June Digital Matters

This month’s Digital Matters—our monthly round-up of news, research, events, and notable uses of tech—explores the need for inclusive and safe digital development solutions powered by cross-sector collaboration and spotlights recommendations on how to build greater capacity in designing and managing digital solutions. We also look at partnerships as a means to advance Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), and momentum for better (and safer) social spaces online. It’s of note that many recent headlines and reports use the simple concept of making things “better”. There is much we can work on for a better internet, better public services, and better people-centered outcomes – many of which are outlined in this edition of Digital Matters.

Will the U.S. play a greater leadership role in the development of secure and trustworthy Digital Public Infrastructure and Digital Public Goods as models for economic mobility and inclusivity?

We are optimistic about many recent global developments to better coordinate collaboration on digital transformation efforts. Catalyzing population-wide digital solutions can be a foundation for inclusive, transparent, and secure societies and do not need to come at the cost of privacy or human rights. Although consensus on the terms DPI and DPG continues to emerge, the outcomes of this approach to digital development and design continues to gain steam. There are several recent events that point to a revival of multilateralism on this front (Diia in DC, Global Digital Compact intergovernmental process, Democracy Summit, G20 process). The term Digital Public Infrastructure was specifically cited (point 39) in President Biden and Prime Minister Modi’s joint statement issued on June 22. This drive to harness effective digital transformation is the result of the efforts of many governments and organizations that have been working to research and advance solutions that could help power more resilient societies and more responsive delivery of public programs, especially in the wake of the pandemic and other crises.

How can we improve public sector tech capacity and empower greater public engagement with digital solutions?

For starters, the capacity issue in the field of public interest tech needs to be addressed. Empowering public interest technologists through recruitment, training, and incentives can increase the technical capacity with the teams procuring, developing, and implementing public digital solutions. Increasing capacity complements other efforts to encourage cross-sector collaboration and public engagement in the research and design of solutions before they are built – ensuring what is built for the public better serves the public.

The first two pieces in this section feature the work of one of DIGI’s public-sector collaborators, the NJ Office of Innovation. New Jersey and Beth Simone Noveck’s innovation team is a proven model for better people-centered outcomes in the digital ecosystem. The DIGI team worked with the NJ Office of Innovation, New Jersey Department of Labor, and the Heldrich Center for Workforce Development at Rutgers University to develop the New Jersey Career Network, a digital coaching and support platform to help reduce statewide unemployment and help residents find meaningful, gainful employment.

Better government tech starts with people. New Jersey shows how. by Jennifer Pahlka, The Washington Post (June 13, 2023)

Pahlka is an innovative voice in the field of public interest technology. She highlights New Jersey’s investment in a team of in-house experts that specializes in design, engineering, and user research as a model for other states. Supported by leadership and working alongside policy experts, the team at NJ’s Office of Innovation is helping make government digital solutions more accessible for all residents. If you are looking for more on this topic, we strongly recommend Pahlka’s recently published book, Recoding America: Why Government Is Failing in the Digital Age and How We Can Do Better.

Better Government Tech is Possible by Beth Simone Noveck, Wired (June 20, 2023)

We couldn’t agree more that building digital public solutions starts with building in-house expertise. Public sector employees often lack technology and digital skills, such as data-use and human centered design. Empowering public servants with the tools and skills needed for today’s digital world can lead to better, more responsible and reliable government technology.

Reflections: Serving as a Product Management Fellow on MyFile NYC by Muhammad Asghar, Digital Impact and Governance Initiative, New America (May 22, 2023)

Asghar served as a product management fellow with DIGI to learn more about designing effective policies with genuine impact. He shares lessons learned during his time working with the NYC Mayor’s Office of Economic Opportunity on MyFile NYC —an open-source digital solution created in collaboration with DIGI that allows users to securely upload and share personal files with NYC agencies when applying for safety net benefits. Many of his reflections were informed by his previous experience working on tech solutions with a private sector lens.

To Build a Better Internet, Put Laid Off Tech Workers Back to Work in the Public Interest by Madison Snider, Tech Policy Press (June 6, 2023)

An idea we have seen percolating in recent months in the public interest technology space is for organizations to ramp up recruiting the technical talent that have recently flooded the job market. By recruiting and investing in in-house talent, organizations can increase their capacity to design, build, and maintain better, more inclusive, digital solutions that serve the public.

