August 14, 2020
Contact: Taylor Nelson
tnelso@gmu.edu
703-993-8718
National Security Institute Hosts Tech Leaders To Discuss Recent Congressional Hearings and National Security
Arlington, VA – Yesterday, the National Security Institute (NSI) at George Mason University’s Antonin Scalia Law School hosted Aaron Hughes, Randal Milch, Dr. Samantha Ravich, and Ron Gula to discuss how the U.S. government can address legitimate public concerns about technology companies without impairing innovation, economic growth, and national security.
Hot quotes include:
- “The accretion of growth in the tech companies was almost at every step approved by our antitrust agencies,” Randal Milch, former General Counsel of Verizon and Co-Chair of the NYU Center for Cybersecurity
- “Google, Facebook, and Twitter are not your friends, they are dangerous,” Randal Milch, former General Counsel of Verizon and Co-Chair of the NYU Center for Cybersecurity
- “Child pornographers, human traffickers, money launderers … they have the protections too of end-to-end encryption,” Dr. Samantha Ravich, Commissioner on the Cyberspace Solarium Commission and former Deputy National Security Advisor for Vice President Cheney Dr. Samantha Ravich
- “I don’t think we would ever want to go back to a paradigm where there’s not the ability to actively push corrections to software,” Aaron Hughes, NSI Advisory Board member and former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Cyber Policy
Ron Gula’s bio can be found here.
Aaron Hughes’s bio can be found here.
Randal Milch’s bio can be found here.
Dr. Samantha Ravich’s bio can be found here.
For a recording of the event, please click here.
About the Technology, Innovation, and American National Security: Preserving U.S. Leadership in a New Decade
This project will explore what the U.S. should do to ensure its global economic and political leadership, including how the U.S. government and private sector might work together to respond to national security threats and economic competition while promoting innovation.
About NSI 2020
NSI 2020 is a year-long project that will focus on two of America’s most pressing national security challenges: the rise of China and preserving U.S. technology innovation leadership. NSI 2020 will feature a series of events, papers, and policy engagements centered on these two imperative challenges over the next year. We expect this project to drive serious debate on critical issues, with the work of NSI’s authors and experts providing key insights and actionable recommendations.
About the National Security Institute
The National Security Institute serves as a platform for research, teaching, scholarship, and policy development that incorporates a realistic assessment of the threats facing the United States and its allies, as well as an appreciation of the legal and practical challenges facing U.S. intelligence, defense, law enforcement, homeland security, and cybersecurity communities. NSI draws on the experience of its fellows, as well as its highly distinguished advisory board and faculty, to produce timely research and policy materials that deliver insightful analysis and actionable recommendations to senior policymakers in the White House and key departments and agencies, as well as those on Capitol Hill.
About the Scalia Law School
The Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University is defined by three words: Learn. Challenge. Lead. Students receive an outstanding legal education (Learn), are taught to critically evaluate prevailing orthodoxy and pursue new ideas (Challenge), and, ultimately, are well prepared to distinguish themselves in their chosen fields (Lead). It has been one of America’s top-ranked law schools for the last fifteen years.
About George Mason University
George Mason University is Virginia’s largest public research university. Located near Washington, D.C., Mason enrolls more than 33,000 students from 130 countries and all 50 states. Mason has grown rapidly over the past half-century and is recognized for its innovation and entrepreneurship, remarkable diversity, and commitment to accessibility.