TikTok Testimony Forces a New Look at Digital Equity

TikTok CEO, Shou Zi Chew, is on the hot seat at Congress. The highly anticipated finale of the app’s controversial saga in the U.S., Chew’s testimony will help lawmakers decide whether TikTok’s practices and ties to China warrant a national ban.?

Washington has been buzzing with arguments across both sides of the aisle – from rallying of public support, to allegations of TikTok’s threat to national security and data privacy. Last week, President Biden called on Chinese interests to divest from TikTok, in an effort to limit access to sensitive government activities . But the beloved, yet problematic, app’s fate teases a broader challenge that regulators, policy makers, and citizens face: how will we secure democratic interests in a rapidly shifting global digital context?

Cross-border data flows drive economic activity and political values. Yet governments and civil society remain under-prepared to adapt to the challenges ahead. We need a new global toolkit to architect a shared digital future based on democratic values. Three key priorities can help chart a better path forward.

Government needs to supplement internal capacity to drive nuanced tech policymaking.?

By upskilling or re-skilling staff, governments future-proof their policy interventions and remain competitive employers. Initiatives like the Stanford HAI Congressional Boot Camp on Artificial Intelligence , which gathers staffers from both the House and Senate for multi-day training on the implications of AI for national security, healthcare, and the future of work, offer a useful model for skill-building and talent development.

Governments can accelerate their digital transition by hiring new tech talent - whether through funding programs like the U.S. Digital Corps , a successful model for attracting young tech talent to government, or by recruiting private sector professionals seeking to transition to the public sector. At scale, both pathways will require increased investment and commitment from senior decision makers.

A robust risk and regulatory framework requires collaboration between policy makers, tech creators, and civil society.?

As the private sector rapidly deploys new technologies, and civil society struggles to keep up, governments must be able to pre-empt risks and respond with policies that prioritize the rights, dignity, and safety of our communities.?

Demanding accountability and transparency from technology companies through independent oversight and localized regulation will prove critical to ensuring more ethical design and deployment of technologies. Convening with civil society will give public leaders a better sense of how technologies and platforms can uphold the rights of communities.?

For example, the public release of ChatGPT highlighted the reactive nature of some policy professionals (e.g., the ban on ChatGPT in select schools across the nation).? With a longer term look into the technology pipeline, federal, state, and local regulators might have a better chance to engage in public notice and prepare for upcoming, possibly disruptive, technological releases and milestones.

Centering people and communities drives a human-first approach to digital technology.?

Before accusations of spying and user exploitation surfaced, communities used platforms like TikTok to build social justice movements, share skills and interests, and inspire human connection. In an ideal world, technologists would architect products and services to sustain positive social uses without compromising trust and safety.

Incorporating such design principles and enforcing equity-driven priorities require community action. Citizens with a high level of digital literacy more actively participate in public critique of technology creation and deployment. Policy makers, educators, and technologists share a critical role informing and protecting citizens from bad actors, while also preserving their freedom to safely engage with technologies.?

As Mr. Chew advocates for and lawmakers decide the fate of TikTok in the U.S., we have an opportunity to reset priorities on technology, power, data privacy, human rights, and security. On a national scale, we are under-prepared for the digital shift happening now. But with a commitment to principled action, the TikTok hearings can lead to solutions of privacy, empowerment, and agency that simultaneously promote public welfare and national interests.?

This note was co-authored by?Vilas Dhar , president of the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation , a philanthropy advancing artificial intelligence (AI) and data solutions to create a thriving, equitable, and sustainable future for all, and Yolanda Botti-Lodovico , the policy and advocacy lead for the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation .