For many years, the online consumer data ecosystem was a digital wild west: Consumers had almost no way to protect their online data, especially once it was already collected by companies.

Fortunately, recent consumer privacy regulations have since created safeguards for consumers’ online data. Laws like the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) or General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) have empowered users with new online data rights. Under CCPA, for instance, California residents can send requests to companies asking to access, delete, or opt-out of the sale of their personal data.

As the Public Interest Technology Initiative at Cornell Tech enters its third academic year, it continues to bring a public interest lens to graduate studies at Cornell Tech.

PiTech Initiative programs are specialized to the needs of individuals across all stages of the academic career trajectory, from master’s students and PhDs, to Postdocs and Faculty. Our goal is to create meaningful ways for each of those groups to apply technology to serve public needs and engage with social impact organizations throughout their time at Cornell Tech.

Briana Vecchione embedded with Blue Ridge Labs @ Robin Hood this past summer as one of our inaugural PiTech Impact Fellows. She worked with the early-stage social ventures selected for Blue Ridge Labs’ 2021 Catalyst accelerator program, which were Touchdown NYC, Communifi, UnlockEd, and Karen’s Club.