This is your regular dive into the intersections that matter in 3:32 minutes.
Intersections is published by Junction House - the home for today’s leading thinkers working across business, government, and technology. We explore the myriad ways in which these spheres overlap and impact society. If you’re interested in learning more about Junction House and how to join, subscribe to stay in the know.
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Tech x Society - In the Apple x Google collaboration, two very different privacy approaches are tested.
Plenty of businesses have stepped up to aid in the COVID-19 effort, but the one that’s caught our eye is Apple and Google’s joint announcement to put together a contact tracing program. The collaboration of these quintessential tech rivals in a time of need is almost heartwarming, but this tech mash-up has come with a healthy serving of privacy skeptism. As shown in China’s authoritarian state, these methods can work but are incredibly invasive.
Apple and Google approach privacy in very different ways. Apple CEO Tim Cook has been very vocal about the need to safeguard consumer privacy whereas Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai has, well…not (see our first issue for a highlight to his approach). Apple uses data almost exclusively to improve its products (84% of revenue comes from sales of iPhones, iPads, etc.), whereas Google uses data primarily to sell ads (85% of revenue comes from ad sales). These approaches show a fundemental divergence in the two companies’ views on how user data should be treated and if it’s a commodity that can be repackaged and sold. The reality that this data will likely not be housed with just one of these companies but with both of them, so our data will be used for both purposes.
On the plus side, because these two companies own nearly the entire smartphone operating system infrastructure (99.3% of all smartphones globally, to be exact), together they should be able to make it secure. But that scale is part of the issue. Not only can they build the infrastructure to trace nearly every human, but they can also collect data from every person. The two companies have announced they will shut down the program on a region-by-region basis once the pandemic is over, but that also begs two questions: what happens to the data collected during the pandemic, and when can we consider the pandemic “over”?
Also: The shift toward a VR world continues as Travis Scott hosted the largest concert on the planet in Fortnite last week. Palantir knows everything about you.
Government x Tech - The world won’t stop for COVID-19. Smart city infrastructure is necessary and long overdue.
In the last 5 weeks, over 26 million people have applied for unemployement benefits. In that same time, the Federal government has approved trillions of dollars of stimulus packages and just sent $1,200 checks to 90 million Americans. Although it may feel like the world has stopped for our modern pandemic, that simply isn’t true. We still buy groceries, order food (thanks robots), wash dishes, and indulge where we can. Those who can work from home do, but those who can’t are either unemployed or deemed “essential.” While lifestyle sacrifices can help us maintain a sense of normalcy, radical shifts will be required to supplement that normalcy.
One path forward for cities is for anything that can’t be done remotely to be termed “essential” so economies can keep moving at some pace. The other involves heavy duty automation. On one hand, more automation means less humans ☹. On the other, more automation means less humans 😁! Less human interaction means less potential for viral transmition. Many cities, running at massive and perpetual deficits, are already long overdue for digital overhauls. Construction, public transportation, and public health are ripe for review. A next step for municipalities is to identify the overwhelmed, expensive, backlogged departments and start digitizing there. With today’s technology, nothing is off limits. James Carlini sets out ideas of where cities can start.
Also: Tech giants are formally asking UK not to use Huawei for 5G infrastructure. Cambridge Analytica, settled: FTC has agreed to Facebook’s fine for the scandal.
Business x Society - LA bill could clear path for a new age of public-private partnerships.
The need for effective public-private partnerships has become apparent. A group in LA comprised of the Mayor’s Office, power, and cleantech businesses has just pitched a $150 billion proposal to congress to electrify the city’s public transportation system.
Although the size of the package and other government priorities may end up stalling the bill, public private proposals may be an effective way forward. Ensuring societal priorities are acted upon and giving the private sector guidance and input into how it can be helpful.
Also: Media channels no longer deliver information, we get that from the internet - so what are they for anymore? Is cultured meat not as great as we thought? Marc Andreesen, famed venture capitalist, sparks controversy with his post arguing for the need to build.
The dinner table: We welcome discourse and feedback. The nature of the intersections we explore means friction and disagreement exist. The only way forward is through constructive conversation, and we want to facilitate that.
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What else we’re reading
Scott Galloway makes a strong case for a mandatory period of service to the country - “ask not what your country can do for you…”
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We leave you with this: Views of the Potomac from @washingtonharbour