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[PAST EVENT] When Computing Meets Law and Economics

March 6, 2020
8am - 9am
Location
McGlothlin-Street Hall, Room 020
251 Jamestown Rd
Williamsburg, VA 23185Map this location
Access & Features
  • Open to the public

Title: When Computing Meets Law and Economics

Speaker: Dr. Supreeth Shastri, Postdoctoral Fellow from the University of Texas at Austin


Abstract:

Design and operation of modern computer systems are increasingly influenced by external disciplines such as law and economics. In this talk, we explore two such emerging phenomena: digital privacy laws and cloud economics. I make a case for why these trends are fundamental and how they invalidate computing principles and practices that have years of precedence. Then, I demonstrate how to build systems infrastructure to manage their impact.

In the first half, we will explore the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the European privacy law that has confounded even the technologically advanced companies. I will present my work on analyzing the law, building compliant systems, and measuring its impact. The second part examines how the cloud has evolved into a marketplace much like financial and commodity markets, and how this exposes cloud users to systemic risks. Using my work on Cloud Index-Tracking as an illustrative example, I will show how to design system software that can adapt techniques from economics to mitigate cloud risks. I will conclude by highlighting new directions for systems research in our interdisciplinary world.

Biography: Supreeth Shastri is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Texas at Austin hosted by Prof. Vijay Chidambaram. He received his PhD from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst in 2018 and MS from Columbia University in 2009. His research explores how computing systems are influenced by emerging trends in law and economics, and builds system infrastructure to manage their impact. His work has been adapted into best practices in the industry, deployed at the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, integrated into courses at Brown and Penn State Universities, and received recognition from the NSF.


Contact

Prof. Adwait Nadkarni