Can technology save democracy? Taiwan’s cyber ambassador Audrey Tang thinks so

Audrey Tang, Taiwan’s cyber ambassador, sits down with Margaret Hoover to talk about technology, democracy, and the fate of Taiwan amid new threats from China.

Tang, who served as Taiwan’s first minister of digital affairs, reflects on her work integrating technology into the government and the lessons learned from its successful response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

She explains why she believes technological advances like social media can be used to bring people together instead of dividing them, and she discusses projects in California and Kentucky that have attempted to do that.

Tang also addresses how Taiwan is preparing for potential attacks by China and why Taiwan’s freedom is important to other democracies around the world.

Support for Firing Line with Margaret Hoover is provided by Robert Granieri, The Tepper Foundation, Vanessa and Henry Cornell, The Fairweather Foundation, and Pritzker Military Foundation.