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10240	17500	All right, it's my great pleasure to introduce the next speaker, Joe Schnitz,
17500	22440	and he's going to cover the topics of how the social media, big data,
22440	30100	influence operations around those, AI, makes our future on voting in the digital age different.
30400	33380	With no further ado, Joe, take it off.
33380	35200	Wonderful. Thank you very much.
37900	38920	Thank you.
39420	43900	Actually, that's probably best reserved for Hallie, who put all of this together, so thank her.
44340	48260	So we're going to cover influencing voters through social media and big data.
48260	51540	I'm actually going to read off my presentation here. It is rather dense.
51960	55720	I'm going to go through. The slides are just a backdrop. I hope to get some QA at the end here.
55720	58440	So, without further ado, we're going to get started.
58560	61020	So we're going to talk about voting in the digital age.
61020	68460	To kind of get you started, in the last 10 years, advances in technology have changed the voter influence landscape,
68460	73780	making it super easy and more personal, authentic, direct contact to voters.
73780	78860	Through social media delivery, advertising data, and algorithmic-led content distribution,
78860	83780	candidates can easily and directly communicate with voters on an individual level.
84100	90400	With near-clairvoyance, they can address their constituents' perceptions with hyper-focused and viciously efficient results.
90400	96980	While this ushers in great opportunities for authenticity and creates access to traditionally marginalized groups,
96980	102440	it allows greater organization for activism. It also creates significant risks.
102740	109840	Viral disinformation, deepfakes, social media bubbles, hacktivism, all these words we actually needed to define like 10 years ago.
110260	116260	This interconnectedness also allows easy access to voter issues and the sentiment upon the global stage.
116260	124400	This invites a much greater participation from foreign governments, companies, and groups traditionally unable to compete for your time and perception.
125200	129280	This interconnected web currently threatens the very essence of our democracy.
129380	135140	The belief that we, the citizens, equipped with this information, can make decisions for the greater good of society.
135180	140020	But what happens when all that information is tailored, manipulated, and weaponized against you?
140020	147220	The stakes are immense, and if left unchecked, we risk creating societies where elections are but mere theatrical performances,
147220	152040	directed by puppet masters of big data, and executed by tech-savvy mercenaries.
152580	158420	Voters become mere participants in a play they didn't script, with outcomes predetermined by algorithms.
159660	163180	So before I go further, I wanted to introduce myself.
163180	167620	I'm Joe Schneebs, and if you haven't already realized, we are talking about voting and influence.
167620	170120	If you are here to hear that, then you are in the right spot.
170480	173160	As a brief background, I'm an Air Force veteran.
173340	180020	I've spent over 23 years focused on the intersection of technology, data analysis, and covert influence,
180020	182120	primarily supporting the intelligence community.
182540	187720	Today, I'm the founder and CTO of Ridgeline International, a technology company based in Northern Virginia.
188660	191820	We are specialists in digital identity management,
191820	198380	and we lead our clients in addressing the ubiquity of technical adversarial collection and surveillance in their operations.
198580	202340	We help our clients understand and manage and shape their digital patterns and profiles,
202340	204940	to enhance their operational resiliency and security.
206360	209140	And with that, I'll start the presentation.
209920	214620	So we're first going to talk about the paradigm shift, and the growing ocean of data that we're creating.
215220	221600	In our age of information, where every click and every scroll, every like, becomes a part of this vast digital mosaic of our lives,
221600	223860	we stand at this pivotal junction.
224180	228840	The defining moment for this era, many might argue, was the 2010 data cost inversion.
229140	233220	This was the inflection point when it actually became cheaper to store data than delete it.
233260	237180	Google actually fired all of their engineers who were there to actually delete data for them.
237680	242760	And with that, this ocean of data began to swell, encompassing all aspects of our human interaction and behavior.
244580	249280	In the evolving digital era, there's an emerging sentiment that data is not just a resource,
249280	251660	but rather a new form of matter altogether.
252160	254640	For years, we've heard that data is the new oil.
254640	262780	And this phrase kind of encompasses this crucial identification that it's like the oil that fueled the industrial revolution.
263160	266360	However, likening data to oil can be a super limiting metaphor.
266700	269360	Oil, once extracted and used, is depleted.
269640	272240	Data, on the other hand, operates under different principles.
272520	276180	Unlike traditional commodities, data is never truly expended.
276180	280460	It's a value often multiplies rather than diminishes with use and accumulation.
280920	284640	Each piece of data, when connected with another, can reveal patterns and trends,
284640	288920	and those insights that neither could produce independently start to emerge.
289180	293560	In this sense, data is more akin to elements coming together to form compounds,
293560	297400	unlocking properties and potentials previously unrealized.
297640	305860	As such, envisioning data as the new form of matter allows us to recognize its unique, inexhaustible, and combinatorial nature in this vast digital universe.
306360	309040	So why is this significant for our talk today?
309420	311820	It redefines the way we perceive value.
312020	317020	Where once data might have been discarded as this trivial, inconsequential thing,
317020	320220	today there's a maxim that we use to govern data, and it says,
320220	322600	keep everything because you never know when you're going to need it.
323940	327820	Even the absence of data creates this perceptible pattern and profile.
327980	331840	Just as the silence between musical notes is as critical as the notes themselves,
331840	334860	the data we don't see can be as telling as the data we do.
335440	341800	In a world where every digital action leaves a trace, deliberate absences become powerful signals for us.
341940	347220	They reveal resistances, discomforts, and areas where people don't want to leave a digital footprint.
347580	349320	Probably like a lot of us here.
349860	355360	You see, every piece of data, no matter how minute, contributes to this larger pattern, this larger tapestry.
355540	361980	While data of one individual might seem insignificant, when amassed, these patterns are easy to emerge.
361980	366560	Trends become visible, and predictive power of data comes to life.
366940	372160	Imagine being able to tap into that pulse of a nation's sentiment based on what they engage with online,
372160	374900	or even predict societal shifts before they occur.
374960	378940	This is the promise and the peril of our modern digital data world.
380740	383380	So let's put some things into perspective real quick.
383460	388860	Today, the advertising technology sector alone is valued at an astonishing $680 billion.
388860	396760	This figure doesn't just dwarf many industries, it surpasses even the combined budgets of all governmental intelligence organizations worldwide.
397020	398460	Think about that for a moment.
398460	403800	The mechanisms and technologies designed to influence what you buy, what you feel, and ultimately how you vote,
403800	407100	are more funded than the entities to protect your national security.
407960	410600	Why such a disparity in valuation and investment?
410600	415900	Because influencing minds, molding opinions, and steering your decisions is big business.
415900	420200	And in our democratic societies, where power of the vote remains supreme,
420200	424080	influencing that vote has never been more lucrative or more achievable.
424500	431640	Take China. They've emerged not just as an economic powerhouse, but also as a forerunner in deploying surveillance technologies.
431660	435040	It's a vast network apparatus built around its great firewall,
435040	440300	monitors every click, every post, every comment, limiting access to information,
440300	444560	suppressing dissidence, and curating a narrative that's palatable to the ruling party.
445620	452020	China's approach to its technical security is more than just a shield against external cyber threats.
452020	454340	It's a chokehold on its citizens' freedoms.
454560	457540	VPNs are illegal, dissenting voices are silenced,
457540	464660	and even seemingly innocuous references to subjects considered sensitive by the Chinese Communist Party can result in retribution.
464800	472580	This has resulted in a populace that, despite being connected to the internet, is not connected to the broader global conversation.
473780	480920	Yet, while the Chinese apparatus is a stark reminder of an alternative to the freedom of democracy that we're afforded here in the U.S.,
480920	483480	there is another, more prescient threat.
484220	488760	Multinational companies, in their quest for market domination, shares, and profits,
488760	492420	have at times become great enablers of such restrictive practices.
492800	495180	It would be fair to say that within the last 20 years,
495280	499260	a majority of the apparatus used globally for digital surveillance capitalism,
499260	503680	censorship, influence, and modern espionage has emerged from the private sector.
504120	509940	Even the emergence of an entirely new form of intelligence, called Open Source Intelligence, or OSINT,
509940	516340	has aggressively changed the way nations and companies conduct investigations, research, and due diligence.
516840	521900	It's likely everyone in this room has used the great Google Oracle to search for information on themselves or others,
521900	526580	pulling data from this vast, indelible archive that comprises our modern digital economy.
528240	533800	Even Apple, a company that champions privacy and user rights in its advertising campaigns in the West,
533800	536580	has faced discrimination for its actions in China.
536800	539590	From removing VPN apps from the App Store,
540460	544830	from reportedly storing user data in their own Chinese data centers,
545140	549800	Apple has seemingly made concessions that empower Beijing's surveillance apparatus.
550360	552830	Most notably, in November of 2022,
552830	558890	Apple rolled out an iOS update to iPhones sold in mainland China that disables key features in AirDrop.
559710	564930	That same AirDrop feature was used crucially by protesters in China only two months prior.
565510	571790	While business decisions can be complex, we as consumers and as a society should be well aware of the control and influence
571790	574990	seemingly simple changes in technology can imply.
575030	578130	It's concerning when we see a company as influential as Apple,
578130	583990	which has historically stood for innovation and freedom, potentially aiding a regime that suppresses its own people.
585130	593590	More broadly, and even the architecture and the infrastructure designed to enable our modern communications is fundamentally flawed.
593670	598970	It wasn't built to help we, the people, communicate and express ideas and have healthy discourse.
598970	605150	It was designed to project ads into your brain at light speed, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
605150	610810	And the pressure to conform to this model has shaped our perception of what effective communication is.
612230	619650	Too often in these platforms, communication is distilled down to quippy sound bites, or humorous one-liners, or reduced to memes.
620170	627830	We can't help it. Our news outlets, our media feeds, our texts, and all of our streams have been trending to smaller, shorter, and less.
627830	630130	Our attention spans have been shrinking.
630470	633570	Look at all of the abbreviations modern texting has devised.
633570	638090	I suspect an entirely new language has been created just from the abbreviations and emojis.
638570	644870	To confirm, just hop on Reddit or a dating app, and you need a decoder ring and a degree in linguistics just to figure out what the hell they're talking about.
645710	649970	Even Twitter limits your expression to 280 characters.
650270	654150	The McDonald's menu in text is 5.5 times larger than that.
654790	660830	And it makes sense. The platforms that we use to communicate are incentivized to keep you connected and re-engaging.
660830	666150	More frequent, sensational content in smaller, more digestible packages creates more data.
667850	679210	Even content and service providers like AT&T and Verizon that serve cellular and home internet have long defended their right to limit or restrict content that they provide to their users based on their business ideologies.
679210	691590	These companies, along with many others, oppose concepts of net neutrality and defend the assertion that access to content must remain a corporate decision, and the companies themselves are best positioned to regulate this for consumers.
691730	693810	Sounds like a conflict of interest, right?
693810	702670	Despite that assertion, they can keep their consumers' best interests in mind. These companies quietly make millions of dollars in profit selling your personal data to advertisers.
703630	715890	Simultaneously, they organize, fund, and resist legislation that has the potential to offer you, the consumer, greater protection, more rights, and more inclusive access simply because it does not fit their corporate ideology.
716670	720310	Comparisons to China may be a bit excessive, but it is a very slippery slope.
721510	735650	These technologies and companies that deploy them and maintain them have become critical components of our modern lives, so integrated, in fact, that some may argue that they should fall into the categorization of a utility, like water or gas or electricity.
735890	742310	It sounds crazy to think of the apparatus that serves you all of your cat videos as critical as water, but it kind of makes sense.
743930	746430	So how does this all tie into influencing voters?
746430	758370	With this constant stream of sentiment, content, context, and metadata, a sufficiently equipped entity, not just a nation-state, can predict micro and macro trends with exacting precision.
758450	766390	In doubt? How often have you assumed that your cell phone's microphone must be constantly monitoring everything you're saying because of the accuracy of the advertising?
766610	776050	Why go to all that trouble when Google handles 2.5 exabytes of data every single day and stores 10 to 15 exabytes of useful data in their systems?
776430	783450	It's much easier for them to generate an algorithm than collect, transport, and process your weird conversation on a phone.
783450	795250	So they do all of this simply to sell you a pair of shoes, which comprises 58% of their 2022 revenue, a $225 billion industry.
798030	809890	So when we look back in history and reflect on our era, I think a lot will speak about this digital revolution as a seismic shift in how information flows and how it shapes our democracies.
810110	820770	We kind of stand at this crossroads today where the very fabric of our democratic process is woven into these threads of data and artificial intelligence and this omnipresent realm of social media that never sleeps.
821390	832830	The integration of technology in our daily lives, for all its conveniences and all of its advancements, has also opened up pathways for malicious actors, both foreign and domestic, to manipulate our thoughts, opinions, and even our votes.
833510	841110	Let's journey back for a moment when we talked about the internet as this utopia for the free exchange of ideas, a democratizing force.
841430	845710	Fast forward today, though, and we find ourselves grappling with this double-edged sword it's become.
845710	849530	In one hand, it's brought unprecedented access to information.
849850	854910	On the other hand, it's become a tool for manipulation, leveraging our own behaviors and biases against us.
855970	860530	Consider the case of the now-defunct British data-driven consulting firm Cambridge Analytica.
860530	864890	This company clearly demonstrated how data can be weaponized for political advantage.
865150	872650	In 2010, they chose the tiny Caribbean nation of Trinidad and Tobago as a testing ground for a new method of political marketing.
872650	877150	They're so small and obscure, in fact, that this is not Trinidad and Tobago.
877450	879450	This is Trinidad and Tobago.
880770	887050	So, in 2016, on both sides of the Atlantic, Cambridge Analytica used data harvested from millions...
887530	889110	Sorry, we're going to go back. Sorry.
889390	892690	So, Trinidad and Tobago was in a parliamentary election cycle.
893050	898670	The country historically voted along ethnic demographics between Afro and Indo-Trinidadians.
898670	900670	And that is a very hard word to say, by the way.
900670	907110	Although a smaller voting demographic, Cambridge Analytica focused on the Indo-Trinidadian party, the People's Partnership.
907270	911190	They waged a campaign of influence via TV, radio, and social media platforms,
911190	915950	specifically targeted and informed through their digital advertising data they collected through Facebook.
916190	922750	The strategy sought to explore the more nuanced and more cultural divisions among the younger male Afro-Trinidadians,
922750	924730	discouraging them from voting altogether.
924750	928370	By attacking the same social media bubble targeting this demographic,
928370	933830	the small, targeted influence campaign gained viral attention and propagated throughout that demographic.
934110	940190	That abstention, rather than persuasion, was enough to result in a historic win for the People's Partnership,
940450	943810	a political party that represented only about 40% of voters.
943990	945890	But that influence didn't stop there.
946570	949190	In 2016, they took their show on the road.
949190	953630	Both sides of the Atlantic, Cambridge Analytica used data harvested from millions of Facebook users
953630	958130	to develop psychographic profiles, which were then used to target ads specifically
958130	964170	against individuals in the 2016 U.S. election and the 2016 Brexit referendum.
964830	966790	The essence of this strategy?
966790	972450	Tailoring messages to play on specific fears, hopes, and emotions of each individual voter.
972450	975970	Again, targeting the same themes on polarized political views
975970	979910	and the echo chambers of voter-demographically aligned social media bubbles,
979910	986690	Cambridge Analytica significantly deviated the outcome of a historically accurate predictive model.
986910	992210	The Brexit referendum and the U.S. 2016 presidential election were not about policies or candidates.
992250	994850	For many, they were influenced subliminally.
995010	997810	Personalized propaganda was fed to them by this machine,
997810	1001570	and all of it was fueled by data that we unwittingly provided them.
1001810	1006210	We observed this firsthand in the 2016 U.S. presidential election
1006210	1010630	as it showcased a formidable power around digital marketing and ad tech.
1010770	1013650	Donald Trump's campaign, with the help of Cambridge Analytica,
1013650	1016390	harnessed these exact tools with surgical precision.
1016550	1024930	Every ad, every message, everything that he said was tailored or tweaked to target maximum exerted impact.
1025410	1029210	And while critics questioned his strategy, railed against some of his messaging,
1029210	1034670	and sometimes even struggled to take him seriously, the strategy delivered him a success.
1034670	1039110	It was subtle, atraditional, and guided largely by the data.
1039350	1040710	They moneyballed it.
1040950	1045130	As such, exacting use of technology gave an unparalleled edge,
1045130	1049450	demonstrating to the world the importance of its digital battleground in modern politics.
1050190	1054290	But the threat to our democratic system isn't limited to data-driven persuasion.
1054390	1057510	The specter of voting machine hacking is also looming large.
1057510	1063050	While there are real risks to the technology, it's essential to recognize the dual danger that it represents.
1063050	1066890	It's not just the potential to alter a vote count on a machine,
1066890	1073330	but more significantly, to shatter the trust in the very system that we use to conduct our democratic process.
