The Ethical Considerations of Public Interest Technology

D.H. Lawrence once said that ethics and equity and the principles of justice do not change with the calendar. And yet 2020 brought with it a reckoning on issues of race and equity that put technology companies and their products face to face with the ethical dimension of their work—something that was lacking in the past. The most pervasive conversation of this sort took place in terms of government use of facial recognition technology, in law enforcement particularly, but in other areas, as well. The potential for this moment can lead to deeper and more meaningful reflexive conversations about the role, tools and ethical dimensions of public interest technology. More recently, Big Tech was forced to examine how ethics play into acceptable use policies, even by those at the highest levels of government.

New America’s Public Interest Technology (PIT) program is always committed to discussing the link between ethics and tech, which is why it is embarking on a project in conjunction with Anne L. Washington Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Data Policy, Applied Statistics, Social Science, and Humanities at New York University’s Steinhardt School. The goal: Surveying the literature and practice of PIT, asking specific questions about the growing field, its construction, and its vision. 

Specifically, we ask where collectively we can make a positive impact on vulnerable communities. The world that PIT encompasses is broad, so the project draws from a wide range of disciplines that have interacted with the public interest technology space in order to understand the connection—and disconnect—between the work of academics, focused on the communities, the practitioners, focused on the solutions, and the government workers, focused on the problems.

This brings up a rich tapestry of potential questions and avenues of interest, such as how to create direct and meaningful partnerships? What are appropriate educational programs? or how to break new ground on accountability mechanisms for both government and private sector? As a new presidential administration takes office, community-focused technology may take precedence again in federal projects giving opportunities for putting these ideas into action. This project will help guide New America to lead public interest technology to its next iteration.