Since she was a student at Northwestern, University Trustee Jane S. Hoffman ’86 (’21 P) has been interested in how messages and media are constructed and consumed. And found she could help others understand complex subjects through storytelling and accessible language, and through public service.
As Commissioner of Consumer Affairs in New York City, Hoffman found herself never tiring of hearing people's problems and finding solutions. During her run for Lieutenant Governor of New York she describes how she had the opportunity to tour the entire state and listen to her potential constituents and understand the issues impacting them and their communities. Hoffman tell us how she later founded the Presidential Forum on Renewable Energy to help force politicians and their policy makers to talk about the existential threat of climate change in a public forum. And subsequently introduce language around climate change into common discourse. Helping others understand complex subjects such as data, privacy, money, and sustainability through accessible language is a through line in her career path.
In this episode of Northwestern Intersections Hoffman joins us for a conversation that highlights her recent book, Your Data, Their Billions: Unraveling and Simplifying Big Tech. Understanding the great benefits and genuine risks of navigating the internet and new technology is essential in our increasingly virtual world. She shares how her book offers an accessible explanation of how big tech collects and trades our data to make profits, and how her policy proposals would protect online users’ privacy rights. And how you can take meaningful steps towards safeguarding your privacy while enjoying the positive features the internet has to offer.
Northwestern Alumni Association is offering alumni in the United States a chance to win one of 10 signed copies of the book Your Data, Their Billions: Unraveling and Simplifying Big Tech. To participate in the Northwestern Intersections giveaway, subscribe to our podcast and complete your entry here by 11:59 p.m. CDT on August 18, 2022. Enter without subscribing here. No payment or donation is required, nor will it improve one’s chances of winning. The giveaway is limited to one book, per household (a $28 retail value) and limited to Northwestern alumni who are United States residents and at least 18 years of age. Shipping and handling of the book will be covered by the Northwestern Alumni Association. Winners will be notified by email by September 1, 2022.
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