1073750	1078830	Discrediting our electoral system, sowing seeds of doubt, and driving wedges in our societal fabric,
1078830	1081810	these are the aims of a sophisticated information operation,
1081810	1085570	regardless of the technical vulnerabilities of the balloting systems altogether.
1086730	1092470	The Russian intelligence interference of 2016 and the 2020 elections is now very well documented.
1092470	1097990	Fake accounts, targeted ads, polarizing content were all used and disseminated with precision,
1097990	1102090	aiming to sow this same discord and deepen the divides in American society.
1102290	1109290	They utilized our likes, our shares, our comments to create this mosaic in the American psyche and used it against us,
1109290	1113310	turning neighbors against one another and shaking the bedrock of how we communicate.
1115610	1119930	The new normal that we're actually witnessing today is one where data doesn't just inform,
1119930	1123730	it influences, it persuades, and sometimes it even manipulates.
1124030	1129690	Our thoughts, opinions, and crucially, our votes are coveted commodities in a high-stakes digital market.
1129950	1134510	As we move forward, we must ask ourselves, how do we navigate this vast digital ocean?
1134670	1139230	How do we ensure that democracies aren't eroded by the very tools that promise to empower them?
1139450	1141250	And we'll spend a second on this slide.
1141490	1145870	The digital era has really shifted how we think about information operations, I.O.
1146730	1152930	What we're watching a lot today is a shift from this wholesale governmental approach where you have to have a networked campaign,
1152930	1157010	and we're watching targeted marketing campaigns being done in micro-segmentation.
1157010	1160650	It's hitting you in Facebook, it's hitting you in social media, it's hitting you in text messages,
1160650	1165050	it's hitting you in all spheres of your life, all informed by the exact data you're feeding it.
1165310	1166570	It's like a mirror.
1166570	1176630	So, as we stand poised and observant in this new digital era, the intricacies of big data and artificial intelligence,
1176630	1180830	and these advanced algorithms that lead them, are more than just technological marvels.
1180830	1186730	They're formidable tools for shaping our perceptions, our decisions, and the very fabric of our societies.
1186890	1194850	The exponential rise in computing power has ushered in a paradigm where faster, more automated processes don't just detect patterns, but they enrich them.
1194850	1200530	The higher the fidelity of this data, the more nuanced the subtle insights that we receive.
1201070	1207790	But therein lies a profound challenge. In this race, the speed of influence has now surpassed the speed of our own comprehension.
1208110	1212790	And policy? The cornerstone of governance? They don't even show up to the race.
1214190	1220950	Imagine a vast ocean of social media, where every tweet, every status update, every like is like a ripple on its surface.
1220950	1229910	Big data and AI dive deep beneath that, interpreting currents, detecting these tides, enabling these corporations to navigate these waters with unprecedented precision.
1229910	1233150	Simply because they have the resources to do so.
1233450	1239650	These tools are employed both offensively, to drive perceptions, consumer behavior, and critically voter decisions.
1239770	1244990	And defensively, to guard against competitors, market shifts, and changing consumer sentiment.
1244990	1253950	You, the average citizen, you're just caught between an overwhelming resource of these powerful titans and the unstoppable onslaught of technological advancement.
1254410	1259070	However, it isn't just the corporate sector that recognizes and harnesses this power.
1259170	1267710	Competitive adversarial nations like China and Russia have weaponized these technologies and these advances, intertwining them seamlessly with their own geopolitical strategy.
1269050	1275810	China's vast infrastructure projects, such as what is up on the board, the Belt and Road Initiative, are not merely feats of engineering.
1276170	1277930	They're bridges of influence.
1277950	1291970	By acquiring pivotal transport points, infrastructure, securing mining rights, and even mining rare earth metals, China is crafting a narrative of indispensability.
1291970	1296730	But if you look closer, and you sift through those patterns in the data, the story starts to evolve.
1296730	1306190	It speaks of a strategic positioning, of a global leverage, and of a crafting of a narrative about this inevitable ascendancy that they wish to portray.
1307310	1312770	Beyond physical infrastructure, though, the digital Silk Road is a crucial component of the Belt and Road Initiative.
1312890	1320850	By laying down fiber optic cables and building 5G networks in a partner countries, China is positioning itself at the heart of the next generation of the digital world.
1320850	1328810	Control over this infrastructure provides a considerable ability to shape information flow and potentially influence how information is conveyed at all.
1329070	1342030	Critics also point to the debt diplomacy of the Belt and Road Initiative as it affects the potential for a debt trap diplomacy, where countries unable to repay loans might be influenced or manipulated into policy concessions themselves.
1342030	1351410	This not only affects the country in debt, but can also alter the regional power dynamics, indirectly impacting our own Western needs.
1352110	1358170	Additionally, this initiative engenders goodwill towards China as they invest and build infrastructure worldwide.
1358170	1366170	Positive perceptions as a governmental and consumer level might overshadow the criticisms that we provide to them over their human rights and trade practices.
1367430	1370590	Another program that China runs is the Thousand Talents Program.
1371630	1378710	It subtly shifts the focus of their technological innovation and expertise towards finding new talent.
1378710	1387350	Thousand Talents Program is an effort to cultivate high-level expertise in scientific research and innovation and entrepreneurship.
1387350	1399050	But it also serves as a mechanism for acquiring intellectual property, conducting corporate and academic espionage, and it sits at the center of their perception campaign to reimagine China as this emergent global innovation leader.
1399050	1411910	But China's endeavors in these areas are not purely economic. They serve strategic objectives for enhancing global influence, establishing themselves as an indispensable global commerce, and subtly reframing narratives around their country.
1412030	1420430	This provides them unprecedented levels of influence in commerce, translating to pressure in economic policy, as well as upon us as voters.
