Tariq Yusuf‘s wake-up call came from Google.
He was working as a security software engineer for the tech giant when the company came under scrutiny for the use of its image recognition technology to improve the targeting of drone strikes.
Building products that could be used by the military or in any military application ran counter to Yusuf’s original entry into tech, when he viewed the industry as a force for good, designed to connect people and make a positive impact on the world.
At the same time, he was making a shift into privacy engineering, ultimately working in roles at Google, Meta, and as a consultant. With that, Yusuf started thinking more about what “building for good” actually looked like, and how companies and innovations built in Seattle can better benefit the community.
“That’s where I solidified most of my career, because it’s an opportunity to work with the technology and figure out how we actually make this work better for people overall,” Yusuf said.
And it’s the ethos behind his campaign for Seattle City Council, where he is running for the citywide Position 8 seat currently occupied by Tanya Woo. Yusuf will be competing against Woo, Alexis Mercedes Rinck and Saunatina Sanchez in the August primary.
Born and raised in Seattle, Yusuf calls himself a product of public housing and city social programs. He went through Running Start and used Pell Grants to attend the University of Washington, where he earned a BS in Computer Science and a master’s degree in Jurisprudence, Technology and Privacy Law.
“My story would not have been possible without a lot of the social services here,” Yusuf said, lamenting cuts to programs that have forced people he grew up with to move away from their communities because they can’t afford to live in Seattle.
“As that’s happened, I slowly got more and more and more frustrated about it, and got to a point where I had to try to do something about it.”
GeekWire caught up with Yusuf for a Q&A. Keep reading for more highlights:
Seattle’s relationship with tech companies: Yusuf said the city often underestimates its value to tech companies, which leads to a “governmental inferiority complex” and missed opportunities for mutual benefit.
“We have amazingly smart people here,” he said. “We have some of the best institutions in the world. And there is an active benefit that a lot of these companies are getting from being here.”
With big tech companies making record profits, the city can sometimes be too reluctant to have the conversation about using more of those funds to help the local community, he said.
While there are partnerships like Amazon’s with Mary’s Place, broader investments are needed to benefit the community as a whole, aligning with the idea that “a rising tide lifts all boats.”
Taxing employers vs. high-income earners: Yusuf supports the JumpStart tax model, which targets payrolls at the city’s largest companies, including tech giants such as Amazon.
He said he’s more hesitant about the state relying on a capital gains tax.
“I think most of the finances we need can come off similar models of the JumpStart tax. I think that it’s fair to put that on the employers,” he said. “Let’s look at how we can tax the institutions that are making the money.”
How technology shapes and informs the work he wants to do in the city: Yusuf said he tends to apply a user experience (UX) approach to city problems such as education, housing, public safety and other public policy issues.
For example, he said, “what is the user story of biking in Seattle? What are the concerns, what are the incentives, what are the things I’m worried about?”
Many of these conversations become isolated in specific agencies or groups in the city, failing to see the bigger picture, he said. He wants to help bring that broader perspective.
At the same time, he said, technology can play a significant role in making social services more accessible, combining social workers with technology to provide a unified and easier-to-navigate system for those seeking help.
Technology as a crime-fighting tool (gunshot detection, enhanced surveillance, etc.): This topic is especially relevant given Yusuf’s experience as a privacy engineer.
He cautioned against the overuse of technology in public safety, likening it to the problem of everything looking like a nail to someone who has a hammer. One key, he said, is to address underlying issues like food security, stable housing, and safe living environments.
“When we look at research from public policy experts, the best crime prevention comes from ensuring that you have security and safety within your individual life,” he said.
He added, “We need to start asking ourselves if we’re implementing all of those solutions that we know from research vs. signing another contract with a tool that has mediocre data, at best.”
Geek credentials, and what he’s into when he’s not campaigning for City Council: Wearing a T-shirt from the video game “Helldivers,” Yusuf laughed that he needed to work in a “managed democracy joke” during our interview.
“Every so often, I play ‘Magic the Gathering,’” he said, adding that he’s also big on stealth action games. “‘Hitman’ is one of my favorite series, the creativity and puzzle solving in it.”
He’s also been getting more into motorsports, helping to marshal mini motorcycle races in the Northwest.
“I just got my license to marshal car races, too. You might see me at Pacific Raceways helping to run a race, hopefully soon.”
https://ift.tt/8CbQnBZ July 27, 2024 at 03:00PM GeekWire
Post a Comment
0Comments