The Dutch in the grip of Internet nationalism
The Netherlands has a reputation for being a liberal, broad-minded place that is open to the world. Its scholars in Internet governance have emphasized the need for a globally recognized “public core” of the Internet. But apparently the virus of…
Here’s why 2023 wasn’t a Happy New Year
The year 2023 was a notable one in digital governance. A retrograde tendency by nation-states to pursue “digital sovereignty” peaked in Europe, China and the U.S., leading to numerous governmental barriers and restrictions on data, networks, computing devices and software…
Workshop Overview: What is ‘national’ security in a globally connected economy?
Diverse Experts challenge national security rationales underlying US digital governance Since 2016, the United States has abruptly reversed its liberal policies governing the Internet, global trade and regulation in the information and communication technologies (ICT) sector. This sea change in…
US Restricts Capital Flows to China…Sort of
A new Presidential Executive Order authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to regulate U.S. investments in “countries of concern” (a nice euphemism that avoids calling China an “adversary”). The E.O. identifies three categories of “national security technologies” covered by the…
What will China’s new export controls achieve?
On July 3rd 2023, China’s Ministry of Commerce announced it will be controlling Chinese exports of gallium and germanium effective August 1st, 2023. With this new licensing regime, China is responding to the US government’s (USG) weaponizing of semiconductor patents…
The RESTRICT Act: Reversing Globalization in ICT
The latest legislative atrocity to emerge from Washington comes from Senators Mark Warner (D-VA) and John Thune (R-SD), who have rounded up 10 other senators on both sides of the aisle to introduce a law called Restricting the Emergence of…
The Narrative: The Ethereum Merge; Vietnam’s Data Localization
September 15, 2022 What’s so great about The Merge? Ethereum finally upgraded its Proof of Work architecture to Proof of Stake, thus completing what was commonly being called “the merge.” Up until September 15, 2022, there were two chains running…
Apple and YMTC: Another “national security” risk?
Recently, Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX) decried that Apple is considering adding Yangtze Memory Technologies Corp (YMTC), a Chinese state-owned manufacturer specializing in flash memory, to its supplier list for iOS-based devices. Today, bipartisan support exists…
The Narrative: Have we reached splinternet yet?
March 8, 2022 The Russian invasion of Ukraine has put global interconnection to the test as never before. Every media outlet is now talking about “Splinternet.” The ruptures extend beyond the internet and web to include many forms of cooperation…
A Digital Rupee and a Tax on Digital Assets in India
A February 1 speech by India’s finance minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, outlined some aspirational goals for the Indian Digital economy. Two announcements that stood out were the launch of Digital Rupee, India’s version of a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC); and…