1420430	1432370	Consider the rise of Chinese investment in Western media. Notably, many Hollywood studios adhere to specific guidelines crafted by the Chinese government, directing only positive representation of Chinese interests in Western media.
1436120	1445440	Russia's tactical prowess in this realm is equally notable. In the bleak landscapes of Ukraine, it wasn't just a physical battle that played out.
1445440	1456720	A digital onslaught sought to mold perceptions and narratives. When Russian-led forces took control of the Crimean, waves of disinformation followed, reframing and reshaping that narrative itself.
1457000	1468820	This had ripple effects far beyond Ukraine's borders. Many American voters were inundated with skewed perceptions and found themselves thinking about foreign policy and having their beliefs involuntarily swayed.
1468820	1478960	This is actually a billboard from Moscow in 2014. The same narrative that they used today to cross the border into Ukraine in 2022 was Nazism inside of Ukraine.
1478960	1483780	So this is a constant theme that they have. They have a very tight information operations campaign.
1484440	1494240	Extending those narratives in the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Russia leverages its sophisticated information operation mechanisms with a beautiful effective recipe.
1494240	1507580	They took one part of depicting the Ukrainian government as this inherently corrupt, fascist and ineffective state through their state-controlled media and they aligned it with the domestic support and the flood of media channels for these alternative facts that they were providing.
1507860	1514720	They added in a dash of casting doubt on the motives of entities like NATO or the EU to undermine faith in the Western democratic model.
1514860	1522360	They whisked in a little bit of deterrence to the American support for Ukraine by portraying it as a lost cause or a pawn in a larger Western game.
1522360	1539880	Add in one at a time, the application and divisive messaging spreading false stories and exacerbating political divisions within the US via the use of bots, trolls and fake accounts on platforms like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube and the effect really accelerates.
1540440	1543700	Knead this mixture together with the use of technologies like deepfakes.
1544620	1551140	They have highly realistic but entirely fake content to ensure misinformation is dramatically difficult to identify.
1551880	1566360	Add in a separate bowl, a combined campaign based on open source digital data and digital advertising to direct messages towards fringe groups that are predisposed to skepticism about international interventions and have isolationist tendencies.
1567120	1577100	Top that with narratives about purported Ukraine interference in US elections and that distracts us and drives wedges into the American political discourse.
1577100	1589880	Finally, bake this in with some erosion of the coherence of US foreign policy by exaggerating and amplifying real issues inside the US and voila, you have a perfectly efficient and deliciously effective campaign.
1590180	1599220	Both nations have mastered the art of shaping this digital narrative, influencing policy and perception and swaying voting populations both domestically and internationally.
1603090	1610650	In our rapidly growing digital world, every click, every share, every search is a piece of a vast puzzle that paints a vivid portrait of who we are.
1610950	1618510	The challenges presented by big data and artificial intelligence are this complex web of social media advertising and digital technology.
1618510	1631270	It is undeniable their value. However, rather than standing passively in the face of these challenges that we see around them, we can and we must take concrete actions to fortify our democracy and preserve the sanctity of our own choices.
1633210	1643630	So let's break it down into three realms which we can exercise our own power of influence. The individual, the community and the government. Each of them playing a critical role together.
1644070	1653590	Firstly, the individual. Personal empowerment begins with awareness. Recognizing that digital identities are extensions of ourselves is the first step.
1653770	1659190	We need to be discerning about the information we share, the permissions we grant and the digital trails we leave.
1659190	1664390	Just as we wouldn't freely give away keys to our homes, we must guard access to our digital selves.
1665250	1669430	This requires constant education and a proactive approach to digital hygiene.
1669970	1676450	Curate our own personal information that's available to virtual platforms. Manage the emissions of our digital activities and our devices.
1677050	1679410	And be vigilant of manipulative content.
1679910	1687430	There are numerous presentations just at this conference alone to help inform you and equip you with effective methods to safeguard your most precious data and activities.
1688130	1693410	Remember, you vote with your ballot, with your wallet and now with your data.
1694150	1704210	The next is the community. In the age of the echo chamber and the divisive algorithms that we see, it's crucial for communities to champion healthy, open communication.
1704670	1713150	We must remember, through our collective voices, that we have the power to shape our own narratives and counteract misinformation and promote informed choices.
1713270	1717170	We do this by fostering platforms and forums for genuine dialogue.
1717430	1720510	We can create these spaces resistant to manipulation.
1721130	1730690	When we actively engage in conversations with those holding differing viewpoints, we not only broaden our own understanding, but we also dilute the potency of divisive digital tactics.
1731230	1738250	And finally, at the government level, the onus of building a robust, resilient digital infrastructure falls upon our governments.
1738470	1744830	This means not only investing in cybersecurity frameworks, but also implementing policies that protect citizen data.
1744830	1753450	Addressing these skewed frameworks of incentivized data and monetization is crucial.
1753630	1761070	Perhaps it's time we reevaluate the economics of data altogether, asking the challenging questions about who truly profits from its extraction and use.
1761770	1771470	Furthermore, our governments can play pivotal roles in media literacy campaigns, ensuring that from school age onward, citizens are equipped to navigate the digital realm that we connect to.
1781900	1795920	So, we're living in a digital era where our digital footprints often leave unwittingly, echo, that we leave unwittingly, and that echo loudly in the vast chambers of the internet and rest quietly in the vast sea of server farms that they reside.
1796660	1804780	The silent undercurrents of big data, artificial intelligence, and intricate algorithms have made voter influence a nuanced and deeply complex subject.
1804880	1808260	To many, the idea of being influenced seems almost foreign.
1808620	1810800	After all, our thoughts feel like our own.
1810900	1817160	Our choices seem to be born from our personal convictions, and the messages we receive often resonate with our deepest held beliefs.
