Is big tech taking over our democracies? And what can be done about it? That’s what ICFG Senior Fellow Marietje Schaake and podcast host James Kanter discussed at our book launch event yesterday. Here are our favorite talking points: 🎙️ Why democratic leaders aren’t stepping in The early promise of the internet was empowerment—think the Arab Spring—but big tech quickly took control. Now, a few firms dominate our digital infrastructure, backed by massive resources and intense lobbying. This, combined with political polarization, makes meaningful regulation extremely difficult. 🎙️ Making new laws isn’t enough Laws also need strong enforcement. With new technologies on the horizon, we must ensure that enforcement agencies are well-equipped, well-resourced, and able to resist lobbying pressure. 🎙️ Tech needs to be politicized The idea that "politicians don’t get tech" might be true - but they also don’t fully understand agriculture or medicine, and they still articulate political ideas about these fields. Marietje argues that tech should be discussed like any other policy area. We need to define how technology should serve society. The full conversation will be available soon as a new EU Scream podcast episode. Thanks to everyone for a thought-provoking afternoon!
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