Technology and Security – Details, episodes & analysis

In this episode of the Technology & Security podcast, host Dr. Miah Hammond-Errey is joined by investigative journalist and author Byron Tau. They discuss the intricate and often opaque world of data brokers and global surveillance. Tau, known for his deep dives into complex subjects, shares insights from his book Means of Control, highlighting the potential misuse of large data sets and the delicate balance between data collection for security and the risk of social control. The discussion traverses the evolution of data brokers, from their inception involving public records to the sophisticated surveillance technologies of today. Tau elaborates on how everyday devices like mobile phones and fitness trackers contribute to the extensive surveillance network, often without user awareness, raising critical concerns about privacy and the power dynamics at play.

The episode also explores the real-world implications of data misuse in both democratic and authoritarian regimes. Tau provides a nuanced perspective on the Russian interference in the 2016 US election, China's use of TikTok for data collection and content management and the geopolitical complexities of technology in diplomacy. He shares the story of Operation Gallant Phoenix, a multinational effort against ISIS using unclassified data to enhance international cooperation. The conversation touches on the concerns surrounding TikTok's data practices and content manipulation, and need for careful policy considerations. Tau's reflections on the current technology environment, the challenges for leaders, and his personal journey of writing his book add depth to this engaging discussion, making it a must-listen for anyone interested in the hidden mechanisms shaping our digital age.

Resources mentioned in the recording:

·               Byron Tau (2024) Means of Control , Crown https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/706321/means-of-control-by-byron-tau/

·               NOTUS https://www.notus.org

·               Miah Hammond-Errey (2024) Big Data, Emerging Technologies and Intelligence: National Security Disrupted (20% discount code for book AFL04) https://www.routledge.com/Big-Data-Emerging-Technologies-and-Intelligence-National-Security-Disrupted/Hammond-Errey/p/book/9781032485584

·               https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/byte-sized-diplomacy-should-australia-ban-tiktok

·               https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62919887-the-peacock-and-the-sparrow

This podcast was recorded on the lands of the Gadigal people, and we pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging. We acknowledge their continuing connection to land, sea and community, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Thanks to the talents of those involved. Music by Dr Paul Mac and production by Elliott Brennan.

In this episode of Technology and Security, Dr Miah Hammond-Errey speaks with Meredith Whittaker, president of Signal. The interview explores key contemporary issues in technology and Artificial Intelligence (AI). They discuss the impact of AI in elections and democracies, including the need for stronger local media ecosystems and improved focus on the ‘mediating’ role of social media platforms and the information ecosystem. They discuss the concentration of AI power and reliance of the business model on mass collection, including the need to write the tech stack for privacy, not surveillance.

This episode also explores developing democratically focused public digital infrastructure without profit incentives and highlights the role of open-source libraries and systems as part of the core infrastructure of the technology ecosystem. This episode also covers the significance of autonomy and agency in neurotech applications. They discuss how to improve tech board governance, through increased personal liability, accountability and transparency. Also, how many downloads signal has actually had! Meredith Whittaker is the president of Signal Foundation. She has nearly 20 years of experience in the tech industry, academia, and government and co-founded the AI Now Institute.  

Resources mentioned in the recording:

·               Meredith Whittaker, link to talk

·               Meredith Whittaker, link to reading 

·               Meredith Whittaker, link to watching  

·               Meredith Whittaker, link to listening 

·               Miah Hammond-Errey, 2024, Big Data, Emerging Technologies and Intelligence: National Security Disrupted, Routledge (20% discount code for book AFL04)

·               Byte-sized diplomacy (column), The Interpreter, 3 July 2024, AI-enabled elections or deepfake democracy?

This podcast was recorded on the lands of the Gadigal people, and we pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging. We acknowledge their continuing connection to land, sea and community, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Thanks to the talents of those involved. Music by Dr Paul Mac and production by Elliott Brennan. 

