. Going into the first week of my internship, I worried about how I would be a productive member of the communications team if I didn’t fully understand what I was trying to communicate? Would I be able to learn enough to explain why tech policy is so important?  I realized that everyone had been asking me a vital question, and I still didn’t have an honest answer. However, it only took a few weeks for that to change.

Most of my assignments were grounded in understanding OTI’s core principles and work. I was charged with scouring the new website and taking note of what did and did not make sense, and what narrative was being presented, among other quality control functions. With my fresh eyes, I was responsible for confirming that the website conveyed the necessary information for someone unfamiliar with tech policy to understand what OTI does. Through this process, I began to see clearly why tech policy was so important; I began to get my answer.

Over the course of my internship, I was able to attend several panels and other functions, but during my fifth week, OTI hosted its biggest event of the summer. Hacking America, a discussion surrounding a pending amendment to Rule 41 of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure that would, in effect, expand remote government hacking even though Congress has never considered whether it is legal. The event kicked off with a keynote address from Senator Ron Wyden, a staunch privacy and cybersecurity advocate who warned the audience of the dangers of the rule change. He was well-spoken, relatable, and clear with his message. After hearing him speak, I too wanted to be able to clearly communicate concepts like the Rule 41 change. And then, in a stroke of luck, I was asked to write a takeaway piece from the event for New America’s weekly digital magazine.

I spent the next few days outlining, writing, editing and re-writing the piece along with my co-author Negin, one of OTI’s legal interns. We were trying to clearly and concisely explain how the rule change would be detrimental to Americans’ privacy and security, and why people should care enough to contact their elected representatives and urge them to stop the amendment from passing. We were, in essence, trying to explain why tech policy matters.

Through the process of writing that piece, I began to understand the full scope of tech policy’s impact in our daily lives, and why it is important to convey that message clearly to the public, which can be a very difficult task. Policy and technology are daunting and complex topics on their own, let alone when you put them together, or at least that’s what I believed for a long time. But I quickly began to realize that these issues were more accessible than I had previously thought. When I watched John Oliver’s Last Week Tonight episode on net neutrality, I realized that if communicated well it was possible to make complex and important issues like net neutrality understandable to the average person in fifteen minutes.

While I didn’t become an expert in cybersecurity, and I might not fully understand the ins and outs of how wireless spectrum is allocated, I did learn why these issues are important during my internship with OTI, and how to communicate about them in a way that would show others why they should care too.

Today if you asked me why I’m interested in tech policy, my answer would be this: Tech policy is vital to our democracy. We live in a time and place where technology has a limitless impact on all of our lives. Communication, transportation, education, healthcare, and many other sectors have been profoundly transformed by modern technology. With this technology comes the need for policies that ensure equitable access to digital technology and its many benefits. Public policy and technology should benefit the common good, and it’s up to all of us to make sure that happens.

Having completed my internship at OTI, I can proudly and honestly say that I have learned more from this opportunity than I ever thought I would. Through New America’s incredible events and networking opportunities, I met and listened to a U.S. Senator, the Director of the Centers for Disease Control, the Under Secretary of the Army, and countless experts all at the top of their fields. I met an incredible cast of coworkers and have forged new friendships that will last long after I’ve left New America. I acquired an incredible amount of knowledge and experience as an intern with OTI and when I get back to Seattle, I’ll finally have a clear answer for why I’m interested in tech policy.

Want to be OTI’s next intern? Apply now to be a legal, communications, or technologist intern!