Now that I’ve more or less recovered from planning and running it, I wanted to make sure Just Security readers were aware of the inaugural Cato Institute Surveillance Conference held last week, which I intend (knock wood) to be an annual event along the lines of our long-running Monetary & Constitution Day Conferences. I’ve embedded the video below, but if you prefer C-Span’s camera work or want an awkward automated transcript, you can also find everything but our first panel in their archives.
While I’m biased, obviously, I thought the whole thing was pretty damned fascinating. We had intelligence officials and intelligence whistleblowers. We had overseers, civil society advocates, litigators, and technologists. We had Rep. Thomas Massie talking about the sausage-making process that killed his “backdoor search” amendment, and Google Chairman Eric Schmidt on his company’s unique position as partner and opponent to the spy agencies. We had more Pulitzer winners than you can shake a stick at moderating our discussions, with “everyone take turns giving a ten minute monologue” panels strictly forbidden. A guy named Edward Snowden showed up for an engaging surprise interview. We even introduced Bob Litt and Marcy Wheeler, and they did not mutually annihilate in a massive burst of gamma rays! If you missed it live, I will suggest, with towering immodesty, that the whole thing’s worth watching—and hopefully we’ll see you at the Second Annual Cato Surveillance Conference.
| 8:30–8:45 a.m. | Introduction Julian Sanchez, Senior Fellow, Cato Institute |
| 8:45–9:15 a.m. |
Opening Remarks |
| 9:15–10:30 a.m. |
Panel 1: INTERNATIONAL SURVEILLANCE: FISA §702 & Executive Order 12333 Moderator: Charlie Savage, Washington Correspondent, New York Times |
| 10:30 – 10:40 a.m. | Break |
| 10:40 –11:55 a.m. |
Panel 2: DOMESTIC SURVEILLANCE: Law Enforcement in the Digital Age Moderator: Jack Gillum, Associated Press |
| 12:00 -1:00 p.m. | Lunch |
| 1:00 -1:40 p.m. |
Eric E. Schmidt, Executive Chairman, Google |
| 1:45–3:00 p.m. |
Panel 3: OVERSEEING SURVEILLANCE: Secrecy, Transparency, and Accountability Moderator: Siobhan Gorman, Wall Street Journal |
| 3:00–4:15 p.m. |
Panel 4: LIMITING SURVEILLANCE: Congress, the Courts, and Technology Moderator: Ellen Nakashima, Washington Post |
| 4:15–4:30 p.m. | Break |
| 4:30–5:30 p.m. |
Closing Session Julian Sanchez, Senior Fellow, Cato Institute |