Consumer Agents
The technology has long existed for automated tools that would filter out toxic social media content or a virtual shopping assistant that would find and even purchase the best deals online without having to go to many different websites and product pages. Yet incumbent businesses have used lawsuits and data control to stifle such digital help. This talk will explore the law’s role in supporting third-party automated tools—and in limiting their potential to become avenues for new harms.
Note: this event in-person attendance only and will be conducted under Chatham House rules. Video recordings will not be permitted during the event.
Speaker
Rory Van Loo’s research focuses on how technological, market, and social shifts invite a rethinking of the regulatory framework for consumer-facing businesses. He is currently a professor of law at Boston University, an affiliate fellow at Yale Law School’s Information Society Project, and an Associate Faculty at Harvard’s Berkman Klein Center. Previously, he taught at Harvard Law, advised businesses as a McKinsey consultant, and was on the team that set up the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.