Security and Democracy Symposium

Security, whether narrowly or broadly drawn, is increasingly seen as being in conflict with the rights and freedoms characteristic of democratic societies. In response to threats of terror, many observers suggest, we should surrender some of our civil liberties, give government more access to private information, and restrict the press from its tendency towards openness that terrorists inevitably exploit. Others suggest that such restrictions are not necessary, and do not make us safer, sacrificing democratic values for an elusive security we cannot attain, and making government more intrusive in our lives in a way that will be difficult to change later.

Technological developments bring these questions into ever sharper relief. Technology is seen by many as offering greater security, as drones replace dangerous and dirty jobs, and Big Data offers new ways of identifying and tracking potential threats. At the same time, drones raise new questions about privacy and security in both military and non-military applications with cyber warfare; attacks raise new questions of personal and national security, and the global media is proving easier for terrorists to access even as it grows more difficult to regulate.

This symposium brings industry leaders and policymakers who have confronted these questions of security and democracy together with Purdue researchers whose research raises, and answers, these pressing questions.

Reception to follow.