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Event

Federal Data Consolidation: Protecting Civil Liberties in the Digital Age

July 16, 2025

Event Summary

On July 16, AEI’s Shane Tews introduced Palantir Technologies’ Courtney Bowman, the Center for Democracy & Technology’s Alexandra Reeve Givens, the IRS’s Daniel Werfel, and Election Security & Innovation Consulting’s Kim Wyman. Ms. Tews emphasized the critical importance of addressing cyber threats related to data access, use, and control. The discussion began by examining key challenges in the data landscape, including intra-agency consolidation, interagency data-sharing protocols, and federal access to state records, with particular attention to potential data misuse.

Panelists explored existing precedents for data sharing and privacy frameworks while identifying strategies to address complex implementation challenges. A significant portion of the conversation focused on the role of private-sector companies, notably Palantir, in facilitating these technological and policy changes.

The panel emphasized the need for enhanced data governance structures that balance security requirements with operational efficiency. The discussion highlighted the tension between information sharing for national security purposes and protecting individual privacy rights.

The session concluded with forward-looking dialogue about improving data intelligence and optimization strategies, followed by a Q&A session.

—Kate Beinkampen

Event Description

The American Enterprise Institute and the Center for Democracy & Technology are pleased to invite you to join an upcoming event examining the federal government’s current effort to gather sensitive information from states and its reported goal to consolidate these data into a centralized record of individuals residing in the US. A panel of experts will examine the implications of these actions for individuals’ civil liberties, privacy, and security and discuss how data systems can be used in ways that are lawful and that respect fundamental human rights.

Event Materials

Event Transcript

Agenda

9:30 a.m.
Registration Opens

10:00 a.m.
Opening Remarks:
Shane Tews, Nonresident Senior Fellow, American Enterprise Institute

10:05 a.m.
Panel Discussion

Panelists:
Courtney Bowman, Global Director of Privacy & Civil Liberties, Palantir Technologies
Alexandra Reeve Givens, CEO, Center for Democracy & Technology
Daniel Werfel, Former US Commissioner, IRS
Kim Wyman, Former Washington Secretary of State; President, Election Security & Innovation Consulting

Moderator:
Shane Tews, Nonresident Senior Fellow, American Enterprise Institute

10:45 a.m.
Q&A

11:00 a.m.
Adjournment

Immigration, DOGE, and Data Privacy
Center for Democracy & Technology et al. | May 9, 2025

The Dangerous Road to a “Master File”—Why Linking Government Databases Is a Terrible Idea
Shane Tews | AEIdeas | April 18, 2025

DOGE and Government Data Privacy
Center for Democracy & Technology et al. | March 17, 2025