| Second Annual Tech Diplomacy Course Takes Place in Vienna |
The second annual tech diplomacy course was held last month at the Diplomatische Akademie Wien in Vienna. Students had the opportunity to partake in two days of stimulating conversations and exercises, including a simulation devising tech diplomacy strategies for countries and private sector companies. The course was led by Katharina Höne, Research & Capacity Building, and Martin Rauchbauer, Co-Director & Founder, at the Tech Diplomacy Network.  Tech Diplomacy Network CEO joins 2025 Class of Science & Technology Policy Fellows We are pleased to announce that the Tech Diplomacy Network’s CEO, Christina Steinbrecher-Pfandt, was selected as one of fifteen individuals to join the Aspen Institute’s Summer 2025 Science & Technology Policy Fellowship. Fellows will learn to “transform their subject matter expertise into policy through tools like policy writing, public speaking, stakeholder mapping, and solution scoping.”  |
| News Roundup Global Stéphanie Balme explores how science and technology have become central to diplomacy as global challenges evolve, and how nations are integrating tech into their international cooperation strategies to adapt to new global dynamics for the Geneva Graduate Institute’s Global Challenges journal. At the 78th World Health Assembly last month, global health leaders greenlit the extension of the Global Strategy on Digital Health through 2027 and plans to launch a new strategy for 2028 to 2033. This extension seeks to underscore the rising importance of digital health tools like AI and telemedicine in shaping equitable and resilient health systems worldwide. The U.S.-China AI rivalry is often framed as a high-stakes tech sprint, but experts argue the real contest lies in shaping global norms, governance, and equitable outcomes. Beneath the surface of innovation headlines is a deeper struggle over power, values, and who gets left behind in the rush to dominate the future, Rest of World reports. At the second UN Virtual Worlds Day this month, 18 UN agencies issued a call to harness AI-powered virtual environments for inclusive, sustainable development. The initiative outlines 12 global priorities aimed at ensuring emerging technologies advance social progress and leave no one behind. North America Canada can leverage its G7 presidency to take the lead in international AI governance, Matthew Da Mota, Christo Hall, and Emily Osborne argue for Tech Policy Press. With Prime Minister Mark Carney’s creation of a new Ministry of AI, the nation can advocate for greater accountability and possibly even mandate the reporting of AI safety practices. These proposed measures would build on the momentum from past G7 summits and position Canada at the forefront of shaping global responsible AI policies, the authors write. Speaking of, leaders at the G7 summit in Alberta, Canada, this past week placed quantum technology and AI front and center as considerations for global policy. Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney emphasized ahead of the gathering that quantum computing is “essential” for economic and energy security, highlighting the nation’s efforts to unite “reliable partners” to speed up the digital transition. In an unprecedented preemption move, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a budget rider barring any state or city from regulating AI systems for the next decade, which could delay state-level AI regulations for up to a decade. While supporters argue that a uniform national framework is needed to keep the U.S. competitive with China, critics warn this freeze on progress will prevent states from tackling urgent harms and emergent risks tied to AI, Loreben Tuquero reports for Politifact. The U.S. Copyright Office’s third report on AI and copyright dives deep into the legal issues surrounding training generative AI models with copyrighted works. The report suggests that commercial AI uses of copyrighted content could breach fair use, but it leaves the door open for future market-based solutions. A Minnesota shooting suspect allegedly used data broker sites to find the home addresses of his victims before killing Democratic State Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark Hortman, and injuring a State Senator and his wife. The case highlights the unsettling ease with which personal data can be accessed, raising serious concerns about online privacy, Lily Hay Newman reports for WIRED. “With tightening immigration policies and rising fears of deportation,” new apps are becoming essential tools for migrants to “stay prepared and connected,” Gabriela Martínez Córdova and Alicia Fàbregas report for Rest of World. Apps like Hack Latino and ConsulApp Guate are offering real-time alerts, legal resources, and safety information to help users navigate the growing risk of deportation under the Trump administration. But, with increasing political pressure, some apps are scaling back operations or going offline to protect user privacy and avoid legal risks. Africa As its economic growth slows in Africa, China is