Past: Cuban Missile Crisis

Following Cuba’s independence from the United States of America in 1902, the countries remained mutually neutral until American interference in the Cuban Revolution, building to the U.S.’s failed invasion of the Bay of Pigs in 1961. With tensions continuing to climb alongside the blatant rise of communism in Cuba, American intelligence was focused on the nation’s neighbor. On October 14, 1962, a U.S. U2 spy plane spotted something strange while flying over Cuba: evidence of Soviet offensive ballistic missiles secretly installed in Cuba. With American missiles positioned in Italy and Turkey and Soviet nuclear missiles now in Cuba, proximity to another world war is palpable. As American government intelligence was key to discovering this secret communist nuclear agreement, can this conflict be preemptively resolved without explicit reference to data acquired through illegal espionage? If not, consider how you would approach the subject of government surveillance of unconsenting nations without inciting further damage to international relations. Are you ready to C.I.SLAY.?

 

Present: Government Interaction With Data

In the past 30 years, technological advancements, particularly in the digital realm, with the developments of smartphones, more advanced computers, and many other devices. These devices and technologies within them (e.g., apps and websites) often collect our data in alarming quantities, largely without our knowledge or informed consent. Often this collection happens at the hands of private corporations, but sometimes these technologies get mixed in with governments around the world. Take, for instance, the discoveries of Edward Snowden, a whistleblower and former government contractor with the NSA. He revealed that the NSA collects data from Google, Yahoo, and Verison of Americans and foreign citizens. Take another example of biometric scanners at border crossings worldwide, forcing the data of all who cross to be collected and likely stored. There are many more examples and case studies that this committee will discover and discuss, all with the intent of building a framework for the ideal interaction between the government and the data of all citizens. Step up to the plate to protect and guide the world in an ever-changing, complex, and often misunderstood field. Are you ready to combine your political and technological savvy?