Replication Data for: Case Studies in Public Interest Technology

Case Studies in Public Interest Technology Today, there are multiple ways where digital technologies adversely impacts the public interest, whether that’s the spread of misinformation online, the loss of privacy, the threat of algorithmic discrimination, and more. Public interest technology is an emerging field that seeks to use cross-disciplinary techniques to research and address these issues in order to advance the public interest. For this dissertation, I present three different case studies of public interest tech research projects, each of which focuses on a different technology and relevant public interest. In Chapter 2, I research how Facebook’s advertising algorithms can discriminate by race and ethnicity. In Chapter 3, I test how the predictability of Social Security Number (SSN) assignment based on easily accessible data about Americans presents a risk of identity theft. In Chapter 4, I demonstrate how TraceFi, a Wi-Fi based collocation detection technology, can be deployed for COVID-19 contact tracing. I propose how we can adapt Lawrence Lessig’s pathetic dot model as the “Three Forces Model of Public Interest Tech” to understand the current dysfunctional state of relationships between technology, society, and the public interest, where the public interest is often affected as an output of technology but not fully considered as an input. The three forces of the law, norms, and market can affect a given technology or vice versa which in turn affects the public interest. For different combinations of technologies and public interests, the amount of force exerted by the law, norms, or market could also differ and so could the degree of feedback between the technology and each of the forces. Since the normative goal of public interest tech as a field is to ultimately advance the public interest, the goal state of the Three Forces Model demonstrates how the public interest can be an input for the law, norms, and market in how they affect a technology’s design and usage, which would in turn affect the public interest. Stakeholders relevant to each of the forces can consider the public interest as a priority in how they interact with a technology and its designer. In Chapter 5, I present how we can apply the Three Forces Model for Public Interest Tech to each case study to describe the current state and the ideal goal state. In order to effectively respond to the multiple ways of how digital technologies have adversely impacted the public interest, we need a “whole-society” strategy that coordinates our laws, norms, and markets in how they interact with our technologies to prioritize the public interest. As public interest technologists, we need to work across disciplines to advance the public interest. Let’s get started.当代公共利益技术案例研究 当前，数字技术正以多种形式对公共利益造成负面影响，诸如在线虚假信息传播、隐私权益受损、算法歧视威胁等。公共利益技术（Public Interest Technology）是一门新兴领域，旨在通过跨学科方法研究并解决上述问题，以推进公共利益的实现。 本学位论文围绕公共利益技术的三类研究案例展开，每个案例聚焦于不同的技术与对应的公共利益议题。第二章探讨了Facebook广告算法如何基于种族与民族实施歧视；第三章验证了：基于美国民众可公开获取的信息，可预测社会安全号码（Social Security Number, SSN）的分配规则，这一漏洞将引发身份盗用风险；第四章展示了基于Wi-Fi的共现检测技术TraceFi如何被部署用于新冠疫情（COVID-19）接触者追踪。 我提出可将劳伦斯·莱西格（Lawrence Lessig）的pathetic dot模型（pathetic dot model）改编为“公共利益技术三力模型”，以此阐释技术、社会与公共利益之间当前存在的失调关系：公共利益往往仅作为技术的产出受到影响，而非作为核心要素被纳入考量。该模型中的三大作用力分别为法律、规范与市场，它们可作用于特定技术，反之技术也可对三大作用力产生影响，进而作用于公共利益。针对不同的技术与公共利益组合，法律、规范或市场所施加的作用力强弱各不相同，技术与各作用力之间的反馈程度也存在差异。 由于公共利益技术领域的规范性目标最终是推进公共利益，因此三力模型的理想状态阐释了：公共利益如何作为核心要素，为法律、规范与市场作用于技术的设计与使用提供依据，进而反哺公共利益的实现。与三大作用力相关的各利益相关方，在与技术及其开发者开展协作时，应将公共利益置于优先考量地位。 第五章展示了如何将公共利益技术三力模型应用于各案例研究，以分别阐述其当前现状与理想目标状态。为有效应对数字技术对公共利益造成的各类负面影响，我们需要构建“全社会协同”战略，协调法律、规范与市场与技术的互动关系，将公共利益置于优先地位。作为公共利益技术从业者，我们需要跨越学科边界开展工作，以推进公共利益的实现。让我们开始探索。