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This years SXSW Interactive conference an annual event that brings together leaders in technology,
media and music will have two new high-profile speakers: the president and first lady.
Barack and Michelle Obama will be speaking during a period of intense focus on the tech industry,
with Apple CEO Tim Cooks open letter challenging the FBIs request to aid in unlocking a terror
suspects iPhone, Twitter announcing an online safety panel and more companies getting into the
cord-cutting business.
As conference-goers gather in Austin, here are eight key conversations about internet and
technology today:
Privacy vs. security
Februaryon the issue of whether Apple should assist the FBI in unlocking the iPhone of one of the
San Bernardino terror suspects, more Americans sided with the government than with Apple. Some
51% of U.S. adults said Apple should assist in unlocking the phone, while 38% said the company
should not help unlock the phone because it jeopardizes other users security and privacy.
Americans views about the trade-off between security and personal privacy have shifted over time
and public opinion is often influenced by major news events. Following the San Bernardino and Paris
attacks, 56% of Americans said they were more concerned that counterterrorism efforts had not
gone far enough to protect the country, while just 28% said they were concerned that efforts have
gone too far in restricting civil liberties. By contrast, after the Edward Snowden leaks in 2013,
concerns over civil liberties were more prevalent than concerns for national security.
Personal data concerns
Americans are anxious about the privacy environment. The vast majority of Americans 91% agree
that consumers have lost control of how personal information is collected and used by companies,
including 45% who strongly agree with this statement. The public also has little confidence that
companies and organizations can keep their personal data secure.
Online harassment
from 35% in 2011. Beyond calls and texts, smartphone owners use their devices to accomplish a
number of tasks including getting directions, applying for jobs and getting health information. For
some Americans, particularly younger adults, minorities and lower-income Americans, smartphones
are their gateway to the internet, and this smartphone-only population is on the rise. Today, 13% of
U.S. adults have smartphones but do not have home broadband service, up from 8% in 2013.
Smartphone ownership, however, is still less prevalent among lower-income Americans. The
persistent debates about digital divides took another turn this week when the Federal
Communications Commission circulated a final proposal for creating a government subsidy of $9.25
a month to encourage low-income households to gain broadband connections.
The rise of the gig economy
Mobile technology has not only changed the way people get to where they need to go, but it has also
ushered in a new wave of businesses and sparked debates about how to regulate companies that
provide services that can be called up on an apps. Ride-hailing is one of the most well-documented
examples of growth in this so-called gig economy. A 2014 Pew Research Center survey found that
11% of smartphone owners use their phones at least occasionally to reserve a taxi or car service. It
is most popular among smartphone owners ages 18-29; 17% of them have reserved rides via their
phones. In addition to car services, the gig economy has spawned businesses ranging from home
sharing to online marketplaces for homemade goods.
Cord cutters