The Internet Society: Crafting Standards for Our Digital World

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Have you ever wondered who actually controls the internet? Or how standards like email and web protocols come to be? The Charleston Marketing Podcast dives deep into this fascinating world with special guest Thomas McCarthy-Howe, co-author of a groundbreaking new internet standard called Virtual Conversations.

Broadcasting live from Dig South in Charleston, hosts Mike and Stephanie discover how this first-ever AI standard aims to solve one of technology's most pressing challenges: making conversation data useful for analysis while protecting individual privacy rights. Thomas explains how his work with the Internet Society—a global organization of engineers, government officials, and human rights advocates—is creating a file format that enables companies to analyze conversations while simultaneously allowing individuals to exercise their digital rights.

The conversation reveals surprising insights about the Internet Engineering Task Force, where a thousand brilliant minds from companies like Cisco, Microsoft, Google, and Mozilla collaborate as individuals, giving up their intellectual property rights for the greater good. As Thomas puts it, "The most dangerous place in tech is the microphone at an IETF conference." With equal parts technical expertise and warm humor, he demystifies how these standards are created and why they matter for everyone who uses digital technology.

Perhaps most compelling is the discussion of practical applications—from preventing deepfakes by verifying authentic conversations to enabling individuals to access, correct, and delete their data from companies. His passion for digital rights is evident as he explains why protecting biometric data like voice recordings is particularly crucial: "I can change my name, but I can't change the way I sound."

Join us for this eye-opening exploration of the invisible archi

MPCC Business and Community Expo 9/18/25

Please join us for our 15th annual Mount Pleasant Chamber of Commerce Business and Community Expo, driven by Crews Subaru at the Omar Shrine Convention Center. 

New this year--a job fair, our Building Business Podcast will be live onsite, and more.

Don't miss out on the Super Bowl of Networking @ Omar Shrine 11:00 am - 5:00

Support the show

Presenting Sponsor: Charleston Media Solutions

Title Sponsor: Charleston American Marketing Association

Cohosts: Stephanie Barrow, Mike Compton,

Produced and edited: RMBO Advertising

Photographer | Co-host: Kelli Morse

Art Director: Taylor Ion

CAMA President: Margaret Stypa
Score by: The Strawberry Entrée; Jerry Feels Good, CURRYSAUCE, DBLCRWN, DJ DollaMenu
Studio Engineer: Brian Cleary and Mathew Chase

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