Noah Apthorpe (Colgate)- Measuring the Impacts of Technology Policy: Age Gating, Authentication Security, and User Protection

Abstract: Have you ever had to indicate that you are old enough to purchase a game, read an article, or create an account online? Have you had to change your password regularly or get used to a new two-factor authentication app for your university account? These and related experiences reflect the influence of technology policy on system design—often raising questions about the empirical basis for and real-world impact of legislative mandates and industry standards. This talk will present recent and ongoing human-computer interaction and Internet measurement research bridging the gap between policy and practice on current hot topics, including online age-based governance (motivated by legislative efforts to regulate online activity based on age) and digital authentication security in higher education (motivated by the rising threat of cyberattacks on colleges and universities).