FCC Commissioner Starks Remarks to CTA Government Affairs Council

In 2020 and beyond, my principal focus will be ensuring that our communications networks and technologies support security, privacy, and our democratic values. I am optimistic that technological developments, especially 5G standards, will support our efforts to improve network and data security. The rise of big data bestows a corresponding measure of ‘big responsibility’ upon all of us in the room. We must undertake, right now and continuously, the thorough examination of all these new capabilities to decide now how we will ensure that they are all poised to serve a future that creates opportunities instead of reinforcing existing inequalities. A lot could go wrong, and it will be on us to ensure that it doesn’t happen on our watch.

While some algorithmic bias may be corrected through greater transparency and scrutiny, the many Americans without access to technology or broadband may remain vulnerable. As artificial intelligence increasingly determines who sees opportunities for housing, education and employment, people on the wrong side of the digital divide may be rendered effectively invisible without the connected devices and internet speeds needed to be appropriately acknowledged by the data algorithms. Those in data deserts may never hear about the good job or the affordable mortgage, exacerbating growing inequality in this country.  If we work together, I am confident we can build a future that is more advanced, more secure and more prosperous, and more equitable for all.