A Democratic Counteroffer to China’s Digital Power Commentary The EU and the US have to navigate bilateral differences and work with like-minded countries to formulate a response to China’s techno-authoritarianism. This effort should go beyond industrial policy towards shaping a positive and inclusive digital agenda. By Sabine Muscat
Digital Sovereignty - The EU in a Contest for Influence and Leadership Commentary The concept of ‘digital sovereignty’ has become more prevalent over the last few years, although its meaning remains diffuse. Between Chinese techno-authoritarianism and the U.S. model of surveillance capitalism, Europe is heading towards a third way. By Zora Siebert
Fostering Democratic Resilience in the Digital Age Project The project “Fostering Democratic Resilience in the Digital Age” by the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung Tel Aviv office, aims to promote dialogue, exchange of knowledge and collaboration between researchers and practitioners from Israel and Germany to enhance democratic resilience in the context of the changing media and information landscape in the digital age.
New rules for the digital social marketplace Commentary Europe is about to get a new digital law. It will change the way Google, Facebook and Amazon do business. The mechanisms that allow them to make billions are polarising society. We need robust new rules to protect our democracy. By Alexandra Geese
A Contribution to Creativity Commentary In recent decades the internet has transformed how people share knowledge, but the web has also diverted from its early promise of democratisation. Currently, rewards mainly go to media platforms instead of original content creators, leading to market distortion and frustrated expectations. By Kin Ko
Overcoming the “social dilemma”: Problems of AI content curation and its alternatives Introduction This article series by Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung's Hong Kong office explores possible alternatives to the internet’s current mechanisms and practices in content curation. By Lucia Siu
How to use data for the public interest, even – or especially – in a pandemic Commentary Governments, the private sector and other organizations increasingly collect massive amounts of data, some for the public good, other times not. A consistent framework could ensure data use is both beneficial to the public interest and sufficiently protected against misuse. By Aline Blankertz
Why we need to rethink open data in Asia during Covid-19 Commentary In Asia, the pandemic has accelerated efforts to keep citizens informed through prompt and extensive data sharing. However, this new openness has also led to concerns regarding transparency, data protection, and democratic participation. By Benjamin Zhou
Brazil delays privacy law, uses Covid-19 for data grab Commentary Federal, state, and city governments are working with technology companies to monitor citizens during the pandemic, with no guarantee of what will happen to the data after the crisis passes. The irony is that Brazil already has a law that would protect the right to privacy – but the government is trying to delay its implementation. By Flávia Lefèvre and Joyce Souza
So it works, after all! Why I installed the German coronavirus tracing app Commentary Open-source software, transparent communication, and public-private cooperation with both large and small companies—the development of the German contact tracing app could be a model for future government IT projects. By Malte Spitz