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How Can Regulators Keep Up With Evolving Technology?

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    Former FCC chairman Michael Powell on protecting consumers from hackers.

  • Duration 6:10
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I'll stay here with that technology for a moment we have a story today that Samsung's new Smart TV.

It may put should risk of hackers claiming they can access the TV's hard drive seize control built in camera potentially.

-- sit there and watch you in your home.

He's -- another example -- the constant evolution of technology.

So how can regulators keep up and protect everybody let's ask Michael Powell former FCC chairman now presidency -- -- at the national cable and telecommunications.

Association.

Michael ultimately.

As technology becomes more unwieldy.

Isn't the government's responsibility to protect us or if you know -- two and does the role of the -- Meant diminished somewhat I think I think the responsibilities mutual.

I think to start with consumers.

We'll have to become a lot more sophisticated.

About their security about their privacy.

And what is possible when they take a device.

And connected to the Internet the average family today -- six devices.

Currently running on the web in any one time.

Every one of those devices is theoretically accessible.

By -- hacker if it's a thermostat could take control of your heating and air conditioning -- the television.

Could take care of the -- -- consumers have to get much more aware about those -- -- abilities and take the appropriate precautions everything from passwords to understand they have.

To care don't they first to mean I think one of the things we noticed anecdotally -- -- maybe there's data did you know about -- -- back -- -- -- Older people see much more concerned than younger people about privacy -- people that have grown up with this much technologist well this is just the way it is.

Privacy is an interesting thing right because were all willing to trade it for certain amount of value.

And -- trying to find where that balance is is very different.

I think something that concerns me is we have a generation of children have grown up digital and grown up with these tools at a time when -- very little at risk from a privacy standpoint.

Yes they have personal things are gonna live in high school but they don't have -- -- in have a mortgage they don't have a house.

Then have a bank account that could be robbed you know I worry that they develop their privacy habits at a time in life.

When the need to protect that step is not as -- keeps.

Debts and -- individual knows that they are keeping giving away some of their privacy they post like half naked pictures themselves on the Internet -- on FaceBook.

But what concerns me more than that is.

I don't think in need individual in this country truly knows how their information is being used in how companies are trafficking and it.

And how they are tracking someone's.

Behavior.

I I have no concept.

Of how -- the -- the sites that I use on a regular basis are using my personal information do we need more information.

About well I think this is where you know number one very good corporate practices you know in my industry we have a really unflinching commitment that yet to be very transparent open.

The consumers about what you'll do with their privacy data the Internet grown up.

Much differently where I think there's this near religious belief and information should be free freely available on a massive scale.

And that's what -- a lot of business and engineering choices that make a lot of stuff available -- by default.

And and clearly -- -- the headlines you know that's becoming more controversial but when you hear about being data you're hearing about essentially.

Databases that are ballooning to give you highly specific information about people and that's going to be a big issue.

To break it is see if crossing at the bottom of the screen on these fiscal cliff.

A negotiation is that speaker Boehner and President Obama are meeting at this hour.

From what we're told continuing their discussions about the fiscal cliff balance but the whole -- we talked about earlier in the -- coming up with a deal so.

Meeting happening right now at the white house speaker Boehner and President Obama did any details on it.

We'll obviously bring it -- -- talking to Michael Powell about the privacy and technology and everything else when you talk to companies about this.

And these interest in what a moment ago default spread and did to defaults matter -- in the research always shows that that whatever your default is on something is usually what people keep.

What -- B ring on your cell phone is if it's the default most people have that.

So what -- related thing.

Is -- true but whatever company set up as the default is what a lot of people are going to keep they're gonna take the time to change it happy talk to companies about.

Having privacy as the default a more private situation rather than as something that you need to adjust to -- -- things like -- -- regulatory and and we talk about it is opt in or opt out you know right consumers made a conscious choice.

He'd be -- to use their personal information about that that's one thing -- free society -- wanna.

-- your life and that degree.

That's fine all the -- that -- that is to people deeply appreciate what the lifelong consequences of that are.

You know to my children understand that when they do that at eighteen they could lose -- GI 129.

Because it's something that they did at a time and a different perspective about that because the data never ever goes away so defaults are important resumptions are important.

And real transparency about what's being done is import.

Half tourists too far though we've talked recently a story about Verizon had filed a patent to -- infrared technology and that set top boxes.

To essentially observe.

They you -- television view our it -- just collect information about.

Wet -- there is clapped being or the mood in a room to target advertising.

-- that it.

How far is too far.

Brought I think it's it's a hard question answer because it is it's a societal conversation about the balance right.

You know some people hate giving -- privacy information that they'll say they love a personal shopper well if you go to Nordstrom's.

And personal shopper you want to want to reveal an enormous about it about yourself so that you get this highly tailored experience and anyone send consumers totally door.

The recommendation engines that particular rise information and the fact that I have a friend who knows a friend all of that is a revelation of your private information.

And so I think we're in a period of experimentation and that to me is still relatively new from historical.

Perspective and we're going -- dialogue.

Of where the right balance is among -- or anyone else does something that leans too far when things I think it's constructive.

If you -- get a consumer backlash that tends to be.

A heavy push back if it's too much to talk -- popular to sadness for obvious reasons Michael -- to see if it to be with you next time thank you so much.

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