# Systems, Security, and Public Life Tufts University • Computer Science # Systems, Security, and Public Life Computer Science special topics • CS-151 Course status `CS-151` Audience Juniors or higher, or permission of instructor Prerequisites CS 15 or equivalent programming and data-structures experience, or permission of instructor Recommended Background Ethics, public policy, STS, or social context of computing ## Course description This class explores two connected questions: how the design of computer systems interacts with law, governance, and public life; and how people with technical knowledge can use that knowledge to shape public life in return. Students will study cases in which implementation details matter for social and policy outcomes, with possible topics including privacy and surveillance, cybersecurity, AI, online platforms, and internet infrastructure. Through both technical and policy readings students will learn to analyze public debates about computing with nuance (that is so often missing) and to propose real interventions of their own. ![Shaanan Cohney](https://cohney.info/assets/images/headshot-2018.png) About the instructor ## Shaanan Cohney Incoming Assistant Professor, Tufts University, and DECRA Fellow, University of Melbourne My research explores how computer systems interact with law, with a particular focus on security. In public service, I worked on U.S. federal technology policy at the Federal Trade Commission and in the office of Senator Ron Wyden. I teach across both foundational and advanced topics, including multi-award-winning classes in information security and in data structures and algorithms. [Visit my main page](https://cohney.info/) ## Teaching note This will be my first semester teaching in the U.S. system, where professors often teach more directly on topics close to their own expertise rather than only within a standard sequence of established classes. I have previously taught multi-award-winning classes on information security, and on data structures and algorithms. Because this offering is new in this context, students should expect that we may try a few new things along the way, and should be understanding as we refine the course in real time. ## Class Content The class will introduce students to the basics of American civics needed to understand the intersection of technology and public policy, and how political offices and policy development works. We'll likely touch on international dynamics as well, without extensive coverage of other political systems. We'll also talk about what the unique contributions of computer science to policy development can be, and how to design experiments and interventions that matter (and where some attempts fail). Finally, we also need to cover some substantive topics, which at this point are very much up in the air, but we'll likely touch on one or more of the topics below. ## Sample substantive topics We will probably draw topics from whatever is most salient and interesting closer to semester, but some potential ideas include: - Privacy, surveillance, and Cryptography Policy - Age Verification and Adversarial Testing - Antitrust Law, the Design of Search Engines, and AI answers - Decentralized Systems and Sanctions ## Final Project The course is planned to culminate in a public contribution to a live policy issue. Appropriate formats may include a formal public comment or regulatory submission, a *published* whitepaper, delivered briefing to an elected representative's office, or another instructor-approved intervention.