Digital empires: the global battle to regulate technology

The global battle among the three dominant digital powers—the United States, China, and the European Union—is intensifying. All three regimes are racing to regulate tech companies, with each advancing a competing vision for the digital economy while attempting to expand its sphere of influence in the digital world. Each digital empire is advancing a competing vision for the digital economy while attempting to expand its sphere of influence in the digital world. Which digital empire will prevail in the contest for global influence remains an open question, yet their contrasting strategies are increasingly clear. In the midst of these unfolding regulatory battles, governments, tech companies, and digital citizens are making important choices that will shape the future ethos of the digital society.

At this event, Anu Bradford, the author of Digital Empires: The Global Battle to Regulate Technology engaged in a discussion with Fiona Scott Morton, exploring three competing regulatory approaches governing the digital economy: the American market-driven model, the Chinese state-driven model, and the European rights-driven regulatory model. They also discussed how governments and tech companies navigate the conflicts that inevitably arise when these regulatory approaches collide in the international domain. "Digital Empires" sheds light on the choices we face as societies and individuals, explains the forces that shape those choices, and illuminates the immense stakes involved for everyone who uses digital technologies.