NSI 2020 Tackling the Techlash

On Thursday, August 13, 2020, NSI hosted Tackling the Techlash.  In recent years, U.S. technology companies have been facing an increasingly hostile public reaction here in the U.S. and abroad. These concerns, expressed most prominently in the United States by political leaders at the state and federal level and in Europe by national and EU legislators are based on perceived threats to privacy created by these companies, their role in creating a new economic reality that may displace jobs, and other significant concerns.  As a result, some of America’s most innovative companies are party to a mounting number of lawsuits and claims of antitrust abuses.  At the same time, the U.S. government’s relationship with these technology giants remains fraught in the aftermath of the Snowden revelations a half-decade ago and the companies’ alignment with particular advocacy groups.  Despite these trends, Americans are engaging with these companies more than ever.  In turn, these tech companies continue to grow, innovate, and drive the U.S. economy which fuels American national security.

Our panel of experts addressed how the U.S. government can address legitimate public concerns without impairing US innovation, economic growth, and national security.