Mark MacCarthy
star Advisor
IDG Contributor Network
Want to Join?
Opinions expressed by ICN authors are their own.
Mark MacCarthy is a Senior Fellow and adjunct faculty member at Georgetown University, where he teaches courses in information privacy and tech policy in the Communication, Culture, and Technology Program. Previously, Mark was Senior Vice President for Public Policy at the Software & Information Industry Association, the principal association for the software and digital content industries, where he directed a broad range of public policy initiatives, including in the areas of intellectual property, information privacy, economic growth, cybersecurity, cloud computing, international trade and the promotion of educational technology.
MacCarthy regularly speaks and writes on topics of software and data. He has served as a consultant on technology policy issues for the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and for the Aspen Institute. MacCarthy holds a Ph.D in philosophy from Indiana University and an MA in economics from the University of Notre Dame.
The opinions expressed in this blog are those of Mark MacCarthy and do not necessarily represent those of IDG Communications, Inc., its parent, subsidiary or affiliated companies.
The drum beat continues for regulating the content moderation practices of digital platforms
New transatlantic initiatives focus on an increased government role.
It’s time to think seriously about regulating platform content moderation practices
A sensible regulatory regime can discourage harmful content and still protect free speech.
We can’t hide from digital sleuths anymore
But privacy law can protect us from harm.
Competition in digital advertising is on the rise
Amazon’s growing share of the online ad market has important implications for understanding tech competition.
The patent troll problem cannot be dismissed as a myth
PTO Director Iancu’s startling comparison to little red riding hood ignores the evidence.
AI-driven content moderation can never be perfect
Regulatory pressure to rely more on automated takedowns threatens to undermine the legitimacy of online spaces.
GSA’s entity validation request for proposal is flawed
The plan to create a government-run identifier raises intellectual property concerns and duplicates private sector efforts.
What exactly is a privacy risk?
Without knowing what privacy risks are, businesses and consumers would be left in the dark under new privacy law proposals.
New privacy laws must permit valuable uses of public records
Let’s be careful not to shortchange the free flow of public data in the rush to pass new privacy.
Data sharing: a problematic idea in search of a problem to solve
Proposals to require companies to share their data are riddled with flaws and solve no pressing marketplace defects.
