United Nations Commission on Science and Technology for Development (UNCSTD)
Topic: Legal Implications of Information Technology and Data Privacy
Background
With the advent of new technology every single day, potential issues associated with this exponential growth arise. One key such issue is data and privacy. Governments formulate a lot of regulations to curb effects of data leaks and misuse of private data collected from online users but there are still gaps to be filled. Research by the pew research center shows that only 8% of adults say they understand data and privacy policies they sign. Most of the population is thus vulnerable as individuals are binded by policies they don’t understand. Policies enacted also span different jurisdictions with a global standard yet to be debated and approved. Additionally, governments in pursuit of national security go beyond boundaries some people consider ethical while doing public surveillance.
Key stakeholders directly affected by these issues include: internet users whose personal data is at stake, big tech companies that collect and handle user information and whose operations are directly affected by regulations set by the government, and lastly the governments which alongside protecting their citizens from data misuse have a mandate to safeguard themselves against cyber security attacks. Breaches such as some that have happened in the near past have completely undesired effects and need to be dealt with urgently.
The goal of this committee is thus to propose policies that enhance the protection of user personal data but also ensure there are no negative economic effects to companies directly affected by the said policies. This is with the aim of making streamlined policies that enhance economic growth while committing to user online safety.
Director Biography
Michael Pecorara
My name is Michael Pecorara, and I am thrilled to serve as your crisis director at HNMUN Africa. I’m a junior from Long Island, New York currently studying Economics with a Secondary in Government and a Language Citation in Mandarin Chinese. I caught the MUN bug during my Freshman fall having had no prior MUN experience and the IR community at Harvard really welcomed me with open arms and it is here where I found my first on-campus family. Being raised by a grandmother who fled the Mussolini regime to come to the United States when she was 12 years old, I have always had a deep respect and appreciation for International Relations and doing MUN in college has allowed me to express this love for IR in a creative and unique way.
On campus, I am busy studying for the LSAT, the law school entrance examination in the US. Outside of MUN and LSAT study, I am a member of the Harvard Association for US-China Relations, the Institute of Politics, the Harvard Political Union, and an editor for the Harvard Undergraduate Law Review. My personal passions include true crime podcasts and going to local museums.
Ian Toyota
Ian Toyota is a freshman at Harvard considering concentrating in Computer Science or Electrical Engineering. He was born and raised in Kenya where he went to a public high school and applied to Harvard as an international student. His interest in Model UN grew at Harvard as his high school did not offer it as a club. Until now, he has worked for HMUN Boston business organ, and was an assistant director at HNMUN Boston ECOSOC council in the UNHRC committee. He brings new energy to the conference!
Out of Model UN Ian is interested in community service, the African Development Group which is a consulting group and the international community on campus. In his free time, you will find him reading online articles, watching YouTube videos on current world affairs, reading an African novel, cycling, trying out a recipe a friend recommended or taking a nap. Feel free to reach out to him with any questions at iantoyota.college.harvard.edu.