WASHINGTON –Wilkinson, Walsh + Eskovitz Founding Partner Beth Wilkinson joined the Recode Decode podcast hosted by Kara Swisher for a conversation about the intersection of technology, law, and politics. Wilkinson was joined on the show by Yelp VP of Public Policy Luther Lowe and special guest co-host Hilary Rosen.
This episode of the podcast—released just days after executives from Google, Facebook and Twitter testified on Capitol Hill—focused on relations between Silicon Valley and Washington.
“There’s a focus in the government on what’s on the front page when they use their investigative resources, and that’s the same for the FBI, and there can be that perfect storm, and that’s where tech is right now,” Wilkinson said on the podcast. “They’re in the crosshairs of the government. You have Congress adding to that . . . and that puts these companies in a very difficult place where they want to cooperate publicly and are being investigated privately.”
Tech companies “have a long way to go to explaining what they do,” added Wilkinson. “I do that as a trial lawyer. My job is to translate complex concepts. . . . It is their job to teach the people here in Washington how tech works. But I think tech has a residue of good will because we all know what tech has done for our lives. . . . I read my iPad, I can go on my Facebook page and talk to my family and friends. It has transformed life, even for those of us who aren’t as sophisticated as those out in Silicon Valley.”
You can listen to the podcast here.
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