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Title details for The Tech Coup by Marietje Schaake - Available

The Tech Coup

How to Save Democracy from Silicon Valley

by Marietje Schaake
ebook
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A tech insider who has been hailed by The New Yorker for her "forceful critique" of Big Tech describes what must be done to stop its erosion of democracy
Over the past decades, under the cover of "innovation," technology companies have successfully resisted regulation and have even begun to seize power from governments themselves. Facial recognition firms track citizens for police surveillance. Cryptocurrency has wiped out the personal savings of millions and threatens the stability of the global financial system. Spyware companies sell digital intelligence tools to anyone who can afford them. This new reality—where unregulated technology has become a forceful instrument for autocrats around the world—is terrible news for democracies and citizens.
In The Tech Coup, Marietje Schaake offers a behind-the-scenes account of how technology companies crept into nearly every corner of our lives and our governments. She takes us beyond the headlines to high-stakes meetings with human rights defenders, business leaders, computer scientists, and politicians to show how technologies—from social media to artificial intelligence—have gone from being heralded as utopian to undermining the pillars of our democracies. To reverse this existential power imbalance, Schaake outlines game-changing solutions to empower elected officials and citizens alike. Democratic leaders can—and must—resist the influence of corporate lobbying and reinvent themselves as dynamic, flexible guardians of our digital world.
Drawing on her experiences in the halls of the European Parliament and among Silicon Valley insiders, Schaake offers a frightening look at our modern tech-obsessed world—and a clear-eyed view of how democracies can build a better future before it is too late.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    September 24, 2024

  • Formats

    • Kindle Book

    • OverDrive Read

      • ISBN: 9780691241180

    • EPUB ebook

      • ISBN: 9780691241180
      • File size: 1510 KB

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • Kirkus

      July 1, 2024
      An assessment of the current state of the technology sector, which has avoided accountability for decades--but there are signs of change. Schaake is the international policy director at Stanford University Cyber Policy Center, a former member of the European Parliament, and a columnist for the Financial Times. Consequently, her voice is significant, especially involving issues of technology and regulation. In her debut book, the author takes a deep dive into the ways in which tech behemoths have infiltrated governments, starting with service delivery and working up to critical roles in national security. Some governments have openly contracted tech companies to provide tools for surveillance and control. The size and wealth of these corporations make them extremely powerful, and many of them have mastered the art of burying opponents under waves of techno-babble. They claim that any regulation would stifle innovation, but Schaake sees that as self-serving, pointing out that there are other well-regulated industries that have positive innovation records. She believes that the legislation passed in Europe is a good start but also notes that regulations have to be supported by the will to implement them, which has been patchy at best. In the U.S., Schaake argues for the possibility of a bipartisan coalition that could put effective rules in place. The hard line that politicians are taking with TikTok may signal a change of attitude. The question is now about designing a framework that balances the competing interests, and Schaake puts forward some useful suggestions. The Declaration on the Future of the Internet offers a path for international cooperation, and while none of the relevant problems can be easily solved, the author demonstrates the importance of making sure democratic institutions are protected. Both alarming and hopeful, and Schaake writes with hard-won experience and clear-minded intelligence.

      COPYRIGHT(2024) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Formats

  • Kindle Book
  • OverDrive Read
  • EPUB ebook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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