David Moschella

“Defending Digital Series,” No. 6: Big Tech was essential in getting America through the Covid19 pandemic, but during the 2020s and ‘30s, technological, competitive, and societal shifts can be expected to rein in the influence of today’s digital leaders, as consumer markets mature, and as other national and international priorities take center stage.

“Defending Digital” Series, No. 5: Individual decisions are shaped by our values, beliefs, experiences, inclinations, prejudices, and blind spots. These “biases” can easily leak into information system design. But overall and over time, modern technology will prove a force for more fair and objective societal actions.

“Defending Digital” Series, No. 4: Claims that Big Tech is making too much money off of “our data” are wrong in two fundamental ways: The data about most individuals isn’t worth very much—and when consumers use a business service, the resulting data isn’t “theirs.”

“Defending Digital” Series, No. 3: Policymakers on both sides of the aisle are itching to curb the power of Big Tech. But the history of the digital technology business shows that targeted remedies are much more effective than sweeping government interventions.

“Defending Digital” Series, No. 2: Policymakers are well aware of the privacy risks that come with modern digital technologies, but they largely ignore the many important ways that the Internet and smartphones build privacy into our everyday lives.

“Defending Digital” Series, No. 1: Policymakers who want to assign blame for societal misinformation (and regulate social media) need to examine both new and old media—conservative and liberal alike. Focusing on one type of media or one particular company is unfair and unwarranted.

America’s big five tech firms—Apple, Google, Amazon, Microsoft, and Facebook—often seem invincible, destined to become ever-more powerful as the digital world continually expands.

Global attitudes toward China are hardening, but diverging interests prevent effective allied action to counter its rise. That’s why America should focus on getting its own house in order. The key is better aligning U.S. multinational corporations’ interests with national interests.

Only India can match China's vast population, low-cost labor availability, and deep base of world-class technical talent. The United States and India have strong political, cultural, and linguistic affinities, and both nations see China as a military and geopolitical rival.

As America seeks to counter a rising China, no nation is more important than India, with its vast size, abundance of highly skilled technical professionals, and strong political and cultural ties with the United States. But the parallels between America’s dependency on China for manufacturing and its dependency on India for IT services are striking.

China will likely be the biggest business disruptor of the 2020s, but the discussion about how to respond has yet to take shape. A strategic framework should rebalance the global supply chains, bolster competitiveness, adjust to China’s market size, and solidify the West’s appeal.

The coronavirus pandemic has made automation needs much more immediate, but automation was never meant to destroy our jobs and leave us all with nothing to do. On the contrary.

ITIF hosted a discussion of these issues, including how U.S. businesses are likely to be affected and what the U.S. government should do in response. An expert panel will discuss a recent ITIF report arguing the United States and its allies should focus on rebalancing global supply chains, bolstering competitiveness, adjusting to China’s market size, and solidifying the West’s appeal.

ITIF hosted a video webinar to discuss the implications of the pandemic on society, industry, and individuals and what organizations and governments need to do to cope.

While the technology industry was once seen as being committed to building a better and smarter world, shifting public perceptions towards the tech industry have caused it to go on the defensive when it comes to issues ranging from data privacy to income equity, workplace diversity, and antitrust enforcement. Has the technology industry become worthy of the same scrutiny as the oil, banking, or airline industry? Join ITIF for an in-depth discussion of these critical issues, including an assessment of the validity of commonly voiced concerns and what the industry needs to do to avoid becoming the next Big Oil.

ITIF will host a panel discussion on why disruptive IT transformations are occurring and how they impact consumers businesses and IT policy.