Dr Miah Hammond-Errey is joined by Dr Kobi Leins (GAICD), Honorary Senior Fellow at King’s College, London and international law expert, to discuss her work on nanomaterials and their implications for existing international law governing chemical and biological weapons. They also discuss why international standards are so important, AI’s potential for evil and the need for improved understandings of data ethics – from the classroom to the boardroom – as well as why we should be wary about claims of de-identified or anonymised data. 

Kobi is an Honorary Senior Fellow of King’s College, London; an Advisory Board Member of the Carnegie AI and Equality Initiative; a technical expert for Standards Australia advising the International Standards Organisation on forthcoming AI Standards; and co-founder of the IEEE's Responsible Innovation of AI and the Life Sciences. She is also a former Non-Resident Fellow of the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research, worked at NAB in Data Ethics and in 2022 published her book, New War Technologies and International Law: The Legal Limits to Weaponising Nanomaterials. 

Technology and Security is hosted by Dr Miah Hammond-Errey, the inaugural director of the Emerging Technology program at the United States Studies Centre, based at the University of Sydney. 

Resources mentioned in the recording:  

• (Dr Kobi Leins) New War Technologies and International Law: The Legal Limits to Weaponising Nanomaterials 
• (Dr Kobi Leins & Helen Duram, Lieber Institute) Life, love & Lethality: History and Delegating Death on the Battlefield 
• (Dr Miah Hammond-Errey & Paul Mostafa, Lowy Institute) The evolving threat from chemical weapons 
• (Organisation of the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons) The Chemical Weapons Convention  
• (Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights) Article 36, Protocol Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, and relating to the Protection of Victims of International Armed Conflicts (Protocol 1) 
• (Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs) Pugwash 
• (Anja Kaspersen, Kobi Leins, & Wendell Wallach, Carnegie Council) Are We Automating the Banality and Radicality of Evil? Artificial Intelligence & Equality Initiative 
• (Kobi Leins, Jeyhan Lau & Tim Baldwin) Give Me Convenience and Give Her Death: Who Should Decide What Uses of NLP are Appropriate, and on What Basis? 
• (Lighthouse3, Women in AI Ethics) Mia Shah-Dand 
• (Distributed AI Research Institute) Timnit Gebru 
• (Poet of Code) Joy Buolamwini 
• (Dr Miah Hammond-Errey) Big Data, Emerging Technologies and Intelligence: National Security Disrupted 
• (International Organization for Standardization – ISO) SC42 – Artificial Intelligence 
• (Marc Levinson) The Box: How the Shipping Container Made the World Smaller and the World Economy Bigger 
• (Douglas Guilfoyle, Tamsin Phillipa Paige & Rob McLaughlin) The Final Frontier of Cyberspace: The Seabed Beyond National Jurisdiction and the Protection of Submarine Cables 
• (Salinger Privacy) Anna Johnston 
• (Cathy O’Neil) Weapons of Math Destruction: How Big Data Increases Inequality and Threatens Democracy 
• (E. F. Schumacher) Small Is Beautiful: A Study of Economics as if People Mattered 

Miah’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/Miah_HE 

The USSC website: https://www.ussc.edu.au/ 

Making great content requires fabulous teams. Thanks to the great talents of the following.  

Research support and editorial assistance: Tom Barrett  

Production: Elliott Brennan  

Podcast design: Susan Beale 

Music: Dr. Paul Mac 

This podcast was recorded on the lands of the Gadigal people, and we pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging — here and wherever you’re listening. We acknowledge their continuing connection to land, sea and community, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. 

Kara Hinesley, Canva’s global Head of Public Policy and Government Affairs, joins Dr Miah Hammond-Errey to discuss her experience during the creation of The Christchurch Call after the livestreamed 2019 terrorist attack in New Zealand while at Twitter, the complex relationship between AI, art and artists, AI and IP, AI regulation and the technology workforce shortages, as well as building robust civic discourse and debate on digital platforms. They also discuss, what differentiates Australian and American tech companies and culture, working to prevent online and offline harms and navigating a career shift from law into public policy and from the United States to Australia. 