How to strengthen public-private partnerships around digital transformation initiatives?

DPI requires sustainable financing to develop and scale society-wide solutions and services like identity verification, digital payments, data sharing, and communications. Aligning resources and incentives of various funders and innovators through cross-sector partnerships is key to advancing DPI as a driving force of digital transformation.

Podcast Transcript: Talking Digital Public Infrastructure, Digital Impact and Governance Initiative (June 8, 2023)

Authors of DIGI’s 2022 report, Financing Digital Public Infrastructure: Approaches to Sustain Digital Transformation, joined the podcast Talking Digital Public Infrastructure hosted at the Fletcher Forum of World Affairs to discuss methods for financing DPI. The authors assessed existing DPI funding models, examined the challenges underlying sustainable financing approaches, made recommendations to improve collaboration across the financing ecosystem, and underscored the need to keep inclusion and equity in mind when funding DPI initiatives.

The Case for Investing in Digital Public Infrastructure by Bhaskar Chakravorti, Harvard Business Review (May 22, 2023)

Chakravorti spotlights India’s adoption of digital public infrastructure (DPI) in a larger analysis around its power to strengthen a country’s digital ecosystem and the need for strengthening funding and investment opportunities. Public-private partnerships need to better collaborate in developing and financing values-based DPI that: enables Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and innovation; prioritizes inclusivity, resilience, and trustworthiness; and remains citizen-centric and politically viable. The author suggests DPI should instead be called, “Digital public-private infrastructure.” At DIGI, we agree with the sentiment, but are not convinced of the staying power of the proposed term.

The Great Enabler: Transforming the Future of Britain’s Public Services Through Digital Identity, Tony Blair Institute (June 15, 2023)

TBI’s report maps both public demand and relevant use cases for well-designed digital identification verification, backed by the government and ideally developed and delivered in close collaboration with the private sector and civil society. Thoughtful digital ID solutions would give people greater control of their data and privacy, make it easier to prove eligibility for needed services and allow for personalization for individual needs, especially in services related to education, health, and welfare. The report concludes with a succinct appeal: the tech already exists, a lack of political courage has held us back, and the time has come to invest in a proper digital-identity system so the U.K. can modernize and provide better public services.

How are users or platform community members reimagining the future of online spaces?

Ongoing debates surrounding content moderation practices and the growing evidence of social media’s negative impact on mental health have users rethinking how social media spaces should operate. As users explore next-generation social media spaces, curiosity in decentralized alternatives such as Bluesky, Mastodon, and Artifact is growing. And even if some of these alternatives don’t succeed in the long-run, are there lessons and best practices from these alternatives that will impact the governance of all platforms?

Scaling Trust on the Web by the Digital Forensic Research Lab, The Atlantic Council (June 2023)

This comprehensive report from the Taskforce for a Trustworthy Future Web examines the complex dynamics of existing systems that impact the trustworthiness of online spaces. The emergence of the Trust and Safety field has ushered in a new opportunity to bring together actors across sectors—academia, media, and civil society—to build a healthier digital ecosystem. The task force offers five recommendations to mitigate existing harms, address market failures and incentive gaps, and foster greater collaboration and investment across sectors.

Code Word, Ethics: Collaborating on Guiding Principles for Technologists by Allison Price and Alberto Rodriguez, Digital Impact and Governance Initiative, New America (June 22, 2023)

New America’s Digital Impact and Governance Initiative and Public Interest Tech University Network hosted a session at RightsCon 2023 to explore the potential of an accessible, fair, and transparent global process to develop guiding principles for technologists. The session highlighted the need to develop flexible and sustainable approaches to inclusive cross-sector collaboration around equitable tech governance.

Reddit goes dark by Casey Newton, Platformer (June 12, 2023)

Reddit, a platform built on niche community “subreddits” with self-governed content moderation models, has built a dedicated community of users since its launch. However, over 7,000 subreddits closed public access in protest of Reddit’s API new pricing model that severely limits access to third-party tools used by many Reddit moderators and users. While intended to be temporary, some subreddits are staying private indefinitely in protest—which could have far reaching impacts. Reddit users’ protest may signify the strength behind a growing movement for more open and democratized social media spaces.

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