1817780	1821820	That's actually the brilliance and the danger of modern digital influence.
1821820	1827880	It wraps itself so seamlessly around our own values and beliefs, it feels indistinguishable from our own inner voice.
1828920	1830880	And this is where the challenge lies.
1830880	1843160	In this digital landscape, influence doesn't manifest with overt calls to action, but with subtle nudges, seemingly harmless suggestions, and content that aligns so closely with our worldviews, we embrace it without question.
1843540	1847140	To navigate this intricate web, we must reclaim that voice.
1847140	1856960	And in an age where opinions are often magnified by algorithms and echo chambers, we must learn to differentiate between our own authentic voices and those sculpted by external influences.
1856960	1862700	This requires introspection, media literacy, and the relentless pursuit of diverse perspectives.
1863620	1868230	And just as importantly, to do this, we must learn to truly listen to one another.
1868880	1872920	In our hyper-connected world, genuine listening is becoming a lost art.
1873080	1883800	We must relearn to engage with others without prejudice, to understand those opposing viewpoints without immediate refutation, and to engage in discourse that enriches rather than divides.
1883800	1893420	It's through these such dialogues that we can start to see the subtle contours of the external influence that we are being fed, and begin to differentiate that from our genuine beliefs.
1894800	1904020	But all of that will be for naught if we don't also change the way our media platforms value the consumer and take the responsibility for the role they play in delivering information.
1904180	1910240	While these companies may simply view us as revenue generation, we rely on the connectivity in content.
1910240	1914400	We must demand authenticity and transparency and trust.
1914400	1923460	Many companies have instituted methodologies to enhance these aspects, but the lack of standardization and benchmarks leave this to the ill-informed consumer.
1924120	1931100	This is actually Facebook's attempt to get rid of a lot of the influence campaigns they find online.
1931100	1940880	But yet we still see news article after news article after news article of the same influence being applied against us, because it is done so well by massively funded entities.
1942840	1957560	I am personally an advocate for regulations similar to the investment and banking industry's evolution, via the Office of the Comptroller of Currency or the Security and Exchange Commission, with policies and regulations like Know Your Customer and the Consumer Financial Protection Act.
1957560	1963220	I know it's a radical idea to remove some of the anonymity and the security that we all enjoy as freedom on the internet.
1963380	1976260	But let's be honest, our most valuable perceptions are super vulnerable and are actively being influenced and weaponized using these ubiquitous tools, and our reliance upon them in our daily lives is undeniable.
1976260	1990500	In holding our social media and digital services platform providers to a more responsible, at a federal level of course, for the activities by their consumers on their platform, we then share the burden of combating misinformation influence with the platform itself.
1990600	2000820	To safeguard our digital identities and to reinforce our resistance to influence, we must be proactive in managing our online personas, our likes, our shares, our searches, and our interactions.
2000820	2006420	We must recognize the inherent value of this data and treat it with the care and protection it deserves.
2006720	2015240	This means being more discerning with the permissions we grant, questioning the platforms that ask for our data, and holding these entities to a higher standard of transparency and accountability.
2017730	2028010	In closing, in an era where influence operates faster than our ability to understand it, our foundational challenge is to bridge the gap between comprehension and policy.
2028010	2033670	The very tenets of our democracies, free markets, and our global strategies hinge upon it.
2033870	2042910	As we continue our journey in the digital age, it is imperative that we recognize these patterns, adapt, and ensure that the tools designed to enrich our lives don't undermine our own core values.
2043210	2047170	As we navigate these uncharted waters, we must remain vigilant.
2047310	2050710	For every marvel that big data promises, there is a potential pitfall.
2050710	2062650	Let us remember that technology is merely a tool. It is neither inherently good nor inherently evil, and its impact on our lives, our societies, and our democracies will be shaped by how we choose to wield it.
2063150	2073810	The tools that can predict our favorite movies, streamline our shopping, and enhance our online experiences are the same tools that manipulate our perceptions, invade our privacy, and undermine our own democratic process.
2074510	2079830	The digital age presents both immense promise and profound challenges.
2079830	2084450	As we navigate, let us remember that our thoughts, voices, and identities are sovereign.
2084810	2092050	With the digital currents in the digital age, we need awareness, responsibility, and genuine engagement.
2092390	2097350	We can steer this course confidently and with integrity.
2097630	2101130	As we stand at this intersection, let us choose a path of empowerment and collaboration.
2101490	2104110	Let's take a proactive approach for our own protection.
2104530	2109210	For this choice lies the promise of a democracy that thrives, both online and off.
2109830	2117390	Let us remember that while technology evolves rapidly, the core principles of democracy—trust, transparency, and the power of the people—must remain unbroken.
2118270	2121790	Thank you all, and I'm happy to take questions if you have them.
2128940	2132120	I think we're getting a microphone, is that right?
2135000	2137560	That way I don't have to yell whatever you yell back at me.
2138360	2139300	Right here.
2143970	2147450	So the power of data that we're talking about here.
2147780	2162610	Do you think that privacy law, the enforcement arm, the financial enforcement arm of privacy law, and data governance that is enforced by that privacy law can help with this problem?
2162610	2168290	The data's out there, but storing the data forever and ever...
2168290	2175510	A person I follow named Michelle Dennedy, who's a privacy professional, she calls it a data swamp.
2175510	2179590	Because the data actually has increased liability with time.
2179590	2182310	It doesn't have perpetual increasing value.
2182310	2185110	It actually has perpetual increasing liability.
2185110	2187990	And the value is just a potential, not a guarantee.
2187990	2200850	So the combination of thinking in that way and the proactive action that you are speaking about, which is policy and an enforcement arm, can it actually make a difference to our elections?
