Blinken and G7 Allies Turn Their Focus to ‘Democratic Values’
A great reordering of geopolitical power is underway and the sides are crystallising along liberal, versus authoritarian models of governance. Technology will no doubt be weaponised amid this shift.
This was further evinced by the G7 agenda, which included “a session on open societies, including issues of media freedom and disinformation.” Moreover, the complex supply chains of tech, domestic compliance requirements, IP capture, cyber warfare and more, will form the new landscape of fissures along which a considerable part of these lines are drawn.
In our New Year’s email of 2019, we warned of fast rising fragmentation for the decade ahead, with the increasing formation of internet/tech islands. These fragments are now re-clustering to reflect this new order, requiring the backbone of tech to reconfigure accordingly.
G7 Leaders Ink Agreement Over Global Tech Regulation
The accelerating, and widening concern being focussed on incorporating tenets for a sustainable digital age is immensely gratifying, and has taken a leap forward with this agreement: “Together we have agreed a number of priorities in areas ranging from internet safety to digital competition to make sure the digital revolution is a democratic one that enhances global prosperity for all.”
The agreement also included plans to develop a framework for the use of electronic transferable records, cooperation over data sharing practices and collaboration on how governments can develop digital technical standards for use by online tools and services.”
Will Going Digital Transform the Yuan’s Status at Home and Abroad?
The rise of digital currencies, and their wallets, is proliferating another massive source of data. When aggregated at a national level, it can provide governments with a detailed, and increasingly seamless, surveillance tool.
This has considerable impacts to citizens’ privacy, as well as ‘nudge’ economic – and tax – policies. It’s encouraging to see the caution with which governments are proceeding, accordingly.
Social Media Interactions About Trump Fall 90 Percent Since January
Facebook’s quasi-independent Oversight Board has thrown the hot potato of Trump’s account reinstatement back to Facebook, as the ultimate arbiter on this matter.
The more interesting news is emergent data on the impact from the account being banned: “Trump’s social media superpower was never his ability to tweet — it was his ability to get the media to cover what he tweeted,” SocialFlow CEO Jim Anderson tells Axios.”
The evidence seems to point to the fact that the message is less important than the megaphone that carries it, which renders the culpability of social media platforms in what they magnify, all the more weighty.
‘Out-of-control’ Chinese Rocket Falling to Earth Could Partially Survive Re-entry
A topical event highlighting a subject we continue to underscore: the potential for space to become a source for the next geopolitical flashpoint. Here’s a case where the Chinese authorities allow a rocket beyond the weight acceptable by international standards of safety and responsibility, fall uncontrollably.
What would happen if it did hit a US city and caused damage, or worse deaths, in the current tense geopolitical environment?