taking an opportunity to grow the nation’s influence in the region, offering zero-tariff deals to all nations but Eswatini amid trade tensions stoked by the U.S. administration’s tariff plans. This move not only strengthens China’s political ties but also boosts its economic presence in Africa, positioning itself as a dominant lender and key trade partner in sectors like infrastructure and clean energy. South Africa is shaking up its ICT policy by offering international tech giants like Starlink a smoother entry into the market. The new policy would drop a 30% local ownership rule in favor of equity-equivalent investment programs, allowing companies to invest directly in digital transformation initiatives instead: “digital infrastructure and access to the internet open a world of opportunity — from applying for jobs and studying, to accessing government services or even starting a business,” said Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies, Solly Malatsi. The original ownership rule has recently faced much media attention and sparked a wider debate on racial issues in the country. Nigeria is teaming up with Meta to launch the Nigeria AI Accelerator Programme, aimed at nurturing local startups focused on solving national challenges with the emerging tech. The move underscores the country’s ambition to be a leader in the region’s tech revolution and a key player in the AI space. The Connected Africa Summit 2025, held in Kenya last month, dove deep into the digital future of Africa with a focus on policy, innovation, and youth empowerment. With 70% of Africa’s population under 30, the summit aimed to unlock new financing models, scale local tech innovations, and address internet access disparities. As the host of the summit, Kenya continued to position itself as a hub for Africa’s IT-enabled services, seeking to spark cross-border collaborations and reshape the continent’s tech landscape. Tanzania has moved to block access to the social media platform X, citing its allowance of pornographic content that violates the country’s cultural and legal standards. This decision comes amid heightened political tensions and concerns over digital repression, with human rights groups pointing to a “troubling pattern of digital repression” as national elections loom on the horizon, Farouk Chothia reports for BBC. Asia Last month, ASEAN launched its new goals for 2045, with ambitious cybersecurity aims outlined in the document as crucial for securing the region’s digital future. However, geopolitical tensions, especially among the U.S., China, and Russia, are clouding the path forward. As ASEAN seeks to balance strategic partnerships in the tech space, external pressure and cyber warfare between global powers could complicate the bloc’s efforts to foster secure and resilient digital ecosystems, M. Faizal Bin Abdul Rahman writes for Modern Diplomacy. Pakistan is taking a step into the digital future by allocating 2,000 megawatts of surplus electricity for AI data centers and Bitcoin mining, supported by the government-backed Pakistan Crypto Council. Japan has just passed a groundbreaking AI bill seeking to fuel tech innovation while keeping its potential dangers in check. “To address mounting concerns over the spread of false and erroneous information generated by AI tools, the new law includes a provision to allow the government to disclose the names of malicious businesses in the event of crime using AI,” a report from The Japan Times states. However, “the law does not include penalty provisions so as not discourage technological development,” highlighting tensions nations are dealing with in balancing safe AI use and innovation. Google’s new “Safety Charter” for India hopes to keep the country’s booming digital economy safe as AI becomes a bigger part of everyday life. From combating online fraud with AI-driven tools to collaborating with Indian authorities on cybersecurity, Google cites ambitious goals like securing digital infrastructure and improving AI transparency. In the wake of the Trump administration’s tariffs, Indonesia has become a hotbed for viral, pro-China disinformation. While there’s no direct proof of Beijing’s involvement, the timing and impact raise questions about digital influence campaigns in a post-truth era, Muhammad Zulfikar Rakhmat and Yeta Purnama cover for Fair Observer. Amazon just made a 5 billion USD investment to expand its cloud infrastructure in Taiwan, launching a new AWS region to fuel AI and data growth. The move includes building data centers and hiring locally to boost digital skills. Chinese electric vehicle brands are making waves globally, with Chinese companies BYD now outselling Tesla in Europe and Xiaomi branching into electric cars. Digital marketing platforms like TikTok and Facebook are helping these brands expand rapidly, while large sponsorships boost their global profiles. Europe Check out the Center for Democracy and Technology’s June 2025 roundup on EU tech policy, covering policy updates regarding spyware, encryption, AI, platform governance, and more. The 4th International