A Trip to Inequity: How the TRIPS Agreement Hinders Access to Needed COVID-19 Therapeutics
Ruchita Jain The COVID-19 pandemic continues to rage on in much of the world, severely affecting the health of millions. But citizens of high-income nations have accepted the pandemic to be over. The key to ending the pandemic globally across all nations is equal and efficient access to necessary COVID-19 therapeutics, including vaccines. This Article argues that least developed nations and their access to COVID-19 therapeutics, including vaccines, is negatively impacted by the TRIPS Agreement. International human rights law and the TRIPS Agreement remain incompatible, leading to disproportionate access of necessary therapeutics as systemic racism is perpetuated. Along with considering...
The Great Equalizer: Education or Technology?
Amy Lobue This Essay evaluates the structure of technology funding in education and how it has impacted students’ access to quality instruction throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. As access to education throughout the pandemic depended on students’ and schools’ abilities to procure access to connected devices, some students were left with minimal to no instruction. Further, the pandemic sheds light on the existing technology access inequities that trace the lines between socioeconomic classes. First, technology access is defined as a two-fold issue: access to the internet, and access to devices other than smartphones. This Essay presents the current federal funding structure...
Data Privacy Concerns Regarding COVID-19 Contact Tracing Apps and Implications for the Field of Cybersecurity
Elana Lerner Brockmann The COVID-19 public health emergency has led to the development of contact tracing apps that enable governments and public health officials to track outbreaks and take appropriate measures in response. Contact tracing apps also allow individuals to be notified of potential contacts with infected individuals, promoting self-quarantine and reducing further spread of the virus. Although contact tracing apps have the potential to slow and reduce the spread of COVID-19, they have also brought to light data privacy and security concerns, which pose challenges to their overall use and efficacy. Congress should enact legislation to protect consumer data...