Anu Bradford, a professor at Columbia Law School, discusses her new book on the competition between the US, EU, and China in establishing digital governance models. The podcast explores contrasting regulatory models, the battle for tech supremacy, China's digital infrastructure expansion, the decline in internet freedom, and the future of tech policy and society.
The US government's failure to regulate its tech companies may imperil internet freedom and the global influence of the US model.
The competition between the US, China, and the EU in establishing digital governance models is a battle for the future of technology and the type of society we want to have.
Deep dives
The Geopolitical Competition in Tech Regulation
The podcast episode discusses the geopolitical competition between the US, the EU, and China in establishing digital governance models. Each region has its own regulatory approach: the American market-driven model, the Chinese state-driven model, and the European rights-driven model. The US government's failure to regulate its tech companies is seen as a threat to internet freedom and the global influence of the US model.
The Concerns with the US Tech Model
The podcast highlights the concerns about the US tech model, stating that its early success has led to the excessive power of tech companies. The US tech companies' economic, political, and cultural influence has raised concerns about their role and the need for regulation. The failure of the US Congress to effectively regulate these companies indicates a broader failure of the US political model to address citizens' concerns.
Different Models and Challenges in Tech Regulation
The podcast explores the different regulatory models of the US, China, and the EU. While the US is market-driven and emphasizes free speech and innovation, China's state-driven model prioritizes political control and surveillance. The EU follows a rights-driven model that seeks to check corporate power and protect democratic structures. The podcast also acknowledges the challenges faced by the EU in enforcing its regulations and the need to balance regulation with innovation.
The Global Impact of Digital Empires
The podcast raises concerns about the global impact of digital empires, specifically the US tech companies and their influence. It questions whether the tech companies are undermining democracy through their products and services and highlights the need for liberal democracies to effectively govern the digital economy. The competition between empires, such as the US, China, and the EU, is seen as a battle for the future of technology and the type of society we want to have.
There is a term you've likely heard on the Tech Policy Press podcast in the past: the Brussels Effect. The term is meant to describe the European Union’s outsized influence on global markets through its regulations. You may not know that the term was first coined by Anu Bradford, a professor at Columbia Law School. She wrote a book about it called The Brussels Effect: How the European Union Rules the World.
Now, she has a new book, just out from Oxford University Press, called Digital Empires: The Global Battle to Regulate Technology The book describes the geopolitical competition to establish digital governance models between the US, the EU, and China. Justin Hendrix had the opportunity to speak to Bradford about the book, and why she thinks the US government, by failing to regulate its tech companies, may ultimately imperil not only the US model but internet freedom more broadly.
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