Committed to connecting the world

Search for:

Contribution View


Name :	HILL, Richard
Date :	November 06, 2020
Organization :	Association for Proper Internet Governance
Country :	Switzerland
Job Title :	President
Contribution :	As stated in one of the essays for the collection Digital New Deal, it is important to focus on the political context in which the consolidation of the dominant digital paradigm takes place. The essay is structured into three parts: we first describe the role of technology companies in restructuring the global economy and creating the economic and social vulnerabilities that have been exposed by the current global health crisis. We then identify some trends that are likely to be exacerbated by the pandemic, specifically the growing public reliance on tech firms for basic services, the influence of tech firms on public debates, and the attempts by tech firms to capture civil society organizations and social movements through their philanthrocapitalism. We eventually sketch a policy framework to help address these dangers and to avoid a corporate hijack of the post-Covid 19 future, arguing that state regulatory and fiscal capacities must be strengthened and that independent research must be funded by the tax revenues extracted from tech giants. Civil society organizations could contribute by forming transnational alliances to keep tech giants in check and help engage citizens in public debate.
Attachments :	CWG-Internet 2020 DND.pdf