Tech Policy Case Studies

In the Spring of 2020, CITP’s tech policy clinic launched a new forum to explore real-world challenges facing policy makers. The case study series engages with domain experts who share a concrete policy puzzle they are grappling with. Each case study is typically divided into two sessions. 

  • Before the first session, we require participants to read our two page background memo that describes the issue. 
  • The first session is devoted to analyzing the problem so that we have a shared understanding of the challenges. 
  • The second session evaluates potential research projects that can inform policy choices. The goal is to generate new avenues for collaborating on impactful research and deepen our understanding of the policy process. 
  • Subject to the participants’ interest, we spin off potentially promising research projects to work on independently. 

If you are a member of the Princeton University community and would like to participate in one or more sessions, please sign up for our mailing list here.  An email confirming the event will be sent in advance. 

If you would like to help develop one of the case studies or have ideas for new issues to explore please contact [email protected]. 

Previous Case Study Topics

  • March 24, 2022 - Canadian Regulation of Facial Recognition Technology
  • May 11, 2022 - Discussion with a consumer protection agency about gathering data on how food delivery apps treat their workers.
  • December 9, 2020 - Discussion about the Facebook case
  • November 18, 2020 - Alternative Metrics for Evaluating the Value of Content - Part 2 (Wikimedia Foundation)
  • November 17, 2020 - Evaluating the Google Antitrust Case (in conjunction with the TechSoc Reading Group)
  • November 10, 2020 - Alternative Metrics for Evaluating the Value of Content - Part 1(Wikimedia Foundation)
  • April 29, 2020 - Wikimedia Foundation - Loud Voices problem - Part 2
  • April 22, 2020 - Wikimedia Foundation - Loud Voices problem - Part 1
  • April 15, 2020 - Upturn - Harlan Yu and Emma Weil - Regulating Auto Lenders Use of Devices that Control Subprime Borrowers Vehicles
  • April 8, 2020 New York Times - Robin Berjon - Part 2 - Alternatives to Behavioral Advertising
  • April 3, 2020 - FEC Commissioner Weintraub - Combating Disinformation/Dark Patterns about Voting
  • March 25, 2020 - Open discussion of how CITP’s research interests might intersect with or respond to COVID policy challenges (including location tracking; use of dark patterns and other topics)
  • March 4, 2020 - New York Times - Robin Berjon - Part 1
  • February 26, 2020 - Google investigation
  • February 19, 2020 - Facebook investigation
  • February 12, 2020 - Antitrust law & tech platforms (Facebook & Google)