Data & Great Power Competition

Data and online connectivity are increasingly crucial drivers of the global economy. But there is tremendous debate and uncertainty over the way in which governments should interact with the private sector through data policy and law, or data governance.

Emerging data governance regimes around the world will not only have sweeping economic consequences, but also geopolitical impacts as countries jostle for influence in setting rules for new data-intensive technologies, including artificial intelligence (A.I.), 5G wireless networks, the internet of things (IoT), and cloud technologies. There are open questions about how data governance should balance security, competitiveness, and privacy. A global patchwork of rules for how data is shared across borders will also shape trade and investment, technological development, and access to data around the world.

Data itself is becoming an increasingly important element of national power. Yet, there is a need for deeper discussion of how that power manifests, the implications for geopolitics, and the implications for U.S. policy.

Please join the Cybersecurity Initiative and Future Tense for a panel discussion to mark the launch of our new project, “Data & Great Power Competition.”

Participants:

Isabelle Buscke
Head of the Brussels Office, Consumer Policy Division, Federation of German Consumer Organisations

Michael Chertoff
Author of Exploding Data: Reclaiming Our Security in the Digital Age
Co-founder & Executive Chairman, The Chertoff Group
Former U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security

Samm Sacks
Cybersecurity Policy & China Digital Economy Fellow, New America

Moderator:

Anne-Marie Slaughter
CEO, New America

Background reading:

• Exploding Data: Reclaiming Our Security in the Digital Age
• “China’s Privacy Conundrum”
• “The Evolution of China’s Data Governance Regime: A Timeline”
• “China’s Emerging Data Protection System & GDPR”

Follow the conversation online using #data&greatpower and following@NewAmCyber and @futuretensenow.