1984 didn't just happen because of a calendar. The world of 1984 was built by politicians who used the rule of law to change society into an oppressive surveillance state. In Washington D.C., politicians today are making decisions about what technologies we're permitted to use and how they'll be used in society. In this talk we'll break down 4-5 bills currently under discussion in Congress and explain who they'll impact the DEF CON community.
Nathan White spent five years working for the U.S. congress before starting a political consulting firm as a registered lobbyist. He now serves as the Senior Legislative Manager for Access Now, where he works to defend our digital rights. He has run political and issue campaigns from Maui to Maryland to Melbourne. He helped advocacy campaigns including the fight to save Net Neutrality at the FCC (2015) and the USA FREEDOM Act in Congress. At Access Now he co-organized the Crypto Summit and Crypto Summit 2.0. He worked to build the SaveCrypto.org campaign and helped create the international coalition to Secure The Internet (securetheinternet.org). He works everyday to educate Washington D.C. beltway types about our community. @NathanielDWhite
Nate Cardozo is a Senior Staff Attorney on EFF's civil liberties team where he focuses on cybersecurity policy and defending coders' rights. Nate has litigated cases involving electronic surveillance, freedom of information, digital anonymity, online free expression, and government hacking. His other projects include defending encryption, fighting software export controls, preserving automotive privacy, and assisting surveillance law reform efforts. As an expert in technology law and civil liberties, Nate works on EFF's Who Has Your Back report and regularly assists companies in crafting rights-preserving policies and advising on compliance with legal process. When he's not brewing beer with his EFF colleagues, Nate serves on the boards of directors of the First Amendment Coalition and the South Asian Film Preservation Society. Nate has a B.A. in Anthropology and Politics from U.C. Santa Cruz and a J.D. from U.C. Hastings where he has taught first-year legal writing and moot court.