Partnerships for Democracy: Scaling Commitments from Biden's Summit

The Interplay of Technology and Global Politics

The TechCrunch Global Affairs Project focuses on the growing connection between the technology industry and the international political landscape.

President Biden is scheduled to host a virtual Summit for Democracy, bringing together leaders from over 100 nations. This summit, following a year of planning and collaborative efforts, will serve as a platform for leaders to report on their progress in upholding human rights, combating authoritarianism, and addressing corruption.

A Personal Perspective on Democratic Values

As someone originally from the former Soviet Union, I find reason for optimism regarding this summit. Even in early childhood, the restrictions on freedom of expression and the pervasive state control over life were keenly felt.

My experiences have instilled in me a deep appreciation for American citizenship. However, having lived under an authoritarian system, I am particularly aware of the reasons behind this summit: the global decline in democratic principles.

Technology as a Critical Factor

Technology represents a pivotal area in this global democratic contest. For leaders to achieve meaningful progress on the summit’s core objectives, they must ensure technology supports democracy and human rights.

This necessitates investments in open internet infrastructure, strategies to counter digital authoritarianism, efforts to combat disinformation, and increased support for emerging technologies and tech entrepreneurship aligned with democratic values and inclusivity.

Expected Commitments and the Need for Collaboration

Anticipated commitments include strengthening internet security, expanding media literacy and civic education programs, and enforcing export controls on technologies with dual-use applications. These are positive steps.

However, lasting impact will require robust public-private-civic partnerships to effectively implement and expand these initiatives.

Key Areas for Collective Focus

Countering Digital Authoritarianism

The use of technology for domestic repression – through regulation, censorship, and technology exports – is a growing global concern. Examples include China’s state-controlled internet and Russia’s increasing control over online infrastructure and privacy.

Furthermore, the export of these authoritarian practices to regions like Africa and Latin America is contributing to a “system rivalry” between democratic and authoritarian powers.

Collaboration between the private sector, civil society, and governments is crucial to address this threat. This includes developing critical infrastructure in emerging markets while tightening export controls on repressive technologies.

The U.S. and its allies should prioritize increasing internet access and promoting internet freedom, particularly for marginalized communities. Civil society organizations should advocate for local regulations and accountability for both governments and the private sector.

Multinational corporations should conduct human rights assessments to ensure their operations do not contribute to human rights abuses or inadvertently support authoritarian regimes.

Combating Disinformation

The deliberate spread of false or misleading information remains a significant threat to democracies worldwide. Disinformation campaigns have proliferated on social media, mainstream media, and through trusted networks, impacting elections and public health responses.

Actors from Russia, China, Iran, and within democratic nations have engaged in disinformation campaigns to sow chaos, inflict harm, and incite hatred against marginalized groups. Concerted action from governments, the private sector, and civil society is essential.

The bipartisan Task Force on the U.S. Strategy to Support Democracy and Counter Authoritarianism proposed a Global Task Force on Information Integrity and Resilience to build trust in the information environment. This task force should include strong participation from the private sector and civil society to collaborate on identifying, preempting, and countering disinformation and online harassment.

Investing in Digital and Media Literacy

The private sector and civil society must invest in partnerships with governments to implement digital and media literacy, and civics education programs in both established and emerging democracies, extending beyond capital cities.

Digital platforms and mainstream media must prioritize providing credible, high-quality information to citizens, as our well-being depends on it. Increased transparency and accountability of digital platforms are needed to prevent algorithmic bias, data misuse, and the spread of harmful content.

Building trust between citizens, content providers, governments, and industry is paramount.

The Importance of Emerging Technologies and Entrepreneurship

Significant investment in emerging technologies – including artificial intelligence, machine learning, and natural language processing – is vital to counter these threats. This investment should extend beyond the U.S. and Europe.

Startups developing these technologies should ensure their products can scale safely to emerging markets. Fostering innovation and entrepreneurship in these markets is crucial for economic growth and for inoculating developing countries against authoritarian technology.

Investing in the next generation of talent, particularly youth, women, and marginalized communities, is essential. Supporting local voices, entrepreneurs, and innovators who can leverage emerging technologies to counter authoritarian threats may be the most effective path to achieving our goals.

A Competition for Values

We are engaged in a competition between democratic values and the authoritarian way of life. This year’s summit provides an opportunity for a democratic resurgence.

However, sustained progress requires public-private-civic partnerships to scale and implement a technological agenda that serves democracy.