Confronting Automated Law Enforcement
Woodrow Hartzog
Assistant Professor, Cumberland School of Law
Samford University
This talk will explore a potential framework for analysis of automated law enforcement systems that includes a conceptualization of automated law enforcement as the process of automating some or all aspects of surveillance, analysis, and enforcement in an iterative feedback loop. The talk will describe the intended and unintended consequences that can result from the automation of any stage in this process and provide a list of issues that must be considered in any automated law enforcement scheme. Those deploying automated law enforcement schemes should be extremely cautious to ensure that the necessary calculus has been performed and adequate safeguards have been incorporated to minimize the potential for public harm while preserving the benefits of automation.
Woodrow Hartzog is an Assistant Professor at Samford University’s Cumberland School of Law. He is also an Affiliate Scholar at the Center for Internet and Society at Stanford Law School. His research focuses on privacy, contracts, human-computer interaction, and robotics. His work has been published in numerous law reviews, peer-reviewed journals, and popular publications such as the California Law Review, Michigan Law Review, The Nation and The Atlantic. He has been quoted or referenced in numerous media articles and broadcasts, including NPR, the New York Times, USA Today, and the Los Angeles Times. He previously worked as a trademark attorney at the United States Patent and Trademark Office and in private practice. He has also served as a clerk for the Electronic Privacy Information Center.