On March 25, 2019, the National Hispanic Media Coalition’s Policy Counsel, Daiquiri Ryan, presented at Algorithmic Exclusion: How Data Deserts in the U.S. Perpetuate Inequity hosted by the Georgetown University Law Center Institute for Technology Law and Policy, Public Knowledge, and the Goodfriend Group. Congresswoman Brenda Lawrence gave moving keynote remarks on the urgency and importance of regulating artificial intelligence as a social justice priority. Other distinguished panelists from the event included Yosef Getachew (Common Cause), Mike Muse (Muse Recordings), Sean Perryman (Internet Association), Keith Dowd (U Group), and Ben Moncreif (C Spire). Ms. Ryan provided expert analysis on the devastating effect that the lack of internet access can have on Latino communities, including a direct impact on digital literacy, digital health, and socioeconomic upward mobility. Additionally, she emphasized the threat the digital divide poses to the successful count of Latinos in the 2020 Census. When over a third of Latino families do not have access to get online and have a growing mistrust of how the government handles private information, Latinos are at risk of being uncounted and underrepresented. That means that predominantly Latino communities will continue to be denied adequate resources for initiatives ranging from public education to healthcare. A recording of the panel can be found here
