Authoritarian regimes are competing to create and control emerging technology to gain the upper hand in the global power competition, while democracies have the potential to harness emerging technology to strengthen democratic institutions and freedoms. From 5G to social media, find ASD’s work on emerging technology on this page.
The Weaponized Web: The National Security Implications of Data
This paper is the second in a series on technology policy through the lens of national security, published in partnership with the Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government at the Harvard Kennedy School. Read the first paper on the digita [...]
The Good Web: Tensions in Democratic Responses to Authoritarian Technology Threats
In April 2021, ASD held a security and geopolitics workshop as part of the Good Web project entitled “Tensions: Authoritarian Internet Threats and Democratic Responses,” in which participants debated the merits of different responses democracies hav [...]
The Good Web: Is There an Authoritarian Model for the Internet?
What Countries Buy Into When They Buy Authoritarian Technologies In February 2021, ASD held a security and geopolitics workshop as part of the Good Web project entitled “Authoritarian Models, Practices, and Threats,” in which participants discussed [...]
The Good Web: Democratic Values, Practices, and Procedures
In December 2020, ASD held a security and geopolitics workshop as part of the Good Web project entitled “Democratic Values and the Internet.” Participants included experts in cyber policy, cybersecurity, foreign policy, law, human rights, and intern [...]
How to Structure a Foreign Malign Influence Center
On Monday, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) confirmed to Politico that it is working to establish a Foreign Malign Influence Center. The center, which was first authorized as part of the 2020 Defense Authorization bill, wil [...]
Lindsay Gorman Discusses Technology Cooperation with China at Berkeley’s Tech, Trade, and China Conference
Emerging Technologies Fellow Lindsay Gorman joined the Berkeley Center for Law & Technology’s third annual Tech, Trade, and China conference, where she discussed export controls and technology cooperation with China. [...]
Lindsay Gorman Discusses How Cameras On Amazon Are Tied To China Military, Abuse on Newsy
Dahua and Hikvision are accused of being connected to China's military and human rights abuses. Amazon profits by selling their products online. Selling their products isn’t illegal, but it does raise ethical questions for tech analysts like Lindsa [...]
Brad Hanlon in The Hill: Congressional CEO Grillings Can’t Solve Disinformation. We Need A Public Interest Regulator
Last Thursday, the House Energy and Commerce Committee held yet another hearing to grill social media CEOs about the mis- and disinformation on their platforms. While much of the hearing consisted of members soliciting soundbites from the executives [...]
Nad’a Kovalčíková Discusses Political Advertising in the EU with Globsec
Program Manager and Fellow Nad’a Kovalčíková joined a virtual panel on the topic of “Future of Digital Platforms: Improving transparency of political advertising,” organized by the GLOBSEC-led Alliance for Healthy Infosphere, to discuss the perspect [...]
The Kremlin’s Propagandists Come to Clubhouse: Malign Influence Descends on Silicon Valley’s Newest Unicorn
Every few years gives rise to a novel social media app that takes smartphone users by storm. Clubhouse, the invite-only, audio-based app that feels like TED Talks meets 1980s radio call-in show, has rapidly grown in recent months, offering a platfor [...]
Bret Schafer on Information Warfare and How Social Media Disrupts Democracy on the Jist
Media and Digital Disinformation Fellow Bret Schafer joined Josh Hamilton on The Jist. Bret and Josh first spoke three to discuss the weaponization of information and the threat to democracy. Now, three years later, things have unfortunately not gott [...]
What’s Next for TikTok and WeChat? Lindsay Gorman Discusses with ASPI
A change in administration in the United States has given a brief reprieve to TikTok and WeChat, two Chinese apps targeted in a series of Executive Orders by former President Trump, but questions about the national security, privacy, and censorship [...]