A Democratic Counteroffer to China’s Digital Power Published: 12 March 2021 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 Published: 15 February 2021 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 Published: 1 February 2021 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.
In South Korea, pandemic data transparency comes at a high cost Published: 28 January 2021 Commentary Efforts to follow social distancing and mask-wearing rules have been crucial to South Korea’s success in containing the Covid-19 pandemic, but experts worry that other measures—such as sharing data from confirmed cases—have stigmatised and harmed marginalised communities. By Dahye Yim and Christoph Mayer
New rules for the digital social marketplace Published: 26 January 2021 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
Old pals, a new tone: Biden and the tech industry Published: 20 January 2021 Analysis Silicon Valley businesses will be able to re-establish old connections within the Biden-Harris government. Civil society organisations are warning that Big Tech will have too much influence in the political discourse. But there will be no return to the Obama era – from competition law to data protection, the sector will have to expect tougher rules. By Sabine Muscat
A Contribution to Creativity Published: 13 January 2021 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 Published: 13 January 2021 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
Is Covid-19 the challenge health tech was waiting for? Published: 29 December 2020 Feature The global pandemic became a linchpin for many health-tech startup companies that were struggling to find their purpose. In 2020, the industry saw record funding and attention – and the need to balance investor’s expectations with public health concerns. By Srividya Kalyanaraman
Digital Life under Covid-19 and beyond: A Video on Asian Innovators in HealthTech Published: 17 December 2020 Video Series This article takes a closer look at some examples of HealthTech companies and startups in the Asia Pacific region who have addressed the Covid-19 pandemic with their solutions. By Kristina Ernst