| The Second Annual Tech Diplomacy Awards |
Recognizing the pressing need for international collaboration on matters of critical and emerging technology, the Tech Diplomacy Award is an important instrument to celebrate those who are able to promote cooperation amidst escalating global tensions, especially in the technological realm. The Tech Diplomacy Award honors a distinguished leader by acknowledging exceptional contributions to the Tech Diplomacy field through innovative and visionary leadership. Watch below to see John Chambers, Founder & CEO of JC2 Ventures, be awarded for championing the globally significant relationship between the United States and India at a time when collaboration is at its peak. Tech Diplomacy Online Course – Scholarships Available! This exciting course from the Tech Diplomacy Network and Diplo explores tech diplomacy as a diplomatic practice, focusing on interactions between diplomats and the tech sector. It provides practitioners with the knowledge and skills needed to navigate and engage effectively in this evolving field. Learn about: ✓ Key actors in tech diplomacy and their approaches ✓ Forms of engagement between tech and diplomacy ✓ Practical applications of tech diplomacy in your field  Apply Now! News Roundup Top Tech Diplomacy Resources This year, the EU will launch a “Digital Diplomacy” initiative to facilitate stronger global tech alliances, as the supranational body eyes deeper ties with partners in Asia and faces rising tensions with the U.S. over digital regulation. Romania is kickstarting a cross-party Trusted Tech Caucus in partnership with the Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy to harness emerging tech for economic growth, national security, and democratic resilience. In the newest episode of the Tech Diplomacy Podcast, Norwegian researcher Niels Nagelhus Schia discusses how AI is affecting democratic elections, highlighting international trends and domestic challenges. Listen here. Learn more about how the closure of USAID will affect soft power and public and digital diplomacy here, shared by our friends at Diplo. Register now for the launch of the Asia-Europe Science & Technology Diplomacy Report, taking place on April 11th via Zoom. Global Emerging tech like AI, quantum computing, hypersonic missiles, and autonomous weapons are transforming nuclear warfare and introducing new strategic advantages, although this is raising the risk of catastrophic miscalculation, Haseeb Ahmed writes for Modern Diplomacy. Read a former Meta employee’s review of Facebook whistleblower Sarah Wynn-Williams’ memoir Careless People: Sabhanaz Rashid Diya says it’s “a courageous feat, but it glosses over her [Wynn-Williams’] own indifference to warnings from policymakers, civil society, and internal teams outside the U.S. about serious harm to communities from Facebook.” The European Commission and South Korea recently signed a digital trade pact, focused on areas like data and business-enabling tech, is “nothing short of a major milestone” according to EU trade chief Maroš Šefčovič. It comes as tensions between the EU and the new Trump administration grow and political upheaval in South Korea persists. Check out this recap of RightsCon 2025, which had the theme of “protecting digital freedom” this year, from ARTICLE 19. The World Bank’s second annual Global Digital Summit rallied public and private players to discuss the world’s digital divide. The president of the National Committee on United States-China Relations is calling on China and the U.S. to cooperate on AI to ensure efficiency and innovation. A global shift away from 2G, driven by telecom companies’ financial interests in freeing up room for faster networks, risks mass digital exclusion as millions of Global Majority people still depend on basic phones, Lam Le writes for Rest of World. China’s dominance in the global critical mineral supply and trade tensions are causing global challenges, Mark Burton reports for Bloomberg. North America Editor-in-Chief of The Atlantic Jeffrey Goldberg was accidentally added to a Signal group chat with top advisors of U.S. president Donald Trump, used to talk about planned airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen. This raised major concerns about how the administration is handling matters of national security. Washington hit back at several Chinese tech firms by adding them to an export blacklist for chasing “advanced knowhow in supercomputing, artificial intelligence and quantum technology for military purposes,” Elaine Kurtenbach writes for AP News. The Canadian government is signaling its commitment to ethical AI through a series of new initiatives, including AI responsibility measures, an AI advisory council refresh, a new Safe AI Advisory Group, a guide for AI system managers, and new signees of the AI ethics code. LinkedIn’s co-founder is warning against the Trump administration’s “America first” policies, underscoring the importance of keeping our democratic allies close and providing we can be a “stable partner,” Sarah Perkel reports for Business Insider. The Trump administration is doubling down on offensive cyber operations to combat adversaries like China, and though critics worry about escalation, history suggests cyber operations often prevent conflict rather than spark it – this makes calculated risk a potential asset in modern statecraft, Georgia Wood argues for the Georgetown Security Studies Review. A few weeks ago, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth ordered the Pentagon’s cyberoperations against Russia to halt, feeding into beliefs the administration is taking a soft approach to Russia. Africa South Africa’s government rejected claims made by the U.S. President in an inflammatory social media post earlier this month as “counterproductive megaphone diplomacy,” Mayeni Jones reports for BBC news, after Trump accused them of land grabs and offered citizenship to those fleeing “for reasons of safety.” Zimbabwean billionaire Strive Masiyiwa’s company Cassava Technologies is uniting with Nvidia to establish Africa’s first AI factory, with expansions planned across the continent. Kenya has revealed a 5-year