Mark MacCarthy
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Opinions expressed by ICN authors are their own.
Mark MacCarthy is senior vice president for public policy at the Software & Information Industry Association, the principal association for the software and digital content industries, and a leading authority on U.S. tech policy. On behalf of SIIA’s 800 member companies, MacCarthy directs 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. He is also an adjunct faculty member at Georgetown University, where he teaches courses in information privacy and tech policy in the Communication, Culture, and Technology Program.
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.
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.
It’s time for a uniform national privacy law
In light of new laws from Europe and California privacy needs to be on the Congressional agenda.
Online manipulation is the latest data protection debate
The furor over “dark patterns” reveals the limits of consumer control as the primary tool of data protection.
Ohio v. American Express is sensible antitrust policy
Supreme Court’s Ohio v. American Express decision is more sensible in how it handles antitrust policy than some realize.
The challenges and perils of intermediary liability
Companies generate controversy when they don’t moderate content – but even when they do.
A new patent myth in Washington
A flawed study prompts developments in Congress and the Patent and Trademark Office that threaten progress made against trolls.
Challenges and opportunities in California’s new privacy law
Despite its democratic deficit, California’s new regulations create an opening to get U.S. national privacy policy right.
