TECH DIPLOMACY: TECH COMPANIES AS POWER BROKERS IN THE DIGITAL AGE
by PATRICIA GRUVER
Digital munitions are free and can quickly and easily erode the fabric of society. State-sponsored campaigns to manipulate politics and even incite genocide have crossed the divide between the physical world and the digital world, with tech giants unwilling to protect their users in order to turn a profit. As we’ve seen with Facebook’s influence on elections, the past decade has shown us that technology can disrupt democracies. It can also allow authoritarian governments to expand the control they already have on their citizens, as we’ve seen in China with facial recognition in Xinjiang. The economic and political influence alone of the largest American tech companies eclipses that of many countries; hence, why such companies are sometimes referred to as “net states.” Moreover, the power within these companies is held by a handful of the tech elite who have the ability to wield profound influence on our global society. As the information war trudges on and tech companies fail to hold back the flood of disinformation from the enemy, discourse with large, influential tech companies – big tech – can no longer be viewed as optional for diplomats, but as a necessity.
THE RISE OF TECH DIPLOMACY
During the peak of techno-optimism in the early 2010s, market-driven self-regulation was the norm. Internet and technology companies were kept at arm’s length from the government and were trusted to uphold democratic values and promote a safe space for all. But the tech companies held a “growth at all costs” mindset. Caution fell by the wayside. A profit-maximizing imperative reigned, forcing society to ineptly reckon with the aftermath.
In 2017, an Uber employee published a blog about the company’s culture of sexual harassment, which leadership was aware of, but failed to address. In 2018, a driverless vehicle owned by Uber struck and killed a pedestrian in Arizona. That same year, Cambridge Analytica was exposed for their interference in the political processes of the United States (U.S.) and the United Kingdom (U.K.) by leveraging user data of Meta (known as Facebook at the time) members. Society quickly realized what happens on the internet, doesn’t stay on the internet. Then, the tech-lash began.
Europe introduced General Data Protection Regulation, or GDPR, to allow citizens more control over the personal data that private companies can legally collect and retain. Internet and technology companies were hauled before Congress to account for their wrongdoings. Policymakers threatened to break up big tech.
It was around this time that a handful of countries understood that there was an opportunity to develop a new kind of literacy within government and within the tech ecosystem to better understand each other. Silicon Valley, traditionally seen as the global hub of technology and innovation, is not historically seen as a policy hub, but given the influence of tech on domestic and international politics, it should be considered one. Countries increased their diplomatic presence in Silicon Valley –nestled in the San Francisco Bay Area of California– to better engage in dialogue with net states, the same way that they would engage with other nation-states. In 2017, Denmark appointed the first-ever Tech Ambassador,4 abandoning the traditional mandate of consulates in San Francisco by prioritizing democracy, responsibility, andsecurity as objectives, instead of political and economic wins. Other countries soon established a similar role within their own government. The rise of the tech ambassador was heralded as a new form of diplomacy, dubbed tech diplomacy or “techplomacy.” But what is tech diplomacy?
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Patricia Gruver the Tech Diplomacy Fellow for the “Korea-U.S. International Exchange and Cooperation in Tech Diplomacy” research project.
The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Pacific Council.
