Tech Policy Press

The EU-US Data Privacy Framework underpins much of the annual trade between two of the world’s largest economies, writes Tech Policy Press contributing editor Mark Scott. But tension is mounting over questions about eroding US privacy standards under the Trump administration. https://lnkd.in/ecx5x738

The EU has fined Chinese e-commerce giant Temu €200 million for failing to prevent the sale of dangerous and illegal products — the largest penalty yet under the Digital Services Act, and the first aimed at physical consumer harm, reports Ramsha Jahangir. https://lnkd.in/eRdKhwKk

Four new pieces on Tech Policy Press this week that explore Pope Leo XIV's encyclical on AI: 1. When tech execs tell college graduates to seize 'agency' in an AI future they call 'inevitable,' students hear the contradiction, writes Mark MacCarthy. So does Pope Leo XIV, whose new encyclical warns AI risks becoming “an accelerator of injustice” without protections for workers. https://lnkd.in/dGt3B4mg 2. Pope Leo XIV's encyclical calls for AI that protects human dignity. But who's responsible for delivering it—users or designers? Political scientist Jose Marichal warns against piling responsibility on individuals while systems are built to undermine their judgment. https://lnkd.in/eg4kafgS 3. What happens when AI starts reshaping spiritual life itself? Pope Leo XIV's encyclical named the material harms—labor, truth and warfare. Danielle Adrianna (Davis) Canty, Esq. argues the AI debate is still missing an important dimension. https://lnkd.in/g9EcyNCF 4. Pope Leo XIII's Rerum Novarum helped reshape labor rights after the industrial revolution. Daniel Dobrygowski makes the case that Pope Leo XIV's Magnifica Humanitas could do the same for AI governance—and arrives at exactly the moment people are ready to push back on techno-optimism. https://lnkd.in/etv5qucN

In the UK, facial recognition is everywhere—but no statute authorizes it. Police rely on their own internal policies, and a recent High Court ruling refused to look beyond them. Tech Policy Press fellow James Ball considers the legal vacuum enabling Britain's surveillance boom. https://lnkd.in/eNbGsDef

It was an honor to work with the visionary digital equity leader Kyla Williams Tate on our new piece featured today on Tech Policy Press! Thank you also to the excellent editing skills and support from Benjamin Lennett that helped make this piece possible. #SaveTheDigitalEquityAct

“Pope Leo XIV’s message is a clear and resounding counterpoint to this technocratic elite and new rallying cry for better governance: The future of technology is ours to decide. We do believe machines can be useful, but first, we believe in people.” Sharing my new article in Tech Policy Press. Pope Leo XIII’s encyclical Rerum Novarum created the normative basis for needed improvements during the Industrial Revolution. My hope is that Pope Leo XIV’s can do the same for the governance challenges of the AI revolution. #MagnificaHumanitas #TechnologyGovernance #DigitalTrust #AIGovernance

Access is only the beginning. True digital equity is built in the spaces between connection and belonging, where trust is cultivated, skills are nurtured, and people are met with the human support needed to fully participate. This is the infrastructure that matters most. Proud to help elevate this important call to restore the Digital Equity Act. Grateful to Colin Rhinesmith for his thoughtful co-authorship and to Tech Policy Press for publishing this timely piece.

Pope Leo XIII's Rerum Novarum helped reshape labor rights after the industrial revolution. Daniel Dobrygowski makes the case that Pope Leo XIV's Magnifica Humanitas could do the same for AI governance—and arrives at exactly the moment people are ready to push back on techno-optimism. https://lnkd.in/etv5qucN

Your digital life doesn't end when you do—it keeps working for tech platforms. Mike Bennett, MBA, PMP and Nicole Bennett, MPA make the case that digital afterlives are a civic infrastructure problem, not a personal planning one, and regulation is long overdue. https://lnkd.in/e58--g_r

The digital divide isn’t just about infrastructure. It’s about trust, skills, and the human support systems that help people stay connected, write Kyla Williams Tate and Colin Rhinesmith. They urge policymakers to restore the Digital Equity Act to sustain the ecosystems that digital equity requires. https://lnkd.in/eWbntq-Q