WIREDGOV

EXPERT COMMENT

Developing digital standards is a complex, technical area of governance, but geopolitical issues make it a crucial battleground for fighting authoritarianism.

Digital technical standards are – and have always been – pervasive. They shape the way societies engage with everyday technologies, from internet connectivity to 5G. In many ways, they reflect the values and visions of the engineers that develop them.

Until recently, the development of digital technical standards has been a relatively apolitical, technical policy area, deliberated in closed conference rooms without generating much external interest. However, in the past few months, the spectre of standards proposals like China’s ‘new IP’ – a closed, centrally-controlled system of national internet – have made standards a hot topic.

Around the world, there is increasing recognition of the importance of standards in shaping technology – and the strategic advantage possessed by the actors who shape them. But many proposals raise concerns due to their disruptive impact on the global internet and telecoms. They have a potential to set concerning precedents for emerging technologies, too.

Click here to continue reading the full version of this Expert Comment on the Chatham House website.