Is Covid-19 the challenge health tech was waiting for? Feature The global pandemic became a linchpin for many health-tech startup companies that were struggling to find their purpose. In 2020, the industry saw record funding and attention – and the need to balance investor’s expectations with public health concerns. By Srividya Kalyanaraman
How to use data for the public interest, even – or especially – in a pandemic Commentary Governments, the private sector and other organizations increasingly collect massive amounts of data, some for the public good, other times not. A consistent framework could ensure data use is both beneficial to the public interest and sufficiently protected against misuse. By Aline Blankertz
Social Media Platforms Need to Flatten the Curve of Dangerous Misinformation Commentary The rampant spread of Covid-19 conspiracies serves as a warning that our online information ecosystem can be weaponized well before platform administrators step in. To counter the deluge of viral disinformation, platforms should implement a circuit breaker mechanism to limit the exponential amplification of harmful content. By Ellen P. Goodman and Karen Kornbluh
Digital Self-Empowerment, not Digital Colonialism Conference Report The data revolution can support inclusive development and sustainable growth in the Global South as long as national policies and global rules protect vulnerable citizens and societies from abuse by technology companies and authoritarian governments. By Felix Dengg
Tech and Covid-19 Dossier Our dossier on the interplay between technology and Covid-19 around the globe.
Is Data the New Oil? Examining the Promise of Data for Development Commentary The promise of measuring everything and everyone with the help of digital technologies has triggered the interest of the development community as well as governments across the Global South. But in countries like Kenya, the excessive collection or personal data creates risks of monetary and political exploitation, not to mention compounding existing discrimination, without improving the delivery of aid and public services. By Nanjala Nyabola
Data and Development This project aims to inform and connect policymakers, academics, and civil society in digital governance debates, with a special focus on amplifying voices from the Global South.
In California, Poverty is Fought with Technology. Is This the Future? Transatlantic Media Fellowship Robotic doctors and coding camps for the homeless: Is the Californian way of fighting inequality a success story or just a pipe dream? By Felix Franz
Technological Trends from Silicon Valley — Artificial Intelligence and Self-Driving Cars Transatlantic Media Fellowship Felix Franz visited San Fransisco to answer pressing questions about technology. By Felix Franz
Call for Applications: Transatlantic Media Fellows 2020 Each year, the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung Washington, DC, sponsors a select number of journalists from the US, Canada, and Germany for an independent, transatlantic trip to research stories relevant to the foundation’s work on climate and energy policy, democracy and social policy, foreign and security policy, or technology and digital policy.