Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton discusses the perils of technology at launch of Stanford’s new digital policy program

“The timely launch of (this initiative) could

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not be at a better time or a better place,” Clinton said. “Our country and other democracies are facing serious and urgent challenges from the nexus of technology, propaganda, terrorism, espionage and cyber warfare.”

Provost Persis Drell introduced Clinton before she took the stage.

“Silicon Valley has played a central role in launching many of the digital technologies that have revolutionized our world,” Drell said. “The applications of those technologies of course raise a variety of important issues that societies around the world are now confronting: privacy, freedom of expression, the quality of discourse needed for the function of democracies, the impacts of digital technology on national security and many others.”

Clinton said it’s important to recognize the positive aspects the Internet and other parts of digital technology have on democracies, such as making it easier for people to access information on voting and elections. But she said it’s important to find ways to counteract its negative consequences as well.

“The question is how do we strike the right balance?” Clinton said. “As we all know, the 2016 campaign revealed a darker side of the intersection between technology and democracy.”

http://news.stanford.edu/2017/10/07/clinton-discusses-perils-technology/