Digital Security Forum took place in Vienna at the start of the month, bringing together experts across industries, government, and civil society to discuss digital sovereignty and global cooperation. Notable sessions included a keynote by Renata Ávila on human-centric digital commons and a panel on data governance for peace. The PeaceTech Alliance was also launched as a platform for collaborative tech solutions in conflict prevention and peacebuilding. The European Parliament introduced a sweeping update of laws aimed at tackling child sexual abuse across the EU, responding to new tech challenges like deepfake material. The revised proposal tightens penalties, removes statutes of limitations, and criminalizes AI tools designed for producing this illegal content. The EU has seen a recent slew of digital policy updates aimed at tightening tech sovereignty and global cooperation. From the European Commission’s push for a new International Digital Strategy to the European Parliament’s tech sovereignty report, boosting Europe’s digital infrastructure and competitiveness is at the forefront of the tech agenda in Brussels. Poland’s presidency aimed to bolster EU democracy by proposing a set of conclusions on strengthening democratic resilience, but consensus proved elusive in the General Affairs Council last month. Despite widespread backing, Ministers couldn’t agree on the final text, leading Poland to release it as “presidency conclusions” with support from 25 Member States. Europe’s digital landscape is facing some major hurdles, with the rollout of the AI Act potentially delayed due to mounting pressure from industry and global tensions, particularly with the U.S. In this interview, Tech Policy Press associate editor Ramsha Jahangir speaks to Kai Zenner, Head of Office and Digital Policy Advisor to German MEP Axel Voss, to discuss. Nearly 70% of Dutch youth support setting a minimum age for social media use, citing concerns over addiction, safety, and mental health. UNICEF Nederland’s survey reveals that many children feel online platforms aren’t doing enough to protect them, underscoring global discussions on safeguarding young people on digital platforms. Latin America The Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy at Purdue announced a new strategic partnership with Oakwise, a Mexico-based consulting firm, to provide Oakwise personnel with exclusive access to the Tech Diplomacy Academy. This collaboration aims to drive values-based digital transformation and improve competitiveness in Latin America by equipping professionals with the tools to foster innovation, trust, and democratic values in the tech sector. Seven states in Brazil are pushing for tax breaks on data center equipment to eliminate state-level sales taxes on imports and acquisitions, complementing the federal Redata tax plan, which aims to make Brazil a more competitive destination for tech investments. With key players like AWS backing the initiative, the pressure’s on to clear the tax hurdles and tap into the country’s AI potential. Several Latin American nations are collaborating on Latam-GPT, an open-source AI model designed to reflect the region’s unique cultural and linguistic diversity, set to launch in September. Spearheaded by Chile’s National Center for Artificial Intelligence and dozens of partner institutions, the initiative aims to make AI more inclusive and accessible across the region. Oceania In Australia, strategic assets like submarine cables are growing more critical – and vulnerable. Current protections are no match for rising geopolitical and environmental threats, and risk forfeiting the nation’s economic potential as a regional digital leader: “if Australia wants to position itself as a regional digital hub and attract the investments and jobs that come with them, it must treat connectivity as a national economic priority,” Jocelinn Kang writes for the Australian Strategic Policy Institute. More Australians are accessing news from social media than traditional outlets, with platforms like TikTok and Instagram gaining popularity, especially among younger generations. TV still reigns supreme as the top news source, but social media’s growing dominance reflects a broader global shift away from legacy media to digital sources. Check out more key findings from Australia’s 2025 Digital News Report here. Fiji is charting a bold course toward a digitally-driven future with its National Digital Strategy 2025–2030, aiming to put 80% of government services online, expand 5G coverage, and create tens of thousands of ICT jobs. The plan aims to position inclusive growth, digital equity, and strong cybersecurity as pillars for long-term national development. Australia is ramping up its maritime surveillance in the Pacific, committing 477 million AUD to aerial patrols in a bid to curb illegal fishing and assert regional stability. The move comes as China prepares to expand its coast guard presence in the area, raising the stakes in an already delicate geopolitical environment. |
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 6-25
