Is social media redistributive? In an intriguing analysis, Sam Gilbert (‘Good surveillance? Tech funded with targeted ads isn’t all peril for the global south’) concludes that, while Facebook has most of its users in the global south, its operating costs are paid primarily by the global north. Some may disagree with the case Sam makes, but he calculates the north-south transfer as the equivalent of over $50 billion – more than the US government spends on overseas aid.
A new US administration beckons and it has regulation in its sights. But the promised bonfire might be slower to ignite than is sometimes suggested. We’re lucky to have Professor Susan Dudley to guide us in some of what policymakers can expect. In her article, ‘Getting ready for Trump’, she explains the limitations of executive orders and points out that, facing resistance from many quarters, the administration will need the help of Congress to deliver durable change. This could easily take a year or more.
We enjoyed a hugely successful Annual Conference in Bangkok in November. Our panel on sustainability included Nathan Stathis, this year’s winner of the IIC Future Leaders Competition. You can read his essay, (‘Green and digital transitions: guiding industry to succeed in both’) in this issue. The panel was moderated by competition chair Andrea Millwood Hargrave who, in her piece, explains the thinking behind the topic and the difficulties of judging the entries.
Our Q&A is with the brilliant BNetzA vice-president Daniela Brönstrup, who turns out to be an Abba fan – something we can surely all agree on.
