The flashiest part of the Consumer Electronics Show is undoubtedly all of the cool technology, but policy issues surrounding all of that cutting-edge tech are a major draw all their own. Regardless of the kind of technology involved, there's going to be some discussion about safety, privacy or other possible issues and CES is offering a major forum for those discussions with some of the key decision makers. Check out the big policy issues going on this week in Las Vegas.
The Internet of Things - Smart watches and other wearables can be a great tool for measuring and tracking your health, but as the tech evolves, the regulations surrounding it can get a little confusing. A panel Tuesday will have the associate director of the FDA's Center for Devices and tech and legal experts on the subject of wearable medical tech try to explain all of the complications. There will also be a session on Wednesday focused on the larger issues surrounding the Internet of Things with the FTC, Samsung and several consumer advocacy groups.
Regulatory Policies and Industry Collaboration - A hugely important session on Wednesday will see comments from FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler and FTC Chairwoman Edith Ramirez on all of the ways technology is changing how their agencies function. You can likely expect a lot of talk about cybersecurity, net neutrality, Internet controls and related issues. There will also be a roundtable with other FTC and FCC commissioners talking about disruption and innovation and how it interacts with their agencies. Also on Wednesday, the way that the tech industry can get involved in influencing these kinds of decisions will be discussed by White House CTO Megan Smith and Tom Kalil,the deputy director for policy in the White House Office of Science and Technology, who have both made the change from Silicon Valley to D.C.
Cybersecurity - Plenty of cybersecurity topics will come under discussion during CES, such as the Department of Homeland Security and cybersecurity experts as well as representatives of big corporations, including Tim O'Shaughnessy of locally-based Graham Holdings. There will be another panel on Thursday about what the heads of companies should do to prepare for cybersecurity problems and deal with any blame that comes their way.
Patents - A perennial bugbear for Consumer Technology Association members is patent trolls and the issue of patent reform. Representatives from the patent office, tech companies and Rep. Darrell Issa (R- CA) will all be on a panel to talk about prospects for reform and how inventors can protect themselves from getting harassed by patent trolls.
Drones - As personal and commercial drone use really starts to take off, it's not too surprising that CES would feature several panels talking about them, including one on Wednesday afternoon simply defining them and their possibilities relative to their regulation. There will be another on Thursday a representative from the FAA and legal experts from drone companies and another about privacy and safety as legal issues related to drone.
