Explain to Shane

Domain name abuse is a constant challenge, as it’s the entry point for many online activities that are harmful to consumers such as malware, botnets, phishing scams, and spam. Protecting the domain name system (DNS) is a priority for security and stability, and creating an efficient way to track abusers is key to this mission. But what exactly does DNS abuse look like in practice, and how do...

Criminals are constantly looking for holes in online identity verification—a key reason why the US government  lost  $163 billion in unemployment-related fraud during the pandemic. Can technology make identity verification systems more resilient, despite everyone being on separate networks? On this episode,  Shane  and AEI Nonresident Senior Fellow  Jim Harper  interv...

How has China gained influence at the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), and what type of agenda will they continue to pursue if the US and our allies do not step up our participation? If China and Russia win the upcoming ITU election, we’re going to find out. Coined recently as “ the most important election you have never heard of ,” the ITU’s plenipotentiary conference in late Septembe...

Everyone loves a good “life hack”: Whether it’s through an organizational app, a new productivity strategy, or a novel way to use technology, we’re all looking for ways to be more efficient. What life hacks would a startup and entrepreneurship expert recommend? Shane’s latest guest is Jason Feifer . Jason is the editor in chief of Entrepreneur Magazine , a podcast host , keynote speaker, startup a...

As the demand for remote work, schooling, medical services, and retail continues to rise, augmented reality (AR) and extended reality (XR) are proving worthwhile to both the providers and consumers of these services. How can we integrate these technologies into our daily lives as smoothly as possible? On this episode, Shane is joined by David Scurlock , founder and CEO of In Your FACE Learning and...

When one thinks about today’s tech leaders in Silicon Valley, PayPal is probably not the first name that comes to mind. But PayPal’s founders and earliest employees have gone on to create, found, and advise companies like Tesla, SpaceX, YouTube, LinkedIn, Facebook, Yelp, and Palantir. What happened in PayPal’s early days to set these individuals and future companies up for success? On this episode...

While the $52 billion of federal funding in the  CHIPS for America Act  has strong bipartisan support, it’s caught in a larger fight between the two legislative chambers over an attempt to reconcile the bill with other Democrat spending priorities. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has built a coalition against the larger bill that will stop it from passing unless the process...

Following the passage of the  Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act  (IIJA), a Department of Commerce branch known as the  National Telecommunications and Information Administration  (NTIA) has been tasked with allocating $42.5 billion of federal broadband infrastructure funding to state and local governments through the  Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) pr...

One year ago, the Biden administration announced its support for a proposal at the World Trade Organization (WTO) that would waive Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property (TRIPS) protections for COVID-19 vaccines and treatments. Last week, WTO member states agreed to a limited waiver that only covers vaccines and patents—not therapeutics or trade secrets. Both sides of the debate are relati...

The radio airwaves that power wireless technologies—known as spectrum—are a finite but critical resource. Tailoring spectrum toward its best use often entails industry and government sharing airwaves with one another, a process that has proven complicated as historical use does not always equate to the best current use of spectrum assets. And, with the advent of 5G wireless, the stakes are higher...

Cyberattacks are one of the largest threats facing society today. Learning how cyber disruptions take place is the best way to protect services provided by network operations and data systems, but who has the training resources and expert teams required to detect unseen risks for enterprise, government, and civil society alike? On this episode of “Explain to Shane,”  Shane  is joined by...

Cyber threats are multidimensional; they can manifest as large-scale attacks carried out by nation states or private actors, targeted at critical infrastructure or individual devices. In the information age, they can also target vulnerable individuals via malware or on social media platforms in the form of false or misleading information. Across the board, the Russia-Ukraine conflict has made plug...

How are the American and European approaches to regulating the technology industry similar? How are they different? Can policymakers from the two continents find agreement on today’s most pressing tech policy issues? On this episode of “Explain to Shane,”  Shane  is joined by  Peter Brown , a Washington, DC-based diplomat for the  European Parliament . Using Europe’s Digital Ma...

How can we achieve a real, certifiable level of comfort and trust between consumers and the companies that make our technologies? The standards for what constitutes trust and safety vary from user to user; we need to find a tractable way to build out indicators of trust that will allow both producers and users to see risks clearly. On this episode of “Explain to Shane,”  Shane  is joined...

As security risks to internet-enabled devices reach an all-time high, Nokia has been highlighting the most pressing threats to user devices through its annual  threat intelligence reports . According to the 2020 and 2021 reports, malware infections on both computers and mobile devices are on the rise—specifically through downloadable software that poses as something helpful or fun for users....

At a time when cybersecurity is more important than ever, Congress is taking steps to weaken the security of your mobile device. By forcing app-store operators to allow “sideloading” — the unvetted downloading of any app or software from the open internet — bad actors could have a fast lane to your personal data and information. Furthermore, letting these platforms retain control over their digita...

Should US semiconductor chip manufacturers move their fabrication plants onto American soil? Should we be offering migration incentives for high-tech chip engineers from Taiwan in order to onshore design and engineering? What role, if at all, should the government play in subsidizing the construction of these plants for US companies? These and other questions remain unsettled when it comes to the...

Is industrial policy making a comeback? Congressional legislation and industry representatives have encouraged the US government to put federal funds toward shoring up the domestic semiconductor industry to compete with China. Europe likewise appears poised to spend large sums of government money on its chip industry as part of a reaction to the global chip shortage. While free-market advocates wh...

What does federal broadband funding mean for the physical side of US internet networks? How do interagency battles over next-generation network deployment impact the daily operations of tower climbers, technicians, and engineers? Shane  interviews  Todd Schlekeway , president and CEO of  NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association , on the latest episode of “Expl...

The next generation of the internet, also known as Web3, seeks to permanently change the way our online world functions — namely through blockchain technology, decentralization, and token-based economics. What are the underlying technologies behind Web3, and can it solve the many policy issues we still haven’t gotten right with today’s internet? On this episode, Shane is joined by Gabrielle Hibber...

Several bills seeking to restructure American antitrust law are moving forward in both bodies of Congress. The bills specifically target Big Tech firms — namely Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google — though they follow arbitrary metrics for “bigness,” and don’t address lawmakers’ main concerns with tech platforms. Meanwhile, the Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission are also stepping u...

As today’s supply chain challenges create bottlenecks across the economy, consumers and businesses of all sizes are dealing with unprecedented situations involving lack of component parts, trapped inventory, and delayed deliveries. But what if we could digitize parts of the supply chain and make them more efficient? Where, if at all, can technology contribute? On this episode of “Explain to Shane,...

The debate around online content moderation is not slowing down. People remain bitterly divided over whether social media platforms should take down more content, or not moderate at all. But this issue is not limited to the US: Across the world, authoritarian regimes are using online censorship to silence dissenters, and are retaliating against citizens who share certain content online. How are co...

The extent to which lawyers, corporate executives, and government officials focus on cybersecurity fluctuates with the threat level posed by malicious cyber actors. In light of numerous ransomware attacks on critical industries, lawmakers are looking at more regulatory obligations to mitigate the risks these threats pose. Companies, meanwhile, are working to comply with a chaotic patchwork of rule...

How can children enjoy the groundbreaking innovations of the digital age with sufficient guardrails around their personal data? What existing laws and regulations aim to protect children online, and what steps must businesses of all sizes take to comply with them?   On this episode of “Explain to Shane,”  Shane  sits down with  Rick Lane , founder and CEO of Iggy Ventures,...