2200870	2202890	I think the answer is yes.
2202910	2211270	But if you look at our political system today, most of the politicians that are there making these decisions or voting upon them, they don't understand the technology itself.
2211270	2217970	If you watch Mark Zuckerberg sit up and talk about how Facebook uses advertising, most of the people on those panels don't understand what he's talking about.
2218930	2222770	The experts that we put in front of them are poorly received.
2222770	2224850	They can't get into the technical weeds.
2225050	2229690	We need a lot more time, I think, and a cohesion policy around this.
2229690	2232270	A lot of states are actually running their own data governance policies.
2232270	2235190	If you look at the states of California and New York, you see this.
2235230	2239310	But look at the EU. They have a netted policy across an entire region.
2239570	2241570	We don't have anything like that yet.
2241790	2245090	So I think really it's time that we need to invest in it.
2245090	2246550	We need to start these conversations.
2246550	2251810	But we start that at the consumer level and say, this is how I'm voting with my feet, with my wallet, with my data.
2252170	2255550	And then we actually get the discourse that we want from our politicians.
2255910	2259970	But today, just saying that we want it, I don't think we're going to see something tomorrow.
2260090	2261790	You have to build policy.
2261790	2267970	Yes, you do. And you have to build the ability to participate in that policy system as well.
2267970	2269630	You need education from consumers.
2269630	2274750	I mean, my mother lives in Florida and has been the target of several cyber scams.
2274870	2279670	Believes very clearly in several different misinformation campaigns.
2279670	2286610	And that's a commitment that she's made because she doesn't understand the literacy that it takes to actually get online and sift through this data.
2287690	2291650	So I think that's really the issue. It's like the education and the policy meeting together.
2299280	2303320	So I got a question for you based sort of on what...
2303320	2303520	I'm sorry?
2303520	2307240	So on what you were talking about in there, you were talking about misinformation.
2307640	2308320	Yep.
2309620	2311660	And the mic wasn't picking me up for him.
2311660	2312220	Okay.
2312700	2325220	Anyways, so have you seen where voice generative AI is being used in election, U.S. elections, right?
2325300	2328000	So this is my political message and I approve it.
2328520	2330940	So we are seeing deep fakes.
2330940	2333320	We've seen it in the global theater.
2333320	2336360	We've seen it in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict.
2336820	2343420	When it comes to voting specifically, I don't think we've identified like this specific thing was done in a campaign.
2343420	2347460	But it's much more subtle than that because I don't have to actually hit you with a campaign ad.
2347460	2348820	I can hit you with something else.
2348820	2354140	I can hit you with other influence mechanisms that then have a second or third order effect about how you'll vote.
2354140	2356460	And so I think that's actually how we're seeing this applied today.
2356460	2358620	It's much more subtle and much more complex.
2358620	2362160	It's not that direct message of like, here's the headline that I want you to read.
2362160	2367920	It's just inundating you with little bits of information and slowly manipulating and slowly moving your perception.
2375970	2377610	Hi, is this working? Great.
2377650	2378610	Yeah, I think so.
2378950	2383130	So given your background, you might be able to talk to this as well.
2383330	2391050	How do you see this playing out on a global stage between the superpowers of the world and their influence in their areas?
2391050	2404130	And especially in particular, how one superpower influences voting in another country and how that becomes an advantage or disadvantage in certain perspectives.
2404130	2411230	Yeah, so it's a careful topic, but I think we're watching it live right now.
2411230	2414370	And I think we have several examples of how it plays out.
2414370	2422890	If you looked at what happened over COVID with supply chain challenges, the factories that China shut down meant that you couldn't buy milk.
2422890	2425950	You couldn't buy plastic goods that they were shipping.
2425950	2428850	We couldn't build houses like Home Depot was empty.
2428850	2433450	And you, the consumer, felt that. And you were willing to do damn near anything to get those products back.
2433450	2439130	And so your voting actually was shifted by that simple policy, economic policy change in China.
2439250	2441450	Was that the intent? Was that the effect?
2441990	2446990	Potentially. Potentially, they knew the impact that shutting down trade transport would have.
2447070	2451870	And they had a ready-made excuse inside of COVID to say, hey, we got to do this obviously for health and safety.
2452070	2463830	So if you think about the impact that that has globally on our global stage, China has a very well netted, as does Russia, a very well netted information operations campaign and geopolitical strategy.
2463990	2470510	In the US, we don't have that. We don't share that. Our companies aren't as close to the government as we see in China and Russia.
2470510	2478070	In China, a lot of the companies kowtow to exactly what the government asks them to do. That's just part of policy and part of their culture.
2478230	2485330	So we're at a supreme disadvantage when it comes to influence at all. I don't think they actually think about influencing you as a voter.
2485330	2490710	I think they think about putting pressure on us as a nation. And in that pressure, then we make choices.
2490710	2503790	So if you think about Putin and his choice over which candidate he may want next to alleviate the pressure that US has applied in Ukraine to combat him, which candidate would you think he might want to support?
2503790	2509310	I guarantee you the Kremlin thinks about this. I guarantee you his intelligence apparatus thinks about this.
2509310	2518970	So they are already starting their strategy in information operations and several other methods to ensure that we feel that pressure and that stress for manipulating our perspectives as well.
2518970	2525730	So yes, we are at a supreme disadvantage, I believe, because of that netting framework. Does that answer your question right?
2526430	2530550	Yes, it does. A little bit of a follow-on.
2531850	2542990	So what I think I'm understanding is maybe China considers economic factors strongly in how they might exert influence across the globe.
2542990	2552830	And Russia maybe uses political factors, more social factors in their influence across the globe.
2552830	2564930	What is your perspective on what we do? Because we've, or as the United States, maybe not we, but the United States, has traditionally done such things as well, but I don't know too much about it.
