coordinator for communications and information policy, ambassador philip verveer. what are you doing at this conference? is. >> guest: i'm going to participate in a panel that has to do with cloud computing and the kind of broader implications of cloud computing for privacy and security. >> host: and generally, what's going to be your message? >> guest: well, i think that the message would be something like this is very close to the top of the agenda with respect to every country that we engage in conversations with. there are concerns across an extraordinarily broad range of subject matters about how we're going to contend with this very important developing activity. the thing that i think we're most concerned about and i think most people are most concerned about are maintaining a surgeon amount of privacy -- a certain amount of privacy so that all those making use of cloud computing will feel secure their information isn't going to be misused, stolen and so forth on the one hand. and on the other hand, to see to it that the uncertainties are not necessarily dim

joining us now is ambassador philip verveer.is the deputy assistant secretary of state and the u.s. coordinator for communications and information policy. ambassador, what does the u.s. coordinator for communications and information policy do? >> we try to represent the united states with respect to those issues with their counterparts around the world and in the course of doing that, we try to coordinate the u.s. government positions so that we are going forward with unified perspectives when we see our counterparts. >> millions of people are connected around the world today via the internet. does the u.s. government need to have a policy about that? >> we do. among other things, communications turns out to be one of those areas of life where cooperation is critically important. it is essential. we would not be able to deal with our foreign friends if we did not have modalities of cooperation. there are institutions that deal with that on a regular basis. we also have very important bilateral arrangements that we need to attend

of the world, like egypt and tunisia, we will talk about the state department's role with philip verveer and edward felton on his role. tonight on c-span2. >> a look now at the situation in egypt with the potential diplomatic fallout for the united states and what other middle east governments might also be -- do in the curtis situation. -- in the current situation. "washington journal" continues. host: steve had a man is here to talk about the situation in egypt. -- steve heidamen. egypt opposition unites. guest: i am not sure they expect to replace mubarak the short term. what is the board that an opposition coalition come together that could serve as a negotiating partner for the regime. that would serve to divide the transition terms. until now these protests we have seen have been remarkable because they have been so spontaneous that they have not had a clear identifiable leadership. he is trying to secure his own role as the leader of this coalition it. what makes the participation of the muslim brotherhood so interesting is they are a very powerful organized political force in egy