Despite impressive perseverance, Mark Zuckerberg's attempts to crack China are almost certainly destined to fail. Techonomy's David Kirkpatrick explains why, in this piece he wrote in mid-August for the South China Morning Post. More
Government Media & Marketing Security & Privacy
Senator Warner: 20 Ways to Tame Social Media
A new paper from Senator Mark Warner lays out some of the policy options for taming the tech giants — but does it stop short? More
Government Opinion The Internet
Two Key Questions Zuckerberg Didn’t Answer
Mark Zuckerberg was interrogated this week by Recode's Kara Swisher, but the results were unsatisfying. The Facebook CEO does show growing contrition, but failed to answer two key questions that would help the world know if we have any hope of reducing the scourge of fake news and privacy violations that Facebook has helped engender. More
Global Tech Government Opinion
Why Facebook Should Hire Barack Obama
Many of the company's ongoing crises result from an insufficient understanding of global politics and how Facebook changes it. Zuckerberg needs someone he'll listen to, like the 44th president of the United States. More
Business From the Magazine Government
Jeffrey Sachs is Upset
We don't take the U. N. Sustainable Development Goals seriously enough. Tech is indispensable for achieving them. Economist Jeffrey Sachs is unimpressed with business' commitment so far, especially the tech giants, he told Techonomy in this exclusive interview. From the latest Techonomy Magazine. More
Global Tech Government Opinion Security & Privacy
How the FTC Could Have Prevented the Facebook Mess
The FTC issued a 2011 consent order against Facebook to protect the privacy of user data. But the Commission never enforced the order, even as Facebook disregarded its provisions. If the order had been enforced, there would be no Cambridge Analytica story. More
Artificial Intelligence Government Partner Insights
Lessons for Business as the Pentagon Embraces AI
As AI's influence in the U.S. military grows, business leaders must consider the nature of their partnerships with defense agencies. Advanced AI may even force change — both operational and cultural — throughout the United States' large defense organization. More
Global Tech Government International Affairs
Gates Foundation Supports Tech in Kenya Despite Political Turmoil
Melinda Gates, the co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, launched Pathways for Prosperity, a commission on technology and inclusive development in Nairobi, Kenya. The technological innovations that the commission is investigating is at a nascent stage in Kenya, however, and political turmoil threatens real progress. More
Tech Takes Davos While Facebook Takes Hits
The World Economic Forum this year was practically the World Technology Forum. Unlike in years past, leaders there, especially heads of state, acknowledged the depth of transformation underway in a digitized economy. Meanwhile attendees and press much criticized the net giants, notably Facebook, for threats they may pose to mental health and democracy. More
BlackRock Makes an Extraordinary Challenge to Business
In a remarkable letter to the business community, BlackRock CEO Laurence Fink says business must step into the void left by government in taking on society's biggest global challenges. More
Cryptocurrency Finance Government
Investing in Bitcoin is Antisocial
Bitcoin is all the rage until it's not. A libertarian dream, it implies a distrust of established governments. This has finally sunk in on the governments themselves, and may be a cause of its continued decline. The associated blockchain technology, however, may be the real keeper. More
We Lost on Net Neutrality. We Have a Bigger Problem.
Concerned about the FCC's net neutrality ruling? Many of the very things neutrality advocates most feared are already happening on Google and Facebook. Where's the activism? More
Business Government Techonomy Events Video
Former Sec. of Commerce Penny Pritzker: Tech & Government Must Work Together
Penny Pritzker was U.S. Secretary of Commerce in the Obama administration from 2013 to 2017. She appeared onstage with Beth Comstock at Techonomy 2017 and also chatted with us on tech leadership and much more. More
From the Magazine Global Tech Government
Amazon, Facebook, and Google: Too big to tolerate. Too big to stop.
As society begins to realize it has allowed globe-spanning commercial net giants too much power, it also becomes clear that figuring a policy response will be hard. Techonomy's co-founder, author of The Facebook Effect, weighs in on the disturbing and growing controversy over what comes next. More
Global Tech Government Society
Can Tech Help trump Hate?
How did technological change and "innovation" contribute to bringing the U.S. to this point of fracture and animosity? And how can tech play a more active and consciously constructive role helping us get past it? In general the tech industry has not focused sufficiently on these questions. Now it must. More
Analytics & Data Articles We Like Government Security & Privacy
“Omigod!”…and other Exclamations Upon Reading WSJ’s Piece on Facial Recognition in China
Do you want your photo flashed on a sign at an intersection? If not, don't jaywalk in China. Leave aside what happens if you're a dissident traveling in a new region. Here's a headline the WSJ used for this must-read article: "The All-Seeing Surveillance State Feared in the West is a Reality in China." More
Global Tech Government Security & Privacy
Manchester, Trump in Saudi Arabia, and Fighting Terrorism in an Online Age
The horrors of terrorism are again vividly seared on our consciousness, after the vicious bombing at a concert in Manchester. Meanwhile, President Trump has rightly put combatting terrorism at the top of his policy agenda. His recent trip overseas demonstrated some of what that means. More
Why I’m Marching for Science on Saturday
This weekend, people in over 500 cities around the world will join the first March for Science. I’ve been in life science for nearly 20 years and have never seen anything like this. Of course I’ve also never had such an urgent sense that it is necessary. From the medications you take to the synthetic fibers in your wrinkle-free clothes, science is already supporting you. Let’s return the favor. More
FDA Greenlights 23andMe and Opens New Era for Consumer DNA Info
It was a much-needed breakthrough when the FDA last week OK'd personal genomics company 23andMe selling genetic tests directly to consumers. In 2013 the agency had banned the startup from releasing disease-related information. Now we should finally see a consumer-driven marketplace for genomic data. More
Act Now or Forfeit Privacy for Genetic Data
A new bill making its way through the House of Representatives would allow employers to require genetic testing for employees. It would be a massive setback, stripping Americans of genetic nondiscrimination protections that took years to put in place. If you value your right to privacy, contact your Congressperson. More
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