2564930	2577610	So we'll start, actually we'll back up just a hair and cover China as a model. It's an interesting thought to think about China as being equivalent to the U.S.
2577810	2588430	And if you look at their low, medium, and high income demographics, their economic demographics, and the population density size, it's very similar to the U.S.
2588430	2593050	The difference is they have another billion ultra poor people bolted onto the bottom of that.
2593270	2599770	And so that creates a lot of pressure and stress for their government because you're not going to stop a billion people who are hungry.
2600090	2606430	And they know this. So what they really are concerned with and what they really care about is ensuring that that country runs smoothly.
2606690	2616050	Again, I don't think they think about us and our voting politics. I think they think about their own infrastructure, their own ability to survive, their own ability to propagate their own ideals.
2616050	2628350	And so in doing so, they want a stronger voice than we have. And they've done a phenomenal job in aligning their geopolitical strategy and their industrial strategies around that.
2628350	2635770	If you look at these programs like Thousand Talents and Belt and Road Initiative, they own ports here in the U.S. They own several ports inside of the U.S.
2635830	2642590	Through investment, they have access to our Hollywood media outlets. They influence what we see in movies and what we see on TV.
2642590	2646730	They influence all the products we receive and the updates that those pieces of software get.
2647010	2656890	Because they're a large part of our manufacturing base, and we don't do that here, Apple has to say, OK, well, I guess we'll put a server farm in China and give you all the data because who else is going to make an iPhone for me?
2657350	2664890	So if you think about all that, that's actually what we're combating against. I don't think they think about us adversarially in that way. Does that make sense?
2664890	2678550	Russia, however, does. I think a lot of the old regime is still closely netted into the government, and I believe they think about their own world-stage superpower.
2678550	2686610	I don't think they think of the country the same way that, say, China thinks about themselves. I think they think of themselves as a regional, approaching superpower level.
2686610	2701710	So a lot of what you're seeing is a projection of a strategy to build buffers around their country so that the pro-West ideologies and the pro-West influence has basically a bulwark between them and their citizens.
2702270	2714910	When it comes to U.S. strategy, I think we're super diverse. We give a lot of power to corporations, to companies. I mean, we have, I think, the top 10 list of the most lucrative digital data advertising.
2715070	2727550	Seven of them are U.S. companies. Two of them are Chinese, and one, I think, is a Russian company. But if you think about that, most of the media, most of the information, most of the data is generated, held, and driven by us.
2727550	2742630	So we give a lot of power to those companies who set policy, who lobby, who put money into politics. And that changes and sways the way we, the voting constituents, the people who actually submit our vote, get offered options or choices or even presented with facts.
2742690	2755230	So I think a lot of that is cloudy and probably could be cleaned up a lot around policy and a lot of the other things that we talk about where we can start to set guardrails and say, look, this shouldn't be a factor that influences us as a voting constituency.
2755230	2772830	Should you have free and open access to the Internet? Should you be able to see information? Should we require platforms that we use to allow politicians to solicit your vote? Should we see a verification that they are who they say they are? Should we have authenticity in that platform? Those are the types of things I think that we need to clean up on our end.
2774970	2776150	Any other questions?
2779710	2807970	So as the United States, what, in your opinion, can we do to keep up with the predatory loaner homogenistic strategies of China whenever it's so easy for strategic partnerships to accept the give a man a fish versus teach a man to fish strategy? And in your opinion, kind of a two-part question, does that give credence to the actual effectiveness of those partnerships developed?
2807990	2819250	Meaning dwindling influences of those countries over time based on money versus on upbringing and long-term campaign?
2819250	2834590	That's a great question. I think if we're talking about in realistic terms, we're already behind. We're very far behind. And we've watched a lot of the economic influence occur across Africa, across the Middle East, even here in the US.
2834590	2849010	So we have to figure out how to re-engage those partnerships. We have to think about reaching out externally. And if you think about how the US played politics post-World War II, we did have a very overt campaign of reaching out globally.
2849430	2864070	Over the past probably 20 years, we've really restricted that. We've brought it back home and focused a lot more on domestic issues. Yes, we fought wars. Yes, we've been in foreign countries. Yes, we are still there. But we don't have that same global presence that we used to have, nor do we have the relationships and the influence.
2864590	2880490	That vacuum that that created, China stepped right inside and filled. And some of the things I think that are most important to think about in that is, from a superpower standpoint, our ability to wage economic warfare is probably one of our strongest talents.
2880490	2903510	We have the dollar standard. It is the gold standard. It is a global standard. But if you watch just recently with the embargoes and the sanctions that we placed on Russia, they started trading oil in rupees. They started trading oil in Chinese currency. That challenges our own economic superpower status.
2903510	2921250	So in doing so, you then provide an alternative currency. Sanctions don't mean anything. We have no way of actually combating in warfare, in soft power projection. We have to actually go to war now. When you think about our nation from a competitive standpoint, we start to lose that advantage. We see China pulling further ahead.
2921550	2930370	So I think really what we have to do is we have to find that coalition of the willing. We have to find people who share those similar ideologies. And we have to figure out how to partner with them much closer like we once were.
2930370	2958390	The European Union is an interesting one. We have started to rebuild a lot of relationships there, but we still have very fractured relationships with a lot of those countries. And we see that play out in a lot of the politics, even around the Ukrainian war, right? We're not going to vote to support the Ukrainian war. We're not going to allow them into NATO and things like that. They're holding out because we don't have that relationship or that partnership. And because China is paying for a lot of infrastructure and resources in those countries. Does that answer your question?
2958390	2960830	Oh yeah, that was good. Yeah, you hit every point.
2972990	2977750	That's it? Thank you all. That was fun. Thank you. Thank you.