AI strategy, “designed to position Kenya not just as a participant, but as a pacesetter in the global AI landscape, with a particular focus on Africa. We are building on our reputation as the ‘Silicon Savannah’ by creating a robust framework that prioritizes innovation, ethical governance, and collaboration,” says ICT and Digital Economy Principal Secretary John Tanui. Continent-wide crackdowns on cybercrime have resulted in hundreds of arrests, primarily targeting scammers. Asia Xiaohongshu, known widely as RedNote in the U.S., is taking advantage of TikTok’s challenges in the country to attract a more global user base, but converting short-term hype into long-term success will rely on a few things: “RedNote’s commercial success hinges on whether they can convert initial curiosity into lasting engagement by successfully transplanting their unique combination of content, community, and commerce that U.S. incumbents can’t replicate,” said tech analyst Ivy Yang. The United Arab Emirates pledged 1.4 trillion USD of investment in the U.S. over the next decade, a calculated move towards accessing American chips and evade looming export curbs on advanced semiconductors. Vietnam and Singapore are coming together to cooperate in various tech-related areas,including energy, digital connectivity, and subsea cables. Starting in September, new Chinese rules will require AI-generated content be clearly labeled, a step officials say is to “promote the healthy development of artificial intelligence,” Farah Master reports for Reuters. Speaking of China, in a surprising move, the government banned compulsory facial recognition without consent last week and is now requiring organizations to go through a privacy assessment. South Korea’s political scene has faced political chaos as of late following former President Yoon’s impeachment. Now, with a potential power shift to the liberal opposition on the horizon, South Korea’s best path forward may be pursuing global influence as a middle power beyond regional rivalries and alliances, Julian Reich writes for the Georgetown Security Studies Review. Elon Musk-acquired Twitter, now X, is suing the Indian government for “unlawfully expanding its powers to remove online content,” one of many instances of the company lashing out at a national government over censorship concerns. Europe The Council of Europe is calling for a digital revolution that empowers women so emerging tech like AI can be a force for gender equality instead of tools that perpetuate bias and harm, seeking to tackle algorithmic bias, close gender gaps in the industry, and ensure women play a role in shaping the future of tech. Dozens of EU parliamentarians are urging the Commission to launch a “Chips Act 2.0,”arguing the original Act has been too slow amidst growing geopolitical tensions threatening the region’s access to advanced tech. In good news for the lawmakers, Executive VP Henna Virkkunen confirmed this is in the works and outlined five pillars of an AI Continent Action Plan, which will be presented on April 9th. Check out The Verge’s coverage of the EU’s Digital Markets Act here, which is now in force and holding the biggest global tech companies to account in an unprecedented way. The U.K.’s Online Safety Act is demanding tech platforms take swift action on harmful and illegal content, or pay massive fines. If companies don’t show they’re actively addressing offenses, they may see penalties as high as 10% of their global revenue. Ukraine is host to critical minerals vital for global tech and defense industries, but tapping into these resources isn’t easy because of outdated data and war-damaged infrastructure, amongst other challenges – and the U.S.-Ukraine deal will require a lot of effort to make a reality, Scott L. Montgomery writes for The Conversation. Latin America Brazil’s left-leaning government is hitting the breaks on a proposed Big Tech tax targeting U.S. tech giants, in an attempt to avoid provoking Trump as his administration dangles threats of tariffs, Marcela Ayres and Bernardo Caram report for Reuters. The geopolitical landscape in Latin America continues to be shaped by the ongoing U.S.-China rivalry, affecting trade and diplomatic relations: “if China aspires to bring Latin America into line with its international political stance, it will be difficult to find an echo in a region with strong roots in democratic values and the respect for human rights.” E-commerce company MercadoLibre is investing 3.4 billion USD into Mexico to expand its reach and improve its tech product. Lawyers in Latin America are grappling with some challenges in embracing generative AI’s influence on their field, Ben Edwards writes for the Global Legal Post. Cyberattacks linked to Chinese state-sponsored groups are intensifying across the region, targeting critical infrastructure, governments, and economies. Oceania Australia, in partnership with the U.S. and Japan, is supporting a new undersea cable to improve remote Pacific nations’ digital connectivity, with a broader goal of combating growing Chinese influence through strengthened infrastructure, Ange Lavoipierre writes for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Australia’s plan to restrict the access of youth under the age of 16 from social media platforms, of course, sparked fierce backlash from those like TikTok, Meta, and Snapchat, who are unhappy YouTube may be spared for being an “important source of educational value.” Kiribati’s Women, Youth, and Social Welfare Minister Ruth Cross signaled the importance of addressing technology-facilitated gender-based violence during CSW69 this month. U.S. President Trump’s aggressive executive order to turbocharge U.S. mineral and energy production is a double-edged sword for Australia, and the nation must engage directly to ensure cooperation on critical minerals to avoid being left behind. Follow our LinkedIn page to keep up to date on our upcoming events, publications, and efforts to foster collaboration and dialogue between the diplomatic community, civil society, and the tech industry. |
For more updates, stay tuned to the Tech Diplomacy Network! |
Tech Diplomacy Newsletter 3-25