Before her current role as the global Head of Public Policy and Government Affairs at Canva, Kara worked at Twitter, including as the Director of Public Policy, Government, and Philanthropy, overseeing policy strategy in Asia-Pacific. Kara was also previously an advisor for the Honorable Minister Ed Husic when he was in Opposition and has a background in law, in Australia and the United States. 

Technology and Security is hosted by Dr Miah Hammond-Errey, the inaugural director of the Emerging Technology program at the United States Studies Centre, based at the University of Sydney. 

Resources mentioned in the recording:  

• (Reuters) AI-generated art cannot receive copyrights, US court says 
• (Canva) Submission to DISR consultation paper, ‘Supporting Responsible AI’ 
• (White House) AI Bill of Rights 
• (Christchurch Call) Christchurch Call Story 
• (GIFCT) Global International Forum to Counter Terrorism 
• (Cortico) Measuring The Health of Our Public Conversations 
• (Twitter) Twitter health metrics proposal submission 
• (Bagel Store) Lox In A Box 
• (Meghan O’Gieblyn Book) God Human Animal Machine 

Miah’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/Miah_HE 

The USSC website: https://www.ussc.edu.au/ 

Making great content requires fabulous teams. Thanks to the great talents of the following.  

Research support and assistance: Tom Barrett  

Production: Elliott Brennan  

Podcast Design: Susan Beale 

Music: Dr. Paul Mac 

This podcast was recorded on the lands of the Gadigal people, and we pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging — here and wherever you’re listening. We acknowledge their continuing connection to land, sea and community, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. 

Dr Miah Hammond-Errey is joined by the Hon Victor Dominello, former NSW Minister for Community Services and Digital Government. They discuss the potential and complexities of digital identification, what it means for democracies, and how to lead risk-averse organisations like government in a manner that promotes innovation and productivity and empowers decision-making. They also discuss AI regulation, building trust in technology between government, corporations and individuals, and what can be learnt from Estonia when it comes to digital service delivery.

Across a 12-year term as cabinet minister, Victor helped modernise service delivery in the NSW Government across a set of portfolios, which included leading the development of the Services NSW app, the Digital Driver’s License and COVID-19 vaccine certificates. He now sits on the board of the Tech Council of Australia and is the Director of the UNSW-UTS Trustworthy Digital Society Hub.

Technology and Security is hosted by Dr Miah Hammond-Errey, the inaugural director of the Emerging Technology program at the United States Studies Centre, based at the University of Sydney.

Resources mentioned in the recording: 

• Trustworthy Digital Society Hub (UNSW–UTS)
• NSW Digital Driver Licence (Service NSW)
• Estonia must be Australia's digital ideal: NSW Finance Minister Victor Dominello (Victor Dominello, AFR)
• Collaboration with trusted allies and distrust in Chinese technology: American, Australian and Japanese views on technology (USSC Polling Explainer)
• Australia’s Digital Spine: Tech Council of Australia 2 March 2023 (Victor Dominello, LinkedIn)
• Compute capacity chokepoints offer a novel regulatory framework for AI (Miah Hammond-Errey, InnovationAus)
• Technology and Security (TS) podcast | Synthetic biotech, DARPA for intelligence and AI regulation with RAND CEO Jason Matheny (Miah Hammond-Errey, USSC)
• Exponential Organizations: Why new organizations are ten times better, faster, and cheaper than yours (and what to do about it) (Mike Malone, Salim Ismail and Peter H. Diamandis)

Miah’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/Miah_HE
The USSC website: https://www.ussc.edu.au/

Making great content requires fabulous teams. Thanks to the great talents of the following. 

Research support and assistance: Tom Barrett 

Production: Elliott Brennan 

Podcast Design: Susan Beale

Music: Dr Paul Mac

This podcast was recorded on the lands of the Gadigal people, and we pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging — here and wherever you’re listening. We acknowledge their continuing connection to land, sea and community, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

In a special episode, Dr Miah Hammond-Errey is joined by Michael Green, CEO of the United States Studies Centre, to consider the conversations and developments around technology decoupling between the United States and China across the past six months. Drawing on insights from previous guests on the podcast, Miah and Mike cover topics from international standards, subsea cables and individual user trust in technology to the role of Japan and Australia. They also discuss the role of alliances, digital infrastructure, national security and historical lessons that can inform this evolving area of debate.

Technology and Security is hosted by Dr Miah Hammond-Errey, the inaugural director of the Emerging Technology program at the United States Studies Centre, based at the University of Sydney. 

Clips used in this recording:

• Jessica Hunter, First Assistant Director-General Access & Effects Operations at the Australian Signals Directorate, recorded in Canberra, February 2023 for Technology and Security Episode 1.
• Alex Lynch, Google Australia Public Policy Manager, recorded in Sydney, March 2023 for Technology and Security Episode 2.
• Julie Inman Grant, Australia’s eSafety Commissioner, recorded in Sydney, March 2023 for Technology and Security Episode 3.
• Dr Robert Atkinson, President and Founder of the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, recorded in Sydney in March 2023 while at the USSC as a Visiting Fellow.
• The Hon Dr Andrew Leigh MP, Assistant Minister for Competition, Charities and Treasury and Assistant Minister for Employment, and Dr Robert Atkinson, President and Founder of the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, recorded in Canberra, March 2023 at the USSC’s ‘Technology, Innovation And Strategic Competition’ event.
• Sue Gordon, former Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, recorded in Washington, May 2023 for Technology and Security Episode 4.

Resources mentioned in the recording:  

• (USSC Polling Explainer) Collaboration with trusted allies and distrust in Chinese technology: American, Australian and Japanese views on technology 
• (Standards Australia Report) Iconic Nation
• (ASD Resources) Protecting your devices and cybersecurity
• (USSC Report) Secrecy, sovereignty and sharing: How data and emerging technologies are transforming intelligence 
• (Elisabeth Braw, Foreign Policy article on subsea cables) Decoupling Is Already Happening – Under the Sea 
• (White House) CHIPS and Science Act 
• (US Bureau of Industry and Security) Commerce Implements New Export Controls on Advanced Computing and Semiconductor Manufacturing Items to the People’s Republic of China (PRC)
• (Australian Defence Force) Defence Strategic Review 2023
• (White House) National Security Strategy
• (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan) National Security Strategy 
• (Wall Street Journal) Potato Chips Vs. Computer Chips – High Technology Any Way You Slice It

Making great content requires fabulous teams. Thanks to the great talents of the following. 

• Special co-host: Dr Mike Green
• Research support and assistance: Tom Barrett
• Production: Elliott Brennan
• Podcast Design: Susan Beale
• Music: Dr Paul Mac

This podcast was recorded on the lands of the Gadigal people, and we pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging — here and wherever you’re listening. We acknowledge their continuing connection to land, sea and community, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. 

Dr Miah Hammond-Errey is joined by Jason Matheny, CEO of RAND Corporation and founder of CSET to delve into the complexities of regulating emerging technologies — from AI to biotechnology, what the United States can learn from Australia, the opportunity a current bottleneck in compute capacity offers democracies, and his work at IARPA — ‘the DARPA of the intelligence world’ — using innovative methods to solve the hard problems of policy and national security. They also discuss the role of alliances such as Five Eyes in combatting AI-generated disinformation and why standards bodies need greater support.

Jason is the President and CEO of RAND Corporation. He previously led technology and national security policy for the White House in the National Security Council and the Office of Science and Technology Policy. Jason founded the Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET) at Georgetown University, was a Commissioner on the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence and the director of the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA). He has also worked at the World Bank, Oxford University, the Applied Physics Laboratory and Princeton University.

Technology and Security is hosted by Dr Miah Hammond-Errey, the inaugural director of the Emerging Technology program at the United States Studies Centre, based at the University of Sydney. Miah’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/Miah_HE

Resources mentioned in the recording:

• Supporting responsible AI: discussion paper (Department of Industry, Science and Resources)
• The Illusion of China’s AI Prowess (Helen Toner, Jenny Xiao, and Jeffrey Ding, Foreign Affairs)
• Artificial Intelligence: Challenges and Opportunities for the Department of Defense (Jason Matheny, Senate testimony)
• Challenges to US National Security and Competitiveness Posed by AI (Jason Matheny, Senate testimony)
• Dealing with Disinformation: A Critical New Mission Area For AUSMIN (Dr Miah Hammond-Errey, USSC)
• RAND Truth Decay original report (Michael Rich and Jennifer Cavanaugh)
• RAND Truth Decay
• The future of digital health with federated learning (Andrew Trask et al.) 
• SILMARILS – Chemical residue detection (IARPA)

Making great content requires fabulous teams. Thanks to the great talents of the following. 

• Research support and assistance: Tom Barrett
• Production: Elliott Brennan
• Podcast Design: Susan Beale
• Music: Dr Paul Mac

This podcast was recorded on the lands of the Ngunnawal people, and we pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging — here and wherever you are listening. We acknowledge their continuing connection to land, sea and community, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Dr Miah Hammond-Errey sits down with Hamish Hansford, Deputy Secretary of the Cyber and Infrastructure Security Group at the Department of Home Affairs, to discuss the evolution of the Security of Critical Infrastructure Act (SOCI), including Critical Infrastructure Risk Management Programs (CIRMPs), refining the critical asset class definitions and the importance of board accountability. They also cover the International Counter Ransomware Taskforce, working with other countries in cyber security and Australia’s upcoming Cyber Security Strategy for 2023–30, including lessons from the US National Cybersecurity Strategy. 

The discussion also touches on lessons from the Optus and Medibank data breaches, Australia’s progress towards the goal of being the world’s most cyber-secure nation by 2030 and the unrealised potential of 5G networks. 

Hamish Hansford is the Deputy Secretary of the Cyber and Infrastructure Security Group at the Department of Home Affairs. He has more than 20 years of experience across government, including as the Inaugural Head of the Cyber and Infrastructure Security Centre. He also led the delivery and implementation of Australia's 2020 Cyber Security Strategy and has worked in cybercrime, combating terrorism and child exploitation, as well as on reform of critical and emerging technology, data security and surveillance. 

Technology and Security is hosted by Dr Miah Hammond-Errey, the inaugural director of the Emerging Technology program at the United States Studies Centre, based at the University of Sydney. 

Resources mentioned in the recording: 

• 2018 Security of Critical Infrastructure Act (SOCI)
• (Cyber and Infrastructure Security Centre) Critical Infrastructure Asset Class Definition Guidance
• (USSC Disinformation Commentary) Dealing with Disinformation: A Critical New Mission Area For AUSMIN
• (USSC Podcast) Technology and Security | Emerging technologies and signals intelligence with the ASD's Jessica Hunter
• (Department of Home Affairs) Trusted Information Sharing Network
• (Department of Home Affairs) International Counter Ransomware Task Force
• (White House) US Cyber Security Strategy 2023

Miah’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/Miah_HE
The USSC website: https://www.ussc.edu.au/ 

Making great content requires fabulous teams. Thanks to the great talents of the following. 

• Research support and assistance: Tom Barrett
• Production: Elliott Brennan
• Podcast Design: Susan Beale
• Music: Dr Paul Mac

This podcast was recorded on the lands of the Ngunnawal people, and we pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging — here and wherever you are listening. We acknowledge their continuing connection to land, sea and community, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Dr Miah Hammond-Errey interviews Susan Gordon, former US Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence, discussing the potential of public disclosures of intelligence to build trust, the nuanced differences between American and Australian cultures that impact technology policy and innovation, especially in areas like AI regulation, and what is needed to make AUKUS Pillar II a success. They also cover the increasing role of private-sector firms in national security — from supply chain decisions to the role of Starlink in the Russian invasion of Ukraine to Chinese infrastructure investment in the Indo-Pacific — how best to harness them and their technologies, and the new heights disinformation could reach, and the fact “2022 was the last time we talked about AI in the future.”

Susan M. Gordon was the former Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence, advising the President on intelligence matters and providing operational leadership of the US intelligence community. She has had an extensive career in the US Intelligence Community — working as the Deputy Director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) and spending 29 years at the CIA where she also led the establishment of In-Q-Tel, the CIA’s venture arm. She is a fellow at Duke and Harvard Universities and has worked with leading companies and government on intelligence integration, outreach and driving innovation.

Technology and Security is hosted by Dr Miah Hammond-Errey, the inaugural director of the Emerging Technology program at the United States Studies Centre, based at the University of Sydney.

Miah’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/Miah_HE
The USSC website: https://www.ussc.edu.au/

Resources mentioned in the recording:  

• (USSC Report) Secrecy, sovereignty and sharing: How data and emerging technologies are transforming intelligence 
• (USSC Polling Explainer) Collaboration with trusted allies and distrust in Chinese technology: American, Australian and Japanese views on technology
• (USSC Disinformation Commentary) Dealing with disinformation: A critical new mission area for AUSMIN 

Making great content requires fabulous teams. Thanks to the great talents of the following.  

Research support and assistance: Tom Barrett  

Production: Elliott Brennan  

Podcast design: Susan Beale 

Music: Dr Paul Mac 

This podcast was recorded in Washington DC, which sits on the ancestral lands of the Anacostans or Nacotchtank, and the neighbouring Piscataway and Pamunkey peoples. We acknowledge the Native Peoples on whose ancestral homelands we gather and pay our respects to their elders past and present — here and wherever you’re listening.

Dr Miah Hammond-Errey talks with Australia’s eSafety Commissioner, Julie Inman Grant, about AI’s rapid rise, online harms, where banking has led the way in technology regulation, and much more. In this episode they discuss eSafety’s world-leading regulation work, why we can’t just regulate algorithms and how eSafety collaborates with industry to drive change. They also cover the TikTok bans and some of the wild technologies coming down the pipeline. 

As Australia’s eSafety Commissioner, Julie Inman Grant focuses on keeping Australia’s citizens safe online. She has previously worked across the public and private sector in the US technology space, including at Microsoft and Twitter. Her work has helped drive world-first regulatory regimes under the Online Safety Act 2021, and positioned eSafety to harness proactive, systemic approaches and addressing online user safety through a range of schemes, education tools and strategies. 

Technology and Security is hosted by Dr Miah Hammond-Errey, the inaugural director of the Emerging Technology program at the United States Studies Centre, based at the University of Sydney. 

Resources mentioned in the recording:  

• Secrecy, sovereignty and sharing: How data and emerging technologies are transforming intelligence
• Collaboration with trusted allies and distrust in Chinese technology: American, Australian and Japanese views on technology
• eSafety’s legal notice to technology firms on child abuse:
  Tech platforms asked to explain how they are tackling online child sexual exploitation
  World-first report shows leading tech companies are not doing enough to tackle online child abuse 
• (eSafety) Global Online Safety Regulator’s Network
• (eSafety) Brief on Technology-Facilitated Abuse (TFA) 
• (eSafety) ‘Women in the Spotlight’ report
• eSafety briefs: Tech trends and challenges

Miah’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/Miah_HE
The USSC website: https://www.ussc.edu.au/ 

Making great content requires fabulous teams. Thanks to the great talents of the following.  

Research support and assistance: Tom Barrett  

Production: Elliott Brennan  

Podcast design: Susan Beale 

Music: Dr Paul Mac 

This podcast was recorded on the lands of the Gadigal people of the Eora nation, and we pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging — here and wherever you’re listening. We acknowledge their continuing connection to